DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE’S SECOND COMPANY, ENCORE!, STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT FOR DALLAS ARTS MONTH WITH “RISING EXCELLENCE”
April 17-18 at Moody Performance Hall; Featuring works from nationally renowned choreographers Christopher L. Huggins, Harrison McEldowney, Christen Reyes and Kevin Iega Jeff
Dallas – Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) invites audiences to experience the next generation of dance excellence as DBDT: Encore! takes center stage for Dallas Arts Month. Rising Excellence, the company's annual spring concert, runs two nights only – April 17 and 18 at 7:30 PM – at Moody Performance Hall in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.
The series also features a student matinee performance, sponsored by Katherine C. Carmody Charitable Trust.
Under the direction of newly appointed DBDT: Encore! Artistic Director Christen Reyes, this year's program brings together compelling DBDT stage debuts, and the return of a powerful repertory work – offering a dynamic evening that reflects both the company's artistic range and its commitment to developing emerging professional dancers.
“Rising Excellence is a program that always brings fresh ideas, stories, and movement to the stage,” said Christen Reyes, DBDT: Encore! Artistic Director. “The dancers are challenged to tap into their artistic language, dig deep, and truly produce art. I am excited for what the dancers have been working on all season to produce for the city of Dallas and beyond during Arts month. This program brings laughter, pain, joy, awareness, and community all together, in an evening created to leave every audience member changed and inspired for a new day."
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Rising Excellence features four works spanning bold new voices and celebrated choreographic legacies:
"Anthem" – Choreographed by Christen Reyes (DBDT Stage Premiere)
Making its debut on the DBDT stage, Anthem marks a milestone moment for Reyes in her inaugural season leading DBDT: Encore!."Church of Nations" – Choreographed by Kevin Iega Jeff
Originally created in 1991, Church of Nations returns to the DBDT stage with its unflinching examination of the intersection of religion and armed conflict. The work confronts the moral and ethical dimensions of religious authority in matters of war, tracing the fault lines between faith, power, and conscience."Group Therapy" – Choreographed by Harrison McEldowney (DBDT Stage Premiere)
A world premiere from native Texan Harrison McEldowney. Group Therapy was originally choreographed for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and premiered April 1999 at Chicago’s Shubert Theatre. Original Costume Design by Nan Zabriskie."I Think" – Choreographed by Christopher L. Huggins (DBDT Stage Premiere)
A world premiere from Guggenheim Award-winning choreographer Christopher L. Huggins.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Rising Excellence
April 17-18, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Moody Performance Hall | 2520 Flora St, Dallas, TX 75201
Tickets
In-person tickets | $39
Virtual tickets | $25
On sale now at DBDT.com!
LEGACY SPONSORS
Harold Simmons Foundation
STUDENT MATINEE SPONSOR
Katherine Carmody Charitable Trust
CATALYST SPONSORS
Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, Texas Instruments, Communities Foundation of Texas
SEASON SPONSORS
City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture, The Shubert Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, Holloway Family Foundation, Anonymous, Norma & Don Stone, The Blessing Family Endowment, Hillcrest Foundation, Rea Charitable Trust, Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust, W.P. & Bulah Luse Foundation, Texas Metro News, American Airlines, Oversee My IT, The Dallas Post Tribune, Genesis Inspiration Foundation, Trendy Africa, Lexus, Arts & Culture Texas, DeDe in the Morning, The Dallas Morning News, fyi50+, ROXOR Spirits, Gracepoint Media
ABOUT DBDT: ENCORE!
Founded in September 2000 by Ann Williams, DBDT: Encore! began as a showcase for top Dallas Black Dance Academy students and evolved into a professional company of multi-ethnic artists from across the nation. Encore! creates contemporary modern dance performances of the highest artistic quality while bridging cultures and reaching diverse communities. The company offers residencies including master classes, workshops, matinees, lecture-demonstrations, and full performances. With a diverse repertoire including modern, jazz, African, lyrical and spiritual works, Encore! has performed works by both emerging and internationally recognized choreographers such as Baba Chuck Davis, Milton Myers, Christopher L. Huggins, and Katarzyna Skarpetowska. The company has collaborated with prestigious organizations including The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Dallas Museum of Art, and The Dallas Opera's production of Show Boat. In 2022, they performed with QuestLove at the inaugural QuestLove's Hip Hop Brunch. Beyond Dallas/Fort Worth, Encore! has performed throughout the United States and internationally at festivals in Canada, Mexico, and Chile, earning a distinguished global reputation.
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, the nation’s #1 Arts District (USA Today), 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 three Olympics (1992, 1996, and 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 2020, DBDT performances have been viewed virtually in 43 countries and expanded to include virtual student matinees and cultural literacy programs. Since 2021, the virtual education performances have been viewed by nearly 200,000 K-12 students across 28 districts throughout the nation. 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).
For more details about Dallas Black Dance Theatre, visit DBDT.com.