Theater shots, Maxxum 5 vs Nikon N75

I'm just a mom trying to get decent shots of my kids ballroom dancing in a theater setting. My point & shoot does not work well. Will either of these cameras work for that? What do I need to know/do to get these types of pics?

Your point and shoot may do a better job with faster film (try ISO 800) but maybe not good enough. Either of those cameras should do a good job, but this is a hard thing to photograph. There are a lot of ways to do it and all give you a different result. I'm not trying to discourage you, but that's the story here. Low light and action are a difficult combination!

You might want to try faster film than that - I've heard good things about Fuji 1600 color negative film but haven't tried it myself. I'd go with Kodak T-Max 3200 black and white, but set the camera at 1600. Ilford also makes a film which is very good. It will take a pro lab to get good results from these black and white films, which can get expensive. Also, realize that they will be grainy - a look that I personally don't mind, sometimes it can add to the shot.

The other way is to shoot with a flash. This is probably where the point & shoot is having problems - the flash just isn't powerful enough. Depending on your budget, a good flash can be a lifesaver. I'd probably stick with either Nikon or Canon due to the amount of accessories available and their commitment to digital. Minolta is pretty new with digital SLR's - they don't even have one that's on the market yet.