The Big Dance in Big D
One of my favorite things to do when I go to my most loved city in America led to one of my most cherished evenings in life. See, finding a local newsstand in Dallas, which houses Paper City brings me joy. Sure, I subscribe to D Magazine, where I interned as a college student in the 90s. It is informative, it is entertaining and it has a plethora of really well-done photography. And, they throw some really great parties! I also subscribe to the Dallas Business Journal, another great resource to help my business. And … as a bonus to the DBJ, there’s the Book of Lists!!
Yet, Paper City is my guilty pleasure - there’s nothing life changing about it . . . or is there? How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
- It's free
- It's colorful
- It's playful
- It's fashionable
- It's laden with pictures
- It's mindless
- It's full of great and fun things to do in Dallas. Oh sure, these activities, for the most part are for Dallas's elite. However, I am still a child at heart, and I do not let my status get in the way of my curiosity.
My flipping through Paper City on a family road trip to visit our daughter at Texas State led to a fantastic date night with my son. There was an ad for the Big Dance put on every year since 2019 as a fundraiser for the Dallas Black Dance Theatre.
The clock was ticking, as I thought my son was headed to college again, so I asked him to say “yes” to a date with his mom. We headed to the AT&T Performing Arts Center, dressed the part of the Prohibition Era. We hopped from floor-to-floor (more separately than together), taking dance lessons, making friends, drinking (maybe, for me, a little too much) and I competed in a dance off with a complete stranger. Oh, yeah, we indulged in delicious food, too. Or maybe we didn’t eat - but the food was there. It truly was a magical evening. John Michael and I did not mind, going in, we knew no one. I knew nothing about the DBDT, except my boy’s girl at the time, a Booker T grad, had friends who danced for the founder and Dallas icon Ann Williams.
That all began to change as the night unfolded. When Ms Ann promptly arrived late, she was swarmed by admirers. (I do believe my son and I were the only ones there who did not know this fantastical woman.) Once I introduced myself, we were inseparable the remainder of the evening. I am still not sure what Ms. Ann sees in me, but I am oh-so glad she took me in.
Every year since 2019, I have served on the Big Dance Host Committee, and I can honestly call Ms Ann friend.
I do hope you will join me and Ann Williams for an incredible evening Saturday, June 3. Starting at just $200, you’ll eat well, drink well, be entertained by a Latin Bands (including Fusion Latina), the DBDT dancers, a Mariachi band, all the beautiful Morton H Meyerson Symphony center. Drum rooooooolllllll, please
BONUS Round - you’ll be helping continue the greatness Ann Williams started in 1976
- Groom future Presidential Scholars in Dance in America (DBDT had the very first)
- Nine from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts have been trained at DBDT
- Four Dallas Black Dance Academy students have been recipients of full scholarships into the prestigious dance program at The Juilliard School
- Many more students have received the Texas Young Master Award, the state equivalent to the national award
- From 2012 through 2022, Dallas Black Dance Academy alumni have had 100% high school graduation and college attendance
I sincerely hope to see you there. Be sure to tell them Misty sent you.
And, BTWay, while not on such a grand scale, it’s always a party at Photography by Misty - we are here to celebrate you!!
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