On this episode, I am joined by Antuan Byers, the Dancers Vice President of the American Guild of Musical Artists and Nile Ruff, a dancer with Dallas Black Dance Theatre to discuss recent events at DBDT that have rocked the dance world.

Antuan and Nile give us an inside look into the events leading up to the sudden firing of an entire company of dancers. We discuss the impact this has had not just on the dancers directly affected, but on the dance community as a whole. This moment in history is one that every dancer should be watching - tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the power of unionization and what can happen when we work together for the greater good.

Key Moments:

• Overview of AGMA and how they support dancers [2:19]
• The events that led the dancers of DBDT to unionize with AGMA [3:40]
• How DBDT leadership began to retaliate against the dancers [5:47]
• AGMA has issued a Do Not Work Order for DBDT - what does this mean and has it happened before? [10:52]
• The power of the support the dancers have received from Dallas and the dance community [13:51]
• The impact this moment in history will have on the future of quality standards of work for dancers in the US [15:43]
• What needs to change at DBDT for the dancers to feel safe and comfortable in the work environment [19:51]
• How you can support the dancers of Dallas Black Dance Theatre [31:08]

Support the Dancers of Dallas Black Dance Theatre:

GOFUNDME: gofundme.com/f/help-dbdt-dancers-overcome-job-loss

SEND A LETTER TO DBDT LEADERSHIP: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/081fd9efe5c5c55e7e6c61867bdd9fee02fbe939

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/dancersofdbdt

Links and Resources:

1-1 Career Mentoring: book your complimentary career call

Let’s connect!

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INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina

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