Filmmaker Dan Watt Spotlights Inclusion in ‘Everybody Dance’ Documentary

Drawn to the excitement of performing on stage, Brunswick native Dan Watt began studying dance at age 15. In high school, he also took a job as an usher at Cleveland’s Palace Theater, where he spent weekends catching a variety of Broadway productions, as well as performers like Tina Turner, Englebert Humperdinck and Chita Rivera. 

After Rivera’s show, Watt even waited outside the stage door in the rain, hoping to meet her. When he did, he got a piece of advice that has served as a driving force in his career. 

“She said, … ‘Take the first job, take the next job, take the next job, and take the next job,’” Watt recalls. “‘And one day, you’ll look up and you’ll have a career.’”

Watt went on to train in dance, and in 2010, he began working on film and television projects at Columbia Pictures. He later worked with producer Simon Cowell and director Morgan Spurlock on the documentary “One Direction: This Is Us.” It was Spurlock who inspired Watt to begin developing his own projects. 

In 2022, Watt released “Everybody Dance.” The documentary film features five children with developmental disabilities who are learning to dance with the help of the nonprofit Ballet For All Kids. The film was aired on PBS and garnered Watt a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award and — quite fittingly — a Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Direction of a Dance Documentary.

What drew you to document the story of these five children in particular?
I wanted to show how dance can help people with disabilities in everyday life. I knew that the message of inclusion was very important, and after watching these kids and families take classes at All Kids, I just knew that their story needed to be told.

How can we make art and theater spaces more inclusive for people with different abilities and sensitivities?
I think inclusion and accessibility are the two things that we need to focus on. Some dance studio owners have reached out to me after watching the film and have asked me to guide them in creating classes at their studios. … So, to see that dance teachers and studio owners have been inspired by my film makes it all worth it. 

What do you hope audiences have a better understanding of after watching the film?
It might have the word “dance” in the title, but it is truly a story of determination, dedication, confidence and community. We all come upon obstacles in our lives that we have to work our way through. And some may experience the world in different ways, and if we embrace this, it can help us see the wonders of dancing to our own rhythm.

For more information about ”Everybody Dance,” visit dancindanproductions.com. 

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