Presented by Les Blank Films and Argot Pictures, I Went to the Dance (originally released in 1989 with the French title J'ai Été au Bal) is a glorious paean to Cajun and Zydeco music featuring exhilarating performances by the most important and influential artists of the genre: Clifton Chenier, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Marc & Ann Savoy, D.L. Menard, Rockin’ Sidney, Wayne Toups, Queen Ida and many more.
Blank had spent years in Southern Louisiana, starting in the early 1970s when he made a trio of shorter portraits of the culture starting with 1971's Spend It All (a favorite of Blank's subsequent subject Werner Herzog) followed by Dry Wood and Hot Pepper, the latter his documentary on Clifton Chenier. I Went to the Dance is Blank and Strachwitz's great celebration of the whole musical culture, chock full of interviews with artists which were continuing the tradition well into the nineteen-nineties and beyond, with a special focus on BeauSoleil who are about to celebrate their 50th anniversary.