Dedicated to presenting remainder of 48th season; Assembling advisory stakeholder taskforce to rebuild trust with partners
Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) is pleased to announce that on December 8, 2024, it reached a settlement agreement with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to resolve allegations in four unfair labor practice charges.
Under the terms of the agreement, DBDT paid $565,085 to 10 former dancers and 3 individuals not affiliated with the organization for 15 months of employment with payments ranging from $38,000 to $80,000+.
The average payout to the former dancers was $51,205.
As the result of actions filed by the NLRB, the Dallas City Council rescinded funding to DBDT after an initial recommendation by the Office of Arts and Culture for a contract valued at $248,535 to provide dance services.
“Despite our efforts to move swiftly to execute a settlement agreement to satisfy a resolution from the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission to retain our funding, it’s unfortunate for the community that we serve that our contract was rescinded,” said Zenetta Drew, Executive Director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre. “Support for our organization is critical and we remain dedicated to presenting the remainder of our 48th season.”
The remainder of the 48th season of DBDT (January 1 – May 31, 2025) includes 10 public concerts (five series), 680 academy classes, 44 K-12 dance residencies, 4 in-person student matinees, virtual student matinees for 75,000 students, and 3 scheduled national tours.
Programming will serve more 100,000 residents of Dallas.
To complement the expertise of DBDT’s Board of Directors and staff, DBDT is assembling an advisory stakeholder taskforce, which will include external members, to evaluate lessons learned, propose changes, and implement employment safeguards to further nurture DBDT’s artistic talent. In July 2025, a report with key findings, recommended action, and a timeline will be issued.
The goal of the advisory stakeholder taskforce is to rebuild trust with donors and partners, while ensuring that all employee policies and procedures exemplify DBDT’s core values.
DBDT stands ready to move forward with the American Guild of Musical Artists at the table to negotiate an Initial Collective Bargaining Agreement for the current main company of 11 professional dancers.
“We’re hopeful that our partners and donors will help bridge the funding gap and recognize the proactive measures we’re taking to move forward,” said Drew. “Our decades-long mission to serve our community will not waiver.”
ABOUT DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE
Founded in 1976 by Ann Williams, Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s mission is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at the highest level of artistic excellence through performances and educational programs that bridge cultures and reach diverse communities. As the largest and oldest professional dance company in Dallas, DBDT is the fourth-largest Black dance company in the nation, the seventh-largest contemporary modern dance company, and ranked 36th among the nation’s leading ballet companies. Located in the thriving downtown Dallas Arts District, DBDT has performed worldwide for over 4.6 million arts patrons and 2.8 million students in 33 states and 16 countries on five continents. The performances include two Olympics (1996 & 2012), the nation’s most prestigious venues (Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Broadway, Jacob’s Pillow and Joyce Theatre), and for such luminaries as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and South African President Nelson Mandela. Since the pandemic began in 2020, DBDT performances have also been viewed virtually in 43 countries. The Company has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts as an American Masterpiece Touring Artist (2008) and received the Texas Medal of the Arts Award for Arts Education (2017).
For more details about Dallas Black Dance Theatre, visit ww.dbdt.com.
