Interview: Out director Dan Watt on his new documentary 'Everybody Dance'

The Randy Report - LGBTQ Politics & Entertainment

"Everybody Dance" is a new documentary about Bonnie Schlachte’s Ballet For All Kids dance studio in California. As the name says, the studio teaches dance to all kids: all ages, all abilities - and disabilities including those with special needs whether physical(like cerebral palsy) or those on the autism spectrum or developmentally delayed. After a career that began as a dancer and choreographer, Dan - who’s openly gay - went on to work with stars like Bea Arthur, Ben Vereen, Carol Channing, and Simon Cowell, as well as working at Colombia Pictures in film development for a long time. But a few years ago, he made the decision to tell the stories that HE wanted to tell - with a focus on exploring the human experience, humanity, and social issues. In choosing a subject for his debut effort as a director and producer, Dan reflected on his fascination with people who study the arts but don’t make it their profession. He used to ask people questions like, “How did your piano lessons help you in your everyday life or career”? "Everybody Dance" not only explores the lives of several of the dance students at Ballet For All Kids along with their families, but the film chronicles the weeks before the dance studio’s all-important annual dance recital. That’s right - these special needs kids dance onstage right next to their classmates who Miss Bonnie describes as “typical” kids. "Everybody Dance" is available now on AppleTV, iTunes, Amazon Prime and Google Play.