The National Performance Network Dallas

Dallas, Texas – The South Dallas Cultural Center will offer performing art lovers a chance to indulge in a variety of touring Broadway bound productions at the 25th Anniversary National Performance Network meeting. (NPN), along with its wide array of phenomenal artists and over 300 visiting attendees will be center stage in Dallas on December 9th through December 13th, 2010.
The NPN meeting is invitation only and is designed for networking, strategic planning, and professional development for a touring artist. The highlight of the meeting will include 2 showcases in which NPN will invite art patrons throughout North Texas to attend. The showcases will feature five nationally acclaimed performers that have received NPN funding to create their production. An exciting presentation of Theater, Dance and Spoken Word will premiere December 10th & 11th at 7pm, at the Majestic Theater.


Local performing artists will also be able to participate in the showcases. The South Dallas Cultural Center, the Southwest regional NPN partner, will assemble a panel of expert judges to select the area performers. This will be a rare opportunity for local performing artist to present their work to a national audience, other artist in their discipline and art leaders.

“The South Dallas Cultural Center is thrilled to bring the NPN meeting to Dallas”, said Vicki Meek, SDCC Manager. “The meeting and performances will rejuvenate our arts community.”

In its 25 year history, NPN has provided funding to support the creation of hundreds of new works and artist residencies throughout the United States and Latin America. NPN serves as one of the only service organizations for individual artists producing challenging and socially engaging work. The award-winning Whoopi Goldberg, The Blue Man Group, Blondell Cummings, Liz Lerman, and Urban Bush Women have all benefited from NPN’s support during their formative years. NPN's dedication to comprehensive artist residencies extend the artist's stay in a presenting community, allowing for a deeper relationship for artists and their audiences.

The partners for the NPN meeting are as follows: The City Of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, Gilley’s The Wyly Theater, The Arts District, KERA and Fairmont Hotels. The Tickets are $15 each or $25 for both showcases and can be purchased at the Majestic Theater box office located at 1925 Elm St. Downtown Dallas. Early Bird tickets can be purchased at www.attpac.org beginning October 1st 2010. For additional details student discounts tickets log onto www.npnweb.org or contact Mimi Zarsky, NPN Annual Meeting Coordinator 504/595-8008 mzarsky@npnweb.org. For showcase participation log onto www.dallasculture.org

About The South Dallas Cultural Center

The South Dallas Cultural Center is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affair. The center presents an annual season of African-centered innovative visual and performing arts as well as other multi-disciplinary arts genres throughout the year. Funding for the South Dallas Cultural Center is provided by the City of Dallas, with additional support from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

About NPN

NPN has grown to a partnership of 63 art organizations, called NPN Partners, in over 36 cities across the country. NPN connects Artists with communities around two simple ideas – to help artists make work in their own neighborhoods, and to cross geographic and cultural divides to increase the traffic of fresh, challenging artistic work.

NPN provides support for established and emerging artists in dance, music, theater, performance art, puppetry, spoken word and most recently visual arts.. It serves as the developmental rung on the ladder for emerging contemporary performing artists because it provides rare or first-time touring opportunities. NPN also plays a critical role for mid-career and established artists who continue to create new work and to tour on the network because it offers a wealth of opportunities at a time when support is diminishing. Equally important, NPN connects artists with progressive presenters, arts organizations, and communities across the country.

About the Meeting

The meeting is designed for networking and strategic planning for the advancement of professional and field development for artists and their work. The meeting activities generate conversations that examine the diverse perspectives prevalent in contemporary art production. The forum is designed to engage artists from different generations, disciplines and cultures. Attendees walk away from the NPN annual meeting with the tools, inspiration and connections needed to support their works in their respective communities.

About the 5 Artist in the Showcase

• First Woman on The Moon by Elia Arce (Houston) www.eliaarce.com



• Faith Triptych: Faith, Sleep, and Tattoo by Pat Graney Company (Seattle) www.patgraney.org



• Word Becomes Flesh -Marc Bamuthi Joseph (Oakland ) www.youtube.com/watch?v=55Z1Nwth1IM


• Fierce Love: Stories from Black Gay Life by Pomo Afro Homos (San Francisco) http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre--fierce-love--pomo-afro-homo--drill-hall-london-wc1-1531042.html


Faith Healing by Jane Comfort Company (New York City) www.janecomfortandcompany.org