Dan Watt brings some new stars into the spotlight. The filmmaker debuts with his first documentary, Everyone dancing, on October 7 to On Demand formats. The release coincides with: Down syndrome awareness month and Spina Bifida Awareness Month, both of which are in October. The trailer for the film can be viewed below.
Everyone dancing tells the story of six children with different disabilities as they prepare for a major dance recital. All children are taught by the studio “Ballet for All Kids”. The film follows the children’s journey, from the moment the teacher announces the recital, until the big day! Dan spoke to us about his inspiration for the story below, stating that it was his own dance history that led him to “Ballet for All Kids” and with it the impact of the arts.
Born in Cleveland, Watt got his start in the dance world early on. His journey started with ballroom dance lessons as a child, which led him to dance with the Cleveland Ballet. From there, Watt continued to dance his way up, eventually choreographing and producing musicals in Los Angeles.
“As a former dancer, dance teacher and choreographer, I have always been fascinated by how studying art can be applied in everyday life. How the dedication, commitment and determination of arts education can be applied to everyday life experiences, so I embarked on a journey to find out. While doing my research I came across “Ballet for all kids” and was so impressed that the studio really did what the name says, they teach dance to ALL kids it doesn’t matter if you are atypical, have autism, syndrome, cerebral palsy, everyone is welcome there.”
The art is for everyone!
Everyone dancing was filmed over a ten-month period. But the stories are not limited to just the studio, we also take a look at their lives at home and see the daily ups and downs of these inspiring children. Watt explained that the ultimate message of the film is to show that deep down we are all the same. He hopes the film will not only raise awareness of the special needs community, but also provide messages of empowerment.
The film made its official debut at the Santa Barbara Festival earlier this year and later on the Cleveland International Film Festival. The film was screened at the Keybank State Theater. Once upon a time there was a young Watt who worked in the theater as a waiter for the VIP department. Years later, he would return to screen his directorial debut. Watt told Cleveland.com that it was a “full-circle” moment for him.
“It’s one of those moments that comes full circle, to think that this young boy is chasing his dreams, working there, seeing these amazing artists — and now my film is out there again.”
on October 7, Everyone dancing will be available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, iTunes and Google Play. In addition to directing, Watt is also a writer and executive producer. Howard Barish and Michael Nell also join him as executive producers.