from Daniel Johnson

18 August 2024

The dancers had only organized themselves into a union in May.

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As nine former members of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) seek reinstatement with the company, the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) has issued a stay-at-work order while waiting for the company to enter into a collective bargaining agreement with AGMA.

Accordingly Dance MagazineThe order, issued on August 12, prohibits members of AGMA, Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA from working for the theater company. The DBDT issued a statement on August 9 regarding its decision to lay off all of its dancers for the 2024-2025 season, shortly after posting a statement and audition announcement on its Instagram account.

According to AMGA President Ned Hanlon, “A work stoppage order is not something AGMA issues lightly. It is reserved for the most severe actions against our artists, and I cannot remember the last time AGMA had to issue such an order. What is happening to the dancers of DBDT, who have stood together for a voice in their workplace, is one of the most extreme cases we have ever seen.”

Shortly after DBDT’s announcement was released, all dancers were informed that they had all been laid off, said Griff Braun, AGMA’s national organizing director.

“One hour later, all dancers were notified of their termination via email,” Braun said in a statement.

Braun also said that AGMA’s filing of an unfair labor practice lawsuit in June and early August was necessary to hold DBDT accountable for its actions. “The filing of these ULPs (unfair labor practices) is a critical step in holding DBDT accountable for its punitive response to the unionization of its dancers and ensuring that dancers’ rights are protected.”

The theater claims the dancers were fired after posting a video on their Instagram account that was shot in their dance studio and parking lot, citing company policies prohibiting personal use of DBDT property and cell phone use, among other breaches of contract.

However, the dancers had unionized on May 29, meaning they had not officially worked out a new contract with DBDT for the upcoming season. Nevertheless, DBDT’s executive director Zenetta Drew Dance Magazine that the video did not reflect the values ​​of the organization.

“Because this video violates our company policies regarding the use of our name and brand and does not reflect the values ​​of the organization, it has 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 company, we have to make the decision about what is most important.”

According to the Dallas Morning Newsthe dancers and AGMA itself released a public statement explaining their side of the story. In AGMA’s, they disputed DBDT’s version of events and said that the video did not show the wrongdoing that DBDT had originally alleged.

“DBDT management has attempted to justify the mass layoffs by claiming that the dancers were guilty of 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 to introduce their account after rehearsals concluded on June 21. 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,” the AGMA statement said.

Gillian Clifford, one of the dancers who was summarily fired from the DBDT, told the Dallas Morning News that she considers the firings to be blatant retaliation. “To suddenly view our video as an unsatisfactory representation of the company – seven weeks after it was posted – is blatant retaliation. Not to mention that the comments under the video we posted are overwhelmingly positive. This is a prime example of what it means to be wrongfully fired.”

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