Dance in Film · 2019
And Then We Danced (2019)
Traditional Georgian technique becomes the film's central argument about masculinity, inheritance and individual expression.
And Then We Danced is a 2019 dance feature film centred on ballroom and social dance. For dancers, it's a chance to see the style performed on screen — the phrasing, partnering, and musicality that the same dances carry onto a real floor.
Jump to the 6 indexed dance sequences ↓
Where to watch: Music Box Films and local streaming/rental listings
The dance sequences in And Then We Danced
6 sequences — what is danced, by whom, and where to find it.
Final audition solo
Traditional Georgian / contemporary fusionDanced by Levan Gelbakhiani (Merab) · Choreography Levan Gelbakhiani (solo developed by)
The company director walking out while Merab finishes the injured, defiant solo and bows.
The solo recombines traditional Georgian steps with Merab’s own slinky choreography, turning the audition into an explicit claim to artistic and personal self-definition.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used: opened sources conflict at 105 minutes (Directors’ Fortnight), 106 minutes (Totem Films), and 113 minutes (Apple TV). The film’s principal choreographer remained anonymous.
Gay-club release to house music
Uncodified club dancing to house musicDanced by Levan Gelbakhiani (Merab); club ensemble
Merab thrashing with new queer friends under the club lights after Irakli stops returning his calls.
The club scene replaces watched, gender-policed technique with uncontrolled communal release, showing Merab trying a new social and physical identity.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used: opened sources conflict at 105 minutes (Directors’ Fortnight), 106 minutes (Totem Films), and 113 minutes (Apple TV). The film’s principal choreographer remained anonymous.
Irakli replaces Merab in rehearsal
Traditional Georgian danceDanced by Levan Gelbakhiani (Merab); Bachi Valishvili (Irakli); Ana Javakishvili (Mary)
Irakli arriving, immediately proving his talent, and taking Merab’s place opposite Mary.
The rehearsal makes movement quality dramatic evidence: Irakli’s sharp strength earns the duet while Merab’s fluidity is treated as failure.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used: opened sources conflict at 105 minutes (Directors’ Fortnight), 106 minutes (Totem Films), and 113 minutes (Apple TV). The film’s principal choreographer remained anonymous.
Merab and Irakli’s sparring duet
Georgian duet with erased queer-subculture rootsDanced by Levan Gelbakhiani (Merab); Bachi Valishvili (Irakli)
The two men smiling through a boyish pas de deux and flipping their hands from cheek to cheek.
A paired Georgian sequence turns competitive sparring into courtship; playful face-framing gestures recover movement the director links to an erased gay subculture.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used: opened sources conflict at 105 minutes (Directors’ Fortnight), 106 minutes (Totem Films), and 113 minutes (Apple TV). The film’s principal choreographer remained anonymous.
Opening courtship duet
Traditional Georgian danceDanced by Levan Gelbakhiani (Merab); Ana Javakishvili (Mary)
Merab and Mary orbiting one another as courtship while the director tells him to become rigid and monument-like.
The duet establishes the form’s strict gender roles while Merab’s playful softness already presses against the masculine ideal enforced in rehearsal.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used: opened sources conflict at 105 minutes (Directors’ Fortnight), 106 minutes (Totem Films), and 113 minutes (Apple TV). The film’s principal choreographer remained anonymous.
Private dance to “Honey”
Expressive freestyleDanced by Levan Gelbakhiani (Merab)
Merab dancing with a cigarette in boxer shorts and an oversized fur hat while Robyn’s “Honey” plays.
Merab’s impromptu solo gives his desire a freer physical language than ensemble training allows, making movement the clearest communication between him and Irakli.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used: opened sources conflict at 105 minutes (Directors’ Fortnight), 106 minutes (Totem Films), and 113 minutes (Apple TV). The film’s principal choreographer remained anonymous.
Poster artwork from TMDB.
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