August 18, 2024
Dallas Black Dance Theatre Fires Entire Company Of Dancers, Union Claims
The dancers unionized in May.
As nine former members of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) seek reinstatement into the group, the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) has issued a Do Not Work Order as it waits for the company to enter into a collective bargaining agreement with the AGMA.
According to Dance Magazine, the order, issued on Aug. 12, prohibits members of AGMA, the Actors Equity Association, and SAG-AFTRA from working for the theatre company. The DBDT issued a statement on Aug. 9 about its decision to terminate all of its dancers for the 2024-2025 season, just after it posted a statement and an audition notice on its Instagram account.
According to AMGA President Ned Hanlon, “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.”
Griff Braun, the national organizing director of AGMA, said the dancers were notified that they had all been terminated shortly after DBDT posted the notice.
“An hour later, the dancers were all notified by email that they had been terminated,” Braun said in a statement.
Braun also said that the AGMA’s filing of an unfair labor practices claim in June and earlier in August is necessary to hold the DBDT accountable for its actions. “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.”
The theatre company contends that the dancers were fired after they posted a video to their Instagram account filmed in the DBDT dance studio and parking lot. They cite company policy, which prohibits personal use of DBDT property, cell phone use, and additional contract violations.
However, the dancers had unionized on May 29, which meant that, officially, they had not yet worked out a new contract with DBDT for the upcoming season. Still, DBDT’s Executive Director Zenetta Drew told Dance Magazine that the video did not reflect the organization’s values.
“Because this video violates our company policies for use of our name, brand, and does not reflect the organization’s values, we had an immediate and negative impact on our public image,” Drew told the outlet.
Drew continued, “We regret the impact these incidents have had on these talented dancers. Many of them have worked with us for several years. However, as a business we have to make the top-line decision of what’s most important.”
According to the Dallas Morning News, the dancers and AGMA released public statements giving their sides of the story. AGMA disputed DBDT’s version of events, saying that the video was not the misconduct that DBDT originally purported.
“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.” AGMA’s statement said.
Gillian Clifford, one of the dancers whom the DBDT unceremoniously fired, told the Dallas Morning News that she believes the firings were blatant retaliation. “To suddenly deem our video as an unsatisfactory representation of the company — seven weeks after it was posted — is blatant retaliation. Not to mention, the comments under the reel we posted are overwhelmingly positive. This is a textbook example of what it means to be unjustly fired.”
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