Miromar, FL -- Fifth-grade students from Bonita Springs Elementary School, Franklin Park Magnet School and Edgewood Academy are set to demonstrate their new ballroom dancing skills at Miromar Outlets.

Students have been involved in a 10-week, 20-lesson program called Dancing Classrooms. The social development program for fifth-grade students uses ballroom dancing to build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem.

The students in the exhibition program have completed their 20 lessons and are among a total of 325 Lee County fifth-graders involved in the program.

It is underwritten by Miromar Outlets and presented in partnership with The Foundation for Lee Public Schools.

The inspiration for the program is an award-winning documentary called "Mad Hot Ballroom." The movie captured the journey taken by a group of fifth-graders from lower socio-economic neighborhoods in New York City as they developed social skills through ballroom dancing.

Another movie, "Take the Lead," depicts the efforts of Dancing Classrooms founder and director Pierre Dulaine to utilize ballroom dancing to help New York City youth regain a sense of self-respect, pride and elegance.

Antonio Banderas portrays Dulaine in the movie, which was released in 2006.

The program has been so successful in New York that Dulaine has made it available to school districts across the United States. Currently, schools in major metropolitan cities such as New York City, Boston, Atlanta, Denver and Fort Worth/Dallas are participating.

This is the first Dancing Classrooms program in the state of Florida and the first time a private business has provided the program for local public schools.

The two other Lee County schools that participated in Dancing Classrooms are Tice and J. Colin English elementary schools in Fort Myers.

Exhibition dances were March 15.

A final ballroom dancing competition will be held April 5 at the International Design Center called "Colors of the Rainbow Team Match." Pierre Dulaine will attend.