Dallas Black Dance Theatre

Located at the eastern end of the thriving downtown Dallas Arts District, Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) is a nationally recognized professional modern dance company that engages the cross-cultural community through contemporary modern dance presented from the African-American experience. Over the course of its history, DBDT has performed worldwide for 2.5 million arts patrons and 1.5 million students, grades K-12, and last season served 130,000 persons, of which 111,704 were in Dallas and the North Texas area, including more than 20,000 youth.

The mission of Dallas Black Dance Theatre is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at its highest level of artistic excellence. DBDT fulfills this mission through performances and educational programs that bridge cultures, reach diverse communities and encompass ever-expanding national audiences.

Founded in 1976 by Ann Williams to inspire minority boys and girls to appreciate dance as an art form and to realize the possibility of dance as a means to express their creativity, DBDT now offers dance opportunities for the entire population, regardless of race, age or circumstance, through professional concert performances, arts-in-education programs, community outreach activities and dance training classes.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre’‘s professional company, DBDT, consists of 13 full-time dancers performing a mixed repertory of modern, jazz, ethnic and spiritual works by nationally and internationally known choreographers. DBDT’‘s second performing company, DBDT II, consists of 10 semiprofessional aspiring artists from around the nation to support DBDT’‘s growing local and regional educational outreach programs. Bloom performing ensemble, dancers ranging in age from 11-15, and Junior Performing Ensemble, dancers ranging in age from 9-12, represent DBDT‘’s Academy, its official training school serving more than 400 students weekly in ballet, jazz, tap, African and Liturgical disciplines.

Celebrating its 35th Anniversary during the 2011/2012 performance season, Dallas Black Dance Theatre has been history in motion. Consistent, compelling, creative motion. So good, the National Endowment for the Arts designated DBDT an “American Masterpiece Touring Artist.” The artistic excellence expands into new territory with every performance hosted in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. Look to its new Wyly Performance Series in December, February and May to include choreography from dance masters Alvin Ailey and Ulysses Dove, as well as hosting world-renowned guest artists. Be assured that DBDT will make the absolute most of the state-of-the-art performance space at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre!