William McClure Stout attended three separate high schools to pursue a future in the arts. After completing two years at Los Gatos High School, his Los Gatos Ballet instructors, Peter Doll and Kristin D’Addario, suggested he consider transferring to a program at San Francisco Ballet School. He ultimately landed at Columbia University.
In his junior year at Convent & Stuart Hall in San Francisco, Stout he interviewed upwards of 25 people in the dance community around the world, as part of the Design to Action Scholar Program. He couldn’t help but notice a recurring issue—stigma faced by male dancers. Stout recalls how, at a 16-year-old, even he could feel that many people didn’t take him seriously. This inspired Stout to make a film about his experience. He reached out to filmmaker Quinn Wharton (who has now worked with names such as NBC, BOSE, Airbnb and Rolex) to help him pursue this. Stout decided to zero-in on his love of dance, chasing his dreams by finishing his senior year of high school in New York City. He wanted to learn the more detailed American approach, instead of just classic European forms.
Though Stout’s home base has changed, he’s still fed by the same passion for dance. And slowly but surely, he began to find his place in the arts community. But ballet was where it all started for Stout. And that’s what led him to Columbia University—where he’s pursuing film and media studies. “One of the beautiful elements of dance is that it’s fleeting,” he said. “The nature of film is that you can capture that beauty for eternity.” Stout says there’s a big gulf between the two art forms.
Back when he was in San Francisco, he developed an interest in other arts avenues besides dance. “My entire childhood has been defined by the arts community and the passion for the arts,” he said. His excitement for film began to blossom. He even started a nonprofit called The Will to Dance in 2024. The mission of this organization is to inspire young male dancers. For the next three years, Stout will continue his studies at Columbia. He’s racking-up professional experiences in dance, as well as gaining exposure to the film industry there in the Big Apple.
Teachers, artists and AI
Doll and D’Addario came to Los Gatos Ballet from Atlanta, Ga., in 2017. They’ve directed the school since 2022. It may look effortless, but ballet is actually quite a demanding discipline, they say. “The body degrades after a while from the ballet world,” said D’Addario. Both say they plan to continue instructing for the foreseeable future.
D’Addario says that she pursues excellence at Los Gatos Ballet, especially in contrast to the emergence of AI. “I came across a piece of music the other day that was AI generated,” she said, adding she believes nothing can replace the visceral connection people have to in-person, kinetic displays. “I’m kind of hoping that it will circle back, because people will crave live performance.”
Doll says he picked up on Stout’s abilities back when the student was just 10. There was maturity there. “A ballet class is very tedious and boring in the beginning with slow and detailed work,” said Doll. “He was very focused and serious.” Stout has stayed in touch with Doll and D’Addario. (D’Addario attended the same dance school as Stout at the School of American Ballet in New York, about 25 years ago.) The relationship with Stout was one of mentorship. But now they’re becoming friends—a reminder that bonds formed via the arts can extend far beyond.
Aspiring film makers from Los Gatos
Stout met Santoro while at LGHS. Santoro made “Fentanyl High” in 2023, which explored the teen opioid crisis. The school has seen a steady rollout of students who’ve chosen the filmmaking path. Earlier this year, the Los Gatan interviewed two grads, Alec Goldberg and Clayton Susick, who premiered their pilot “Soft Boil” at Sundance Film Festival. These are just some of the youth beginning to carve their name into the film universe.
Many larger silver screen and literary figures were either born in Los Gatos, or stopped here to create their work. John Steinbeck wrote Mice of Men and Grapes of Wrath while living in Monte Sereno. Alfred Hitchcock kept an estate in Scotts Valley, as he became familiar with the area through Joan Fontaine, an Oscar winner who attended Los Gatos High School. Many of the Hollywood set would visit Hitchcock’s estate—such as Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. Charlie Chaplin was known to spend time in Los Gatos at the Cats Estate and the once Lyndon Hotel, which is now Lyndon Plaza.
Stout is currently 19 years old and busy with his postsecondary studies. But who’s to say he won’t become the next household name, part of a new generation that influences the masses with creative output? One of Stout’s key traits is his ability to transform pain into purpose—or as some call it alchemy. Even though he’s only now completing his second decade of life, he’s certainly a contender.
Documentary coming soon
Stout’s documentary, “The Will to Dance,” is being submitted to the San Francisco Dance Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. Stout began working on his film during his junior year of high school. It’s a collaboration with the San Francisco Ballet, as well as a Golden State Warriors dancer. The short film should come out to about 15 minutes. Stout says he’s planning to screen the doc locally. Stout is scheduled to finish the film by the year’s end. He describes it as “an integration of different forms of dance, like ballet, hip-hop, jazz, modern and contemporary.” Stout hopes it will give a boost to the next generation of male dancers. “I just hope they can find a community,” he said.
