Dancing in Jaffa

After decades abroad, renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine returns to his hometown of Jaffa, Israel, nostalgic for the streets of his youth but dismayed by the strong current of racial animosity that now serves as the norm. Fueled by his belief in dancing's power to build self-esteem and social awareness, Dulaine brings his popular Dancing Classrooms program to three diverse, Jaffa-based schools where he teaches ballroom basics to the ethnically mixed population of children.

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""Pierre Dulaine, four-time ballroom dancing world champion, is fulfilling a life-long dream when he takes his program, Dancing Classrooms, back to his city of birth, Jaffa. For generations, Jaffa has been a city divided by two communities that continue to grow increasingly apart. Over a ten-week period, Pierre teaches Jewish and Palestinian Israeli children to dance and compete together. The film explores the complex stories of three children, all of whom who are forced to confront issues of identity, segregation, and racial prejudice as they dance with their enemy. We watch Pierre transform their lives, confirming his belief that dance can overcome hatred and provide the first steps towards real change."--Official film website (http://www.dancinginjaffa.com/)."
"After decades abroad, renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine returns to his hometown of Jaffa, Israel, nostalgic for the streets of his youth but dismayed by the strong current of racial animosity that now serves as the norm. Fueled by his belief in dancing's power to build self-esteem and social awareness, Dulaine brings his popular Dancing Classrooms program to three diverse, Jaffa-based schools where he teaches ballroom basics to the ethnically mixed population of children."@en
"In the city of Jaffa, strife between Jewish and Palestinian Israelis has become commonplace. The children especially are affected, segregated along religious lines that only throw fuel on the fires of animosity. But one man thinks there is a solution in an unlikely place: dance. Dancing in Jaffa follows internationally renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine as he leads an educational program to bring Jewish and Palestinian children together through the power of dance. Over a ten week period, Dulaine teaches the ten-year-olds the respect and acceptance required by the art of ballroom dancing, struggling every step of the way to overcome cultural barriers and allow the children to find a common ground. The documentary explores the complex stories of three different children who are forced to confront issues of identity, segregation, and racial prejudice as they dance with their supposed 'enemy.' The classroom becomes a microcosm of the Middle East's struggle to work together harmoniously in spite of the politics of the region. Under Dulaine's guidance, the children learn to dance together and trust one another. Dancing in Jaffa offers an up-close-and-personal perspective of how the future might unfold if the art of movement and dance could triumph over the politics of history and geography."@en
"Celebrated dancer Pierre Dulaine has returned to his hometown of Jaffa, Israel, where he opens a ballroom dance school where he teaches Israeli and Palestinian children to dance together, hoping to ease tensions."@en