Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters

Directed By Rosalynde LeBlanc and Tom Hurwitz

Reaching beyond the world of dance and the remarkable legacy of renowned choreographer-dancer-director Bill T. Jones, this documentary touches the essence of creativity and its relevance to the times in which we now live.

  • ABOUT
  • BIO
  • SCREENINGS
  • AWARDS
  • PRESS
  • CREDITS

Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters is a feature documentary that traces the history and legacy of one of the most important works of art to come out of the age of AIDS - Bill T. Jones' tour de force ballet "D-Man in the Waters". In 1989, "D-Man in the Waters" gave physical manifestation to the fear, anger, grief, and hope for salvation that the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company felt as they were embattled by the AIDS pandemic. As a group of young dancers reconstructs the dance, they learn about this oft forgotten history and deepen their understanding of the power of art in a time of plague. Bill T. Jones is arguably the most socially, politically and emotionally compelling choreographer alive today. Thirty years ago, he embedded motifs of risk and sacrifice, love, loss and resurrection in the choreography for "D-Man in the Waters". Through an extraordinary series of interviews, archival material, and uniquely powerful cinematography of movement, this 90-minute, lyrical documentary uses the story of this dance to illustrate the triumph of the human spirit in art and in the community. Today, by learning the dance, a new generation reinvigorates the spirit of a community fighting to survive.

Rosalynde LeBlanc is a Peabody Award winning producer, dancer, choreographer, and educator. She has been actively performing for 30 years, beginning her performance career with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project. Recent leading roles for stage and screen include light and desire by Colleen Thomas, A Torch into Fog by Janessa Clark, Exploration of Feminine Range by Charissa Kroeger, and KIARI album-release promo for the rapper Offset. She recently choreographed the multimedia, evening-length work Womanland as part of L.A. Dance Project’s LAUNCH L.A. 2025. Roz also produced and co-directed the Peabody award winning documentary Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters. She is an honorary inductee in the Jesuit honor society, Alpha Sigma Nu and a recipient of the 2025 Exemplary Women in Dance in L.A. award. Roz is a professor at Loyola Marymount University and chaired the dance program from 2019-2025. She holds dance degrees from SUNY Purchase (BFA) and Hollins University (MFA). She is represented by Bloc L.A.

DOCNYC 2020

Film Forum, NYC 2021

Laemmle Royal, L.A. 2021

Hot Docs Cinema, Toronto 2021

Festival de Marseille, France 2024

Peabody Award, 2023

San Francisco Dance Film Festival - Best Documentary, 2021

Long Beach Q Films Festival - Impact Award in Documentary and Best Music Score, 2021

"“Critic’s Pick! Passionate and moving… an unusually lively documentary experience.”"
New York Times
"“Can You Bring It is full of vitality and energy, a testament to the power of art in the face of tragedy.”"
Los Angeles Times
"“A dynamic portrait of the function art has in our lives and the transformative impact D-man in the Waters can have on dancers and audiences alike.”"
The Guardian
"“Beautifully executed.”"
The Wall Street Journal
""This is a work of art about a work of art that makes it clear that art is work." Best Films List of 2021"
New York Magazine

Co-Director and DP - Tom Hurwitz

Producer - Duana Butler

Editor - Ann Collins

Featuring - Bill T. Jones and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company