Conflicting narratives are forming after the Dallas Black Dance Theatre announced on Friday it terminated its entire main company of dancers.
On Monday, DBDT released a new statement saying a video was the cause for the firings.
A new Instagram post on the company’s official account says the firings are not due to dancers’ efforts to unionize: “The Dallas Black Dance Theatre has made the difficult decision to terminate Main Company dancers after a video surfaced that violated their contractual terms and our standards of artistic excellence …”
The post does not specify the video. However, the American Guild of Musical Artists, who is representing the fired dancers, released a statement on Monday citing a video posted on June 21 to an Instagram account run by the dancers. The minute-long Instagram reel introduces each of the main company dancers set to the song “Family Matters” by Da Family.
The statement from AGMA says, “DBDT management has attempted to justify the mass firing by claiming that the dancers engaged in misconduct that violated company policies. However, the so-called ‘misconduct’ in question was nothing more than a playful and engaging Instagram Reel that the dancers created after rehearsal finished on June 21 to introduce their account. It is worth noting that the dancers received their signed letters of intent for the 2024-2025 season after this post had already been shared.”
A previous post announcing the firing of the dancers was deleted off of DBDT’s main Instagram account. Shortly after the original post, DBDT posted an audition notice for Aug. 17 seeking new dancers.
In response to the firings, AGMA announced a “do not work” order for DBDT. The notice means AGMA members and members of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA, among others, can’t audition for or work with DBDT until the order is lifted without facing consequences like losing their union membership.
AGMA President Ned Hanlon said in the statement the firing of DBDT dancers and previous actions by DBDT leadership are “clearly retaliation for unionizing.”
“A Do Not Work Order is not something AGMA issues lightly. It is reserved for the most egregious actions taken against our artists, and I can’t recall the last time AGMA had to issue such an order. What is happening to the dancers of DBDT, who stood united for a voice in their workplace, is one of the most extreme cases we’ve ever encountered.”
Both DBDT and the former DBDT dancers did not immediately respond to an interview request.
DBDT dancers unanimously voted to unionize with AGMA in May. In June and early August, AGMA filed unfair labor practice charges against Dallas Black Dance Theatre, citing issues such as unilateral changes to employee benefits, a retaliatory discharge and restrictive employee policies.
“The filing of these ULPs [unfair labor practices] is a crucial step in holding DBDT accountable for their punitive reaction to their dancers’ unionization and ensuring that the rights of the dancers are protected,” Griff Braun, AGMA’s national organizing director, said in a statement.
DBDT did not respond to a request for comment regarding the filing of the charges.
DBDT dancers notified leadership April 30 they planned to unionize. DBDT did not voluntarily recognize the union. This led dancers to seek recognition through a National Labor Relations Board election. They unanimously voted to unionize on May 29.
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