Dallas Black Dance Theatre's THE BIG DANCE Fundraiser to Feature Latin and Afro-Latin Bands

Dallas Black Dance Theatre's (DBDT) annual fundraising event, The BIG Dance, will showcase a fusion of Latin and Afro-Latin cultures. DBDT celebrates the closing of its 46th season with a city-wide dance party worthy of the Big D on Saturday, June 3, 2023, from 7:00 PM - Midnight, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora Street in Dallas, TX. 75201. The attire for the evening is Latin festive.

The 2023 event will be an unforgettable night with the theme La vida es un carnaval! which translates to "Life is a carnival!" Live music from traditional and contemporary local Dallas artists, including the premier Cuban-style orchestra Havana NRG!, the full-experience salsa band Fusión Latina, and Mariachi Zacatecas, sets the pace for the evening. The event will include dance lessons, social dancing, food, spirits, festive décor, and professional dance vignettes by Dallas Black Dance Theatre dancers celebrating the flair of Latin and Afro-Latin culture! You can also experience the festivities via a live stream.

All proceeds will benefit Dallas Black Dance Theatre's Academy, providing a 40% reduction in tuition fees for more than 300 students enrolled in our on-site academy training classes at our arts district facility. It also helps to support in-school dance residency programs for 2000+ students in 24 area DFW schools with student populations whose families are economically challenged and primarily Latino and Black. The 49-year-old Academy produced the first Presidential Scholar in dance in America. Eight other Presidential Scholars who graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts trained at Dallas Black Dance Academy. Four Academy students have received full scholarships to the prestigious dance program at The Juilliard School. Since 2012, 100% of Dallas Black Dance Academy students have graduated from high school and attended college. Many more Academy students have received the Texas Young Masters Award, the state equivalent to the national award.

Honorary chairs Mr. Sam Santiago and Mr. Enrique G. Cobian and Co-chairs Ms. Sharon K. King (Castle Business Solutions, LLC) and Mrs. Veronica Torres-Hazley (Torres Hazley Enterprise, LLC) planned the event. The BIG Dance committee includes Randall Bryant (Politics United Marketing), Angela Chapman Bright (Legacy Enterprises, LLC), Grace Cook (The McDermott Foundation), Amanda Cristina (LaBori Boxing), Catherine Cuellar (The City of Dallas), Tammy Demery (Tammy S. Demery, LLC), Art & Gwen George (The George Development Group), Marissa Horne (Capital One), Misty Hoyt (Photography by Misty), Ebonie Zan Jackson (Community Volunteer), Stephanie Johnson (AT&T), Clem Maddox (Charter Spectrum), Terrence Maiden (Russell Glen Company), Valencia McClure (The Artistry of Essential Oils), Maria Mendez (Cigna), Kim Noltemy (Dallas Symphony Orchestra), Sheena Payne (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas), Lawanda Penland Dunwell (The Raytheon Company), Jimmy Porch (Myriad Roofing & Construction LLC), Rozene Pride (Community Volunteer), Byron Reed (R.E.E.D Capital Group, LLC), Geralyn Richard (Libéte LLC), AnaChrista Robles (The Concilio), Don Short (New Artisan Spirits), Gwendolyn Standberry Evans (GSE - The State Tax Experts), Susy Solis (KLRD News), Michelle Thomas (Chase), Paulette Turner (Integrated Leadership Concepts), Kim Whitaker (DFW International Airport), Cris & Julio Wong (Goldman Sachs Asset Management), and Tiffinni A. Young (TAY Strategies, LLC).

For more details visit www.dallasbigdance.com

ABOUT DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE

Ann Williams founded Dallas Black Dance Theatre in 1976 and retired in 2014. The dance company is now under the direction of Artistic Director Melissa M. Young. 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 ninth-largest contemporary modern dance company, and ranked 40th among the nation's leading ballet companies. Located in the thriving downtown Dallas Arts District, DBDT has performed worldwide for over 4.5 million arts patrons and 2.7 million students in 32 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 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 34 countries and 38 states. 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) and a co-recipient of the National Medal of Arts (2023). For details on Dallas Black Dance Theatre visit www.DBDT.com.

Photo Credit: Havana NRG!

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