Your Move, Partner: Bombshell Dance Project whisks audiences to the Wild West and Flower Mound Arts Festival

Step into Sons of Hermann Hall this April 24 and 25, and you won’t just watch a dance performance — you’ll dodge bullets, outrun outlaws, and untangle a Wild West mystery as Bombshell Dance Project turns Dallas’s oldest saloon into a living, breathing frontier town.

For the past nine seasons, Bombshell has redefined what it means to experience dance, blending movement with theater, storytelling, and immersive adventure. This spring, co-founders Emily Bernet and Taylor Rodman are inviting audiences to join them on two wildly different journeys: WEST, a choose-your-own-adventure Wild West spectacle, and a spontaneous, site-specific performance at the Flower Mound Arts Festival on May 9.

WEST is Bombshell’s latest foray into immersive performance, a genre the company has been exploring since their popular 2022 production of In the Conservatory with the Knife, which was produced as part of AT&T Performing Arts Center’s Elevator Project. Inspired by the nostalgia of the 1970s Oregon Trail game, WEST transforms Dallas’s historic Sons of Hermann Hall—a century-old wooden structure—into an atmosphere where the line between legend and reality blurs.

“In WEST, you decide where to go and what to follow, which makes every person’s experience completely unique,” says Bernet. “You’ll be face-to-face with the characters, choosing your own adventure throughout the story. The show you see might be totally different from that of the person you came with.”

The production is a true collaboration, with Bernet and Rodman co-directing and choreographing alongside writers Nicole Neeley and Mac Welch, who coincidentally is Bernet’s husband. The result is a seamless blend of dance and dialogue, where movement and narrative intertwine. The cast of 10 performers will guide audiences through a world of outlaws, heroes, and frontier intrigue.

“We both played the computer game as kids, and love using a familiar concept to welcome audiences to our world before they even arrive,” says Bernet. “We have found that clear stories like this allow audiences to watch the movement more closely.”

Lighting by Aaron Johansen and sound design by Jeff Kinsey — who also happens to be Rodman’s husband — add layers of atmosphere and tension. “Collaborating with my husband Mac is my favorite,” Bernet admits with a laugh. “We’re both obsessed with using movement as a storytelling tool, so working together feels totally natural. Plus, it’s nice to be able to bug him about the show at all hours!”

Tickets for this two-night-only experience range from $38 to $54. VIP options include early entry and an exclusive scene, and audiences are advised to wear comfortable shoes — this isn’t a sit-back-and-watch kind of show.

Just weeks later, Bombshell will bring their signature energy to the Flower Mound Arts Festival on May 9. Bombshell’s 2025 performance was such a hit that they were invited back for an encore. This year, the dancers will improvise around an art installation designed by Tish Carter, the town’s Community and Cultural Arts Manager. “They did an amazing job last year,” Carter says. “Our audiences had never seen anything like this before. I have no idea what they’ll do, but I know it will be fantastic.” Bernet echoes the excitement: “We love bringing dance directly to the community in a way that’s interactive and family-friendly. This year, we’ll be improvising with the art installations, so the dancers’ movements will be inspired by the art in real time. It’s all about creating something spontaneous and alive.”

Bombshell’s approach to dance is built on collaboration and a desire to break down the barriers between performer and audience. Since their founding, they’ve produced nine seasons in Dallas, including sold-out co-productions with the AT&T Performing Arts Center and appearances at prestigious festivals like Jacob’s Pillow and Austin Dance Festival. Bernet, a graduate of Southern Methodist University and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Rodman, a 2012 YoungArts Finalist and Presidential Scholar in the Arts, share a vision of dance that’s accessible, dynamic, and deeply engaging. “Everything we do is built collaboratively,” Bernet notes. “We want people to feel like they’re part of the story, not just watching it from afar.”

—LINDSEY WILSON