Dallas Black Dance Theater has launched an advisory working group on stakeholders.
The working group organized its first meeting on March 25 and will meet monthly to possibly propose recommendations concerning its policies, fundraising, governance and commitment with employees.
The news comes after the dance company reached a regulation for more than $ 560,000 with the National Labor Relations Board in December To compensate for 10 dismissed dancers and three whose job offers have been canceled.
After the regulation, the Dallas municipal council reduced around $ 248,000 in financing for the cultural programming of the dance company for its year 2024-25, which extends from October to September.
The Dallas Black Dance Theater is eligible for applying for the financing of the cultural organization program for the year 2025-26, according to a spokesperson for the Arts and Culture of the City of Dallas.
Georgia Scaife, president of the DBDT board of directors, said that the working group was an effort to ensure transparency and responsibility.
“The board of directors of Dallas Black Dance Theater has recognized the need to proactively assess our current policies, practices and procedures, and learn from our experiences because we also know that we have to strengthen community trust,” she said.
The working group will be led by co-presidents Shawn Williams, Vice-President of Public Affairs at Allyn Media, and Jennifer Scripps, President and Chief Executive Officer of Downtown Dallas, Inc. and former director of the Arts and Culture of the City of Dallas. Williams said he was impatient to join the working group after being contacted by one of the members of the DBDT board of directors.
“First of all, I'm a big fan of Dallas Black Dance Theater,” he said. “Due to the importance that I think that the Dallas Black Dance Theater is in the city, and really across the country, I really want to be part of how to make sure they (are) capable of continuing the success they have known over the years.”
Williams said the working group had asked to review the DBDT manual and a report from the general division of the city prosecutor's office inspector on the DBDT event calendar leading to the dismissal of the dancers of the main year last year. He said that the working group would also examine the current fundraising fundraising model, the costs incurred by the dance company last year, ticket sales and plans for the celebration of the 50th anniversary.
Last year, the organizers of North Texas Union, community members and members of the Dallas Municipal Council expressed Treatment with the Dallas Black Dance Theater of his former main pet dancers. Some have called for a Look for governance Members of the board of directors of DBDT and managers of the dance company.
Williams expressed confidence in DBDT leadership.
“The leadership at the Dallas Black Dance Theater has an excellent album over a long time. I don't think you can be in business as long as they have done without having a big leadership,” he said.
Last year, the NLRB found merit of dozens of accusations of unfair work against the dance company. These include the dismissal of 10 dancers due to union efforts, the reduction of teaching opportunities through the business academy of the company and the communication of the dance company which threatened, retained or contradicted the dancers while they were trying to unionize, according to a NLRB complaint.
The regulations signed by DBDT required that executive director Zenetta Drew, the founder Ann Williams, be the chairman of the board of directors Georgia Scaife to sign letters of excuses to dismissed dancers. The dance company was also to provide training to all managers.
Williams said the working group would also examine leadership and company governance.
DBDT management has been involved in the recommendation of certain members of the working group. At the first meeting of March 25, Scaife said that some members of the DBDT board of directors, the executive director of the DBDT, Zenetta, and the acting artistic director Richard A. Freeman, Jr. were present. In the future, certain meetings will only understand the members of the working group.
Williams said the working group is committed to staying independent. Although the working group offers only the recommendations, SCAIFE said that the dance company is committed to acting on the conclusions of the working group.
“We do not want people to come and make an in-depth and deep dive of policies, practices, organizational procedures, then we are moving away and we do nothing,” she said.
SCAIFE said that the working group will eventually publish results or measures to be taken by the DBDT according to the recommendations.
The other members of the working group will include:
- Harrison Blair, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce
- Kardal Coleman, president of the Dallas County Democratic Party
- Levi Davis, former deputy director of the city of Dallas
- Ella Goode-Johnson, former president of the Consultative Commission for the Arts and Culture of the City of Dallas
- Quadesia Johnson, consultant, specialist in actions and racial healing practitioner
- Mary Pat Higgins, president and chief executive officer of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
- Steve Idoux, President and CEO of Lockton Dunning
- Derryl Peace, former director of the former engagement at the East Texas A & M University
- Andy Smith, Executive Director of the Texas Instruments Foundation (TI)
- Miguel Solis, president of the Commit! Partnership
- Mary Suhm, former director of the city of Dallas
- Mark Thompson, Vice-President Director of Visit Dallas
- Victor Vital, World President of Testing in Haynes Boone
- Carla Wattley, Director of Dance Studies in Lancaster ISD
- Elizabeth Wattley, president and chief executive officer of Forest Forward
Where are the work talks now
In May of last year, the former dancers voted unanimously to form a union with the American Guild of Musical Artists. So far, the dance company and the union have not yet concluded an agreement.
Griff Braun, director of the AGMA national organizer, said that he was mainly concerned about negotiating a contract for new dancers.
“The main thing we want to see is a solid contract for dancers,” he said. “Which would tell us that the DBDT has somehow turned the page and is now a safe and united workplace for artists is a real contract.“”
Braun said the dance company and the Union had not started to negotiate. Currently, he is in talks with new dancers to understand what they would like.
Terrell Rogers Jr. is a former DBDT dancer who was dismissed last year. He said he was surprised to hear that the dance company had launched a working group when he had not yet reached an agreement for his new dancers.
Rogers wants to see the company negotiate a collective agreement with AGMA which ensures a decent salary and benefits for dancers. In addition, he wants to see the company create a safer working environment for dancers.
“I would like to see the management reflect the values on which the organization claims to be on which to stand. I also believe that this is the only way for the DBDT to point out to the community that changes have been made to prevent what has happened to happen to anyone else.
Scaife with DBDT said the dance company was ready to negotiate fairly with AGMA.
“We are ready and ready to sit down and negotiate with them in good faith to negotiate an initial collective agreement for these employees,” she said.
The DBDT aims to publish recommendations in late June or early July.
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