Committee indicates support for reallocating $248K in Dallas Black Dance Theatre funding

A Dallas committee on Tuesday agreed to allow city staff to present a proposal to reallocate about $248,000 in funding from the Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) to other Dallas-based arts organizations.

The Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee expressed concern at a perceived lack of effort on the part of DBDT to reach a settlement with the union representing 10 fired dancers.

The dancers were fired in August, they say as retaliation for voting to unionize with the American Guild of Music Artists.

DBDT maintains the dancers were let go because of a social media post.

AGMA filed complaints against DBDT in June and August.  The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) informed DBDT in October it found merit in the charges.

The NLRB confirmed to our content partners at the Dallas Morning News that it found the DBDT unlawfully retaliated against employees for their union activities.

Six of the fired dancers were in attendance during Tuesday’s committee meeting, which included an opportunity for one dancer and a representative from the Dallas Black board to address the committee.

Sean J. Smith, the former co-rehearsal director with DBDT, told council members there’s been little communication between AGMA and representatives of DBDT over the last 30 days.

“The only time we’ve heard from leadership has been through the Dallas Morning News or here at the city council," Smith said.

Georgia Scaife, the president of the dance company’s board told the committee the organization has been working with the NLRB since the time it received the complaint, “almost on a daily basis.”

“We gain nothing by drawing this out,” Scaife told the committee. “We disagree, obviously, with the ruling. We don’t think the actions that we’ve taken were in retaliation.”

Councilmember Adam Bazaldua said the lack of movement on behalf of DBDT to negotiate a settlement informs his decision not to support council delaying whether to allocate the funds based on a future finding from the NLRB.

“We’ve seen an organization dig their heels in, remain with a stance they have done nothing wrong, and they want to fight,” Bazaldua told NBC 5. “That’s fine, that’s their prerogative but that’s not the city of Dallas’ deal, it’s not our business.”

“What is our business is making sure the money goes to organizations that actually stand for what the city stands for and I don’t believe that that’s what we have with the Dallas Black Dance Theatre.”

The full Dallas City Council is expected to vote on the plan to reallocate the funding when it meets on December 11.

NBC 5 has been a sponsor of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre.