It was premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival[4][5] where it received a fifteen-minute standing ovation.

[11] He visited Tbilisi in 2016 to do research on the situation and was inspired to make the film as a discussion on the development of tradition and identity as opposed to a more conventional coming out narrative.

Both lead actors Levan Gelbakhiani and Bachi Valishvili, who were contacted by Akin via social media, initially refused the offered roles due to concerns about backlash in Georgia and how it would affect their future careers.

His father implores him to give up his passion and attend school, as there is no future in dance; furthermore, Aleko dislikes their family, and has been biased against him and David as a result.

Though the pair do not discuss their relationship, Merab performs a dance for Irakli in his own style as a means of communicating his feelings.

After several missed practices, David finally arrives to the rehearsal, only to be forcibly removed by Aleko due to his frequent absences and criminal behavior.

Despondent and missing Irakli, Merab spontaneously befriends a young male prostitute (they meet eyes on a bus and then recognise one another in the street) and goes with him to a gay bar and has a great time.

While recovering with Mary, he finally receives a call from Irakli, who informs him that he is back in his hometown to take care of his ill father, and will probably not make the audition.

Though Merab is glad to see him, Irakli admits that he is leaving the city and giving up dancing; his father has died and he has gotten engaged to his girlfriend in order to be close to and provide for his mother.

Merab continues anyway, breaking away from the traditional dance to perform in his own unbridled, androgynous style; though the offended director storms out, Aleko stays to watch.

The website's critical consensus reads, "Led by an outstanding performance from Levan Gelbakhiani, And Then We Danced defeats prejudice with overwhelming compassion.

[25][26] The head of the Children Protection Public Movement Levan Palavandishvili, plus Levan Vasadze, Dimitri Lortkipanidze, and the leader of ultra-nationalist movement Georgian March Sandro Bregadze, announced they would picket the cinemas to protest against the showing of the film "which is against Georgian and Christian traditions and values, and popularises the sin of sodomy".

The Georgian Orthodox Church disapproved of the film premiere but also stated that the “church distances itself from any violence.”[27] On 8 November 2019, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia mobilized police troops at the Amirani Cinema and nearby streets and placed special riot police troops near to the Philharmonic Hall.