A death in the family, the loss of a home, a call to leave a familiar position or job and head out alone are the kinds of dramatic life changes all of us, including artists and companies, are likely face sooner or later.
When a writer pitched a story about an actor leaving Texas I immediately said, “No thanks, I need to focus on those staying.” Although, now I can't help wondering what would have been in that exit interview.
Forty years in the business – that fact has quietly crept up on Dallas Black Dance Theatre founder Ann Williams. “You don’t see what you’ve accomplished because every day you’re trying to make it happen,” says Williams, who has spent half of her life making it happen at the longest-running dance company in North Texas.
I spend a lot of time outside of Texas, for work, family, but mostly to keep up with my home artform: Dance. Nothing makes me happier than running into Texas dance artists doing work outside of Texas. So when a friend came up to me during my time at Jacob’s Pillow asking me if I knew that a Houston dancer was performing with the renowned choreographer Jonah Bokaer, my response was a proud, “Why, yes I do!”