Zenetta Drew, the executive director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, will retire after nearly four decades at the helm of the company.
Drew joined DBDT in 1987 and became executive director shortly after. She worked closely with founder and artistic director Ann Williams, who retired in 2014.
Drew helped the company raise millions of dollars, grow its school and move into its current home, the historic Moorland YMCA building in the Dallas Arts District.
Kurt Watkins, a spokesperson for the company, said Drew's last day will be announced once a search for her successor begins. A national search is scheduled to start in January.
Drew declined an interview request and instead provided a statement about her retirement.
"For nearly 40 years, it's been an honor to serve our community and lead one of this city's most cherished cultural assets," she said. "We've grown into the largest and oldest professional dance company in Dallas, performed across five continents, and represented our city and nation by performing at three Olympics. Thank you, and onwards to the next 50 seasons of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre."
The news comes as an advisory task force has released a report charting a new path forward for the recently embattled dance company.
On Wednesday, the task force announced that DBDT's board of directors unanimously accepted the report's recommendations. These include setting term limits for board members, updating the employee handbook and social media and public relations policies, and increasing engagement with company alumni.
Georgia Scaife, DBDT's board president, said in a statement the organization is committed to making the changes necessary to preserve the company's future.
"By embracing the recommendations of the task force, the board believes it has taken the first step to ensure that DBDT will continue to inspire, educate and enrich lives for the next 50 years," Scaife said.
DBDT task force formed in wake of labor charges
The task force was formed in the wake of a settlement for over $560,000 with the National Labor Relations Board in December to compensate 10 fired dancers and three whose offers of employment were rescinded for violating company policies. The dancers said they were fired in August 2024 for attempting to unionize, while DBDT said they had violated the company's social media policy for an Instagram video they posted.
Following the settlement, Dallas City Council cut about $248,000 in funding for cultural programming from the dance company for its 2024-25 season.
In April, the company announced it had created the task force to strengthen community trust. The task force's first meeting was in March.
The 17 members of the group included business, nonprofit and arts leaders. They met for six months, splitting into three subcommittees tasked with reviewing the company's governance, branding, fundraising and stakeholder relationships. Co-chairs were Jennifer Scripps, former director of Dallas' Office of Cultural Affairs, and Shawn Williams, vice president of public affairs at Allyn Media.
Williams said the task force was careful to listen to the community when making its recommendations. Through listening sessions, he said, it was evident how much respect the community has for the organization and its work.
The task force also reviewed the company's bylaws, financial status, employee handbook and a report on the dance company by the city's Office of Inspector General Division.
Policy recommendations for DBDT's future
In its 16-page report, the task force recommended the board of directors take "a more proactive, visible" role with the company. The task force proposed staggering term limits for board members, requiring board members to more actively oversee executive leadership and setting expectations for board members for giving or receiving donations.
The task force's report recommended a succession plan for Drew given her pending retirement.
Previously, the fired dancers said the employee handbook was outdated and unevenly applied. It included policies about using the company landline telephone, required new and returning dancers to go through a 30-day probationary period every season, and mentioned company dancers were not allowed to wear "head rags."
The task force recommended updating the employee handbook between dancers and leadership and putting the document into an accessible digital format. In the report, the task force notes unionized dancers will follow a handbook under a collective bargaining agreement once finalized with the American Guild of Musical Artists.
Other recommended changes include clearly defining the roles of the artistic director and executive director to "align with modern standards." The report also suggested making changes to modernize DBDT's policy regarding social media so both the board and dancers understand how it is used.
Initially, DBDT leadership cited an Instagram video by former dancers as a violation of the company's policies and the reason for the dancers' firing. The decision to fire them over the video was called into question by many in North Texas and across the dance industry.
In response to the proposed changes at DBDT, Terrell Rogers Jr., one of the dancers who was fired from the company, said in an email that "while policy changes on paper are meaningful, what will matter most is how they are implemented in practice and whether they truly shift the culture for dancers and staff."
His hope, he said, is that "these changes reflect a genuine commitment to accountability, transparency and respect for artists' rights, and that the company's leadership prioritizes rebuilding trust with its dancers and the wider community."
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