Lights, Camera, Dance!

In the premiere episode of Why We Dance, actress Musetta Vander interviews the show’s host, Mia Tate—not to talk about dance, but to uncover what dance has rescued, restored, and revealed in Mia’s life and why she created this show.

Mia opens up about the seasons that nearly broke her—divorce, health scares, and the slow, quiet unraveling that happens when you drift away from your own body. What began to pull her back was a return to movement in Cuba, where music, community, and the island’s heartbeat reignited a part of her that had long been dormant.

Their conversation moves through:

• How early sparks of inspiration shaped Mia’s desire to dance
• What her years in Hollywood gave her—and what they demanded
• How creating her documentary Campesino deepened her belief in art as a lifeline
• Why movement can heal in ways language never quite can

The episode concludes with Mia reading a raw, intimate letter about why she dances—a moment that sets the emotional pulse for the stories still to unfold in the series.

It’s a conversation about healing, memory, and the human need to move.

Episode Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction and Personal Struggles

(01:32) Welcome to Why We Dance

(04:02) Early Dance Memories

(05:34) Training and Breakthroughs

(08:50) Transition to Professional Dance

(13:19) From Dance to Documentary Filmmaking

(16:35) Healing Through Dance in Cuba

(21:57) The Universal Language of Dance

(30:11) Dancing with Kids and the Power of Music

(30:50) The Healing Power of Dance and Sound

(33:10) Reconnecting After a Long Time

(34:45) Memories from 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'

(35:52) Audition Stories and Behind the Scenes

(44:10) The Concept of 'Why We Dance'

(53:24) Mia Tate's Letter: Why I Dance

Links & Resources:

• Mia Tate’s IMDb
• Musetta Vander’s IMDb
• Subscribe and Follow Why We Dance on Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram
• Podcast Producer S.J. Nichols (Seannon Gonzalez)
• Executive Producer Meredith Gooderham
• Production Studio Caspian Studios
• Camera Operator Kai Irvine
• Assistant Camera Ben Drummond
• Production also by Dark to Light Productions
• Thank you to Davies Reid Rugs

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