Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) and Broadway Dallas (BD) are joining forces for a second year to advance arts education accessibility for Dallas ISD students during Black History Month. The highly acclaimed work, “Bodies as Site of Faith and Protest,” is available as a virtual matinee performance for every student and grade level in Dallas ISD for free. Access to this special, on-demand performance will continue through February 24.
“Bodies as Site of Faith and Protest” brings to life Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “We Shall Overcome” speech. Choreographer Tommie-Waheed Evans transcribed the speech into dance. The work presents a dramatic lesson on the emotional and spiritual struggle of the American civil rights era. DBDT originally performed the work on stage in 2018. In 2020, during the pandemic, the dance company filmed a reimagined version as dancers turned Dallas locations into their stage. Students will recognize familiar locations as they watch. DBDT performed scenes at Dallas City Hall Plaza, Deep Ellum, South Dallas, and Klyde Warren Park.
This arts education initiative aligns with the goals of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America and provide dance, music, theater, visual arts, literary arts, and media arts education for all students. The NEA supports learning that affirms and celebrates America’s rich cultural heritage and recognizes the important role of diverse arts education in engaging and empowering youth.
In addition to the matinee performance, DBDT is providing a 20-page guide for teachers to use as a part of the presentation. The deadline for Dallas ISD teachers to register their classes to view the student matinee is February 17. For registration details, teachers can email dmbalarobertson@dallasisd.org.