Dallas Black Dance Theatre Launches Historic Statewide Cultural Initiative

Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) has announcesd the statewide expansion of its celebrated Cultural Awareness virtual student matinee program, a groundbreaking move that marks the largest arts education initiative of its kind in Texas history.

This unprecedented expansion encompasses more than 8,000 schools in over 1,000 school districts, serving students in all grade levels and subject areas including math, science, history, English language and the arts.

Originally launched in 2022 in partnership with Dallas ISD, DBDT created the concept in the wake of COVID-related shutdowns and offered this virtual programming to all 150,000 students throughout the district. To date, DBDT's virtual student matinees have served over 100,000 students at 160 Dallas ISD schools and an additional 30,000 have been served in Arlington, Duncanville, Lancaster, Fort Worth, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Schools ISDs.

Building upon that success, this historic expansion represents a monumental step forward in making arts education accessible to students across the state's urban, suburban, and rural communities. Statewide distribution is being supported by the City of Houston's Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA). What began as a local response to the pandemic, has transformed into a revolutionary state-wide arts education and cultural literacy initiative that will offer nearly 6 million K-12 Texas students access to DBDT's world-class dance performances during Black History Month.

This initiative aligns with the National Endowment for the Arts' mission to promote equal access to the arts across America while setting a new standard for large-scale arts education delivery. The program demonstrates how digital innovation can democratize access to the arts, potentially serving as a model for other states nationwide.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre's virtual matinee program features a carefully curated selection of DBDT's most impactful works, with pieces featuring music from Frédéric Chopin, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and others, alongside innovative audience participation segments led by DBDT's Interim Artistic Director, Richard A. Freeman, Jr.  Each performance is complemented by TEKS-aligned K-12 educational materials that connect the artistry to historical context and cultural significance.

For information on how Texas schools can participate in this historic initiative, please contact the Dallas Black Dance Theatre at ticketsales@dbdt.com or visit dbdt.com.

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, ranks in the top 10 largest contemporary modern dance companies in the U.S. and is included among the nation's 50 largest ballet companies by Dance Data Project. Located in the thriving downtown Dallas Arts District, DBDT has performed worldwide for over 5 million arts patrons and 3 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).

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