DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE CLOSES 49TH SEASON WITH TWO WORLD PREMIERES AT THE DEE & CHARLES WYLY THEATRE
PRISMATIC, May 15-16, Brings New Works on Grief, Memory, and Legacy to the Dallas Arts District
My Inspiration (2025) | PHOTO CREDIT AMITAVA SARKAR
DALLAS – Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) closes its 49th season with PRISMATIC, a program anchored by two world premiere works exploring loss, memory, and the passage of time, alongside a DBDT stage premiere and a full-company reimagining of a beloved repertory piece.
Performances run for two nights only, May 15-16, at 7:30 PM at the Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre (2400 Flora St., Dallas). The series recognizes support from Presenting Sponsor Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District and Choreography Sponsor The Addy Foundation.
The evening features new works from choreographer and dance educator Marc Spaulding and Dallas Black Dance Academy Director, Katricia Eaglin. Also on the program: 1410, a personal mediation on friendship by current DBDT company member Brandon Palmer, and Polarity II, an expanded reimagining of a 2013 duet by Artistic Director Richard A. Freeman, Jr., now performed with the full company.
DBDT: Encore!, DBDT’s second performing company, will also take the stage with Katarzyna Skarpetowska’s Tidal Intersections.
PROGRAM
1410– Choreographed by Brandon Palmer (DBDT Premiere)
First performed at DBDT’s Black on Black in December 2025, 1410, draws on the choreographer’s friendship with his first best friend; named for her house number, costumed in the green of her window shutters.
Before I am Called– Choreographed by Marc Spaulding (World Premiere)
A new work examining life after the loss of a parent and the grief that follows.Polarity II – Choreographed by Richard A. Freeman, Jr.
Originally premiered in 2013 as a duet under the title Polarity, this work was reimagined to feature the full DBDT company under the title Polarity II in 2014. The piece examines the presence of opposing forces, perspectives, or emotions—such as positive and negative, agreement and conflict—that coexist and influence decisions, relationships, and outcomes.Shadow Work – Choreographed by Katricia Eaglin (World Premiere) An intimate exploration tracing the emotional journey after losing a mother.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
PRISMATIC
2026 Spring Celebration Series
May 15-16, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre 2400 Flora St | Dallas, TX 75201
Tickets
In-person tickets | $65
Virtual tickets | $25
On sale now at DBDT.com!
LEGACY SPONSORS
Harold Simmons Foundation
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District
CHOREOGRAPHY SPONSOR
The Addy Foundation
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 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.