photography courtesy of Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Around since 1976, the Dallas Black Dance Theatre is the longest continuously running dance company in the city. The group has a team of a dozen professional dancers that captivate some 120,000 audience members every year with performances that mix modern, ethnic, and other types of dance. DBDT has put on shows in venues ranging from school auditoriums to the majestic Winspear Opera House, but as of 2010, the dance troupe performs regularly at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. Dallas Black Dance Academy, founded in 1974, is DBDT’s official school and offers classes in ballet, jazz, tap, and other styles for ages 4 and up, as well as yoga sessions for adults. A second company, DBDT II, showcases the Academy’s most promising students.