Students compete in final ballroom dance competition where kindness, grace take center stage: Cleveland’s Promise

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Almira Elementary School students stand in the lobby of Playhouse Square’s State Theater, looking up in awe. Most have never been in such a space, the high ceilings and massive art pieces on the walls mesmerize them, as they wait for the final Dancing Classrooms competition to begin.

Their teacher, Ms. Mary Hejnal, jokes that the distractions could be a good thing. Not only is today’s venue much larger than the auditorium where Monday’s semi-final competition took place, but there’s a bigger audience gathered inside as well. She worries they may become overwhelmed.