Ballroom dancing at Mesa Public School

Ballroom dancing at Mesa Public School

If you’ve seen “Mad Hot Ballroom” or “Take the Lead” with Antonio Banderas, then you’re familiar with Pierre Dulaine’s story.  Dulaine is a renown ballroom dancer who will be at Jefferson Elementary School, 120 S. Jefferson Ave., on Monday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., to teach fifth graders the course Dancing Classrooms.

Dancing Classrooms was developed by Dulaine in 2006 in New York City.   Dulaine utilized ballroom dancing to reach inner-city students and helped them regain their sense of pride, self-respect, and elegance.  Since then Dancing Classrooms has spread throughout the U.S. and Canada serving more than 40,500 students.

“We are very excited to have Pierre Dulaine demonstrate Dancing Classrooms” Mesa Public School Elementary Physical Education Coordinator Deb Pangrazi said.   “Dulaine is a gifted teacher and Mesa is very
fortunate be the first city in Arizona to offer this course for its students.”

“With extra curricula activities being cut in our schools, it’s hard to keep children active” Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities Recreation Supervisor Cindy Hunt said.  “We’re hoping this will be an=
other great addition to our after-school programs.”

Dancing Classrooms is a project of American Ballroom Theater (ABrT), a not for-profit group that builds social awareness, confidence and self-esteem in children through the practice of social dance.   For more information
visit http://www.americanballroomtheater.com.

About Pierre Dulaine
Pierre Dulaine was born in Jaffa, Palestine in 1944. His Irish father was serving with the British Army stationed in Palestine; his mother is part Palestinian and part French. By the time Pierre was 18 he took his
Associate Degree as a professional dancer. And at 21, he took his three majors exams in Ballroom, Latin and Olde Tyme all in one day, a feat that had not been accomplished before.

With this early success under his belt, Pierre soon went on to twice win the “Duel of the Giants” at the Royal Albert Hall in London and captured the “All England Professional Latin American Championship”. In 1971
Pierre worked as a solo dancer at the famous Talk of the Town in London’s West End.  Pierre next went to Nairobi, Kenya and worked in Cabaret with the world renowned Bluebell Troupe from Paris at the Nairobi Casino for a year. Finally, Pierre signed on as a cruise director on a ship sailing out of New York City to the Caribbean Islands. In 1972, Pierre started teaching at an Arthur Murray dance studio and has been in New York ever since.

In 1984, Pierre and Yvonne Marceau started the American Ballroom Theater Company. They made their company debut at the Dance Theatre Workshop in October 1984 and in March 1986 did a two-week engagement at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. After that start, their company traveled all over the US, Europe and Asia.  In July 1989 Pierre and Yvonne joined the workshop for Tommy Tune’s Broadway show Grand Hotel and danced on Broadway for two and-a-half years, finishing with a five month run in London’s West End.

Pierre has been called a “Dancer and Teacher extraordinaire” by the New York Times and (with Yvonne) has received the Astaire Award for “Best Dancing on Broadway” in Grand Hotel.  He has been a faculty member of both the School of American Ballet and the Juilliard School.

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