OPEN LETTER TO DALLAS CITY COUNCIL  

Protect Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s Funding

Dear City Council Members,

RE: Recent decision by the Quality-of-Life Committee to pause Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s (DBDT) previously approved funding of $248,435 for the 2024-2025 season. 

This pause, which is pending a National Labor Relations Board decision, could cause significant delays and negatively impact our community’s access to the arts.

Ann Williams has done so much for this CIty and she actually deserves and could use more funding. 

I want to emphasize that DBDT has already been recommended for this funding by the Dallas Office of Arts and Culture which advised that the organization met all city requirements. 

Dallas Black Dance Theatre, which includes a main company, second company, and training academy have been a cornerstone of Dallas’s cultural landscape for over 50 years, and its impact on our community is significant.

• Last season, DBDT served 104,093 Dallas citizens, including 81,219 children, through Dallas Black Dance Academy, public performances, arts education programs, outreach events, and professional dance training across all city council districts. 

• DBDT currently provides high-quality outreach dance training to 2,000 K-12 students across 38 DFW area schools

• DBDT’s virtual student matinees is offered to all 150,000 Dallas ISD students across all grade levels. In 2024 program, 349 teachers, across 160 unique campuses enrolled 53,633 students in these TEKS and curriculum aligned student matinees. 

• DBDT performances occur in numerous city venues including AT&T Performing Arts Center (the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre), Moody Performance Hall, The Majestic Theatre, Latino Cultural Center, and Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Klyde Warren Park, and at DBDT’s Arts District home.

• DBDT preserves and maintains the historic Moorland YMCA building, which serves both students and the entire community

Withholding this funding threatens these programs and DBDT’s ability to serve our community and the City of Dallas. DBDT recently launched its 48th Season with its Dance Africa performances which featured 11 newly hired main company dancers who are union represented. 

I strongly urge you to recommend full funding of $248,435 for DBDT this year. Our community’s children and citizens deserve uninterrupted access to these vital arts programs.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.