Dallas, Texas––Bruce Wood Dance Dallas celebrates a dazzling milestone with its 15th Anniversary Performance & Gala on March 29 from 5:30 p.m to 11:30 p.m. at the iconic Gilley’s Dallas, 1135 Botham. Jean Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75215.
This Texas–sized extravaganza features the return of Cowboy Songs, Bruce Wood’s heartfelt tribute to the spirit of the Lone Star State. Backed by a live ensemble led by Broadway composer Joseph Thalken, Cowboy Songs brims with rich, Western–inspired music by Michael Martin Murphey, Lyle Lovett, and Wylie Gustafson, and others, performed by Grammy Award–winning artist Ginny Mac, Broadway star Jeremy Landon Hays, and five stellar musicians. This production will transport audiences to the sweeping plains and saloons of West Texas, where friendships form, love blooms, and hearts break—all in Bruce Wood’s signature style of deeply emotional and visually captivating choreography.
Wood’s love for Texas resonates throughout the performance. “The thing about Texas I love is the fact that it’s big, it’s flat, and the sky is high up. I love being on a field where you can see 20 miles in all directions on a hot, hot day. It affects how you think,” he once said.
A Night to Remember: The VIP Gala Experience
The evening kicks off with a pre–dinner cocktail hour featuring Texas–themed midway games and photo ops, followed by a delectable Texas–inspired dinner and premium assigned seating for the Cowboy Songs performance. Guests enjoy a lively After Party celebration with DJ, line dancing, midway games, and more.
• Patron Tables of 10—$12,000
• Patron Tables of Eight—$6,000
• Single Patron Tickets—$500 | $750 | $1,200
Tickets include a donation supporting Bruce Wood Dance Dallas’s artistic growth, education initiatives, and community outreach. Purchase your VIP Experience at brucewooddance.org or call 214–298–9212.
The Performance–Only & After Party Experience
For those seeking an evening of performance and fun, our general admission package includes tickets to Cowboy Songs and the After Party. Guests enjoy midway games, line dancing, carnival food, and a cash bar.
• Tickets—$150 | $200. Available for purchase beginning February 1 at brucewooddance.org.
Honoring Excellence in the Arts—The 2025 BRUCE Award
Before the performance, Bruce Wood Dance Dallas will present the prestigious 2025 BRUCE Award to Read and Steve Gendler in recognition of their unwavering support for the arts in Dallas. Their decades of advocacy and philanthropy have been instrumental to the growth of the company, as well as numerous other organizations, including TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND, The Hockaday School, and Texas Ballet Theater. In 2024, the Gendlers were honored with the Tom Adams Award of Appreciation for Dedication to TITAS and the Arts.
A Star–Studded Lineup
• Joseph Thalken. The celebrated New York composer returns to Dallas, bringing his highly acclaimed Broadway experience to the Bruce Wood Dance Dallas stage. His works have been performed worldwide. He has composed the scores for the musicals Harold & Maude, Was, And The Curtain Rises, and Borrowed Dust on Broadway. His ballet score, Chasing Home, was commissioned by Bruce Wood Dance in 2016, and choreographed by Albert Drake. A critically acclaimed recording of Chasing Home was released by Albany Records in 2024, performed by the Dallas Chamber Symphony, and conducted by Richard McKay.
• Ginny Mac. Renowned for her powerhouse vocals and masterful accordion skills, Mac’s fusion of Country and Western Swing, Americana, and Hot Jazz genres delivers an unforgettable musical experience. Mac is a former member of the two–time Grammy Award–winning group Brave Combo, based in Denton, Texas. She has also toured with Asleep At The Wheel, Pat Green, Mike Dillon, and The Texas Playboys.
• Jeremy Landon Hays. The versatile actor, singer, and producer has wowed audiences on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, and the new autobiographical musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Unmasked. His numerous television appearances include a recurring role on The Oath and Leverage: Redemption. Hays appeared in the independent film, Sometime Other Than Now, streaming on Amazon.
Our 15th Anniversary Performance & Gala is instrumental in funding dance careers, world–class theatrical productions, and education initiatives that enrich our community.
15th Anniversary Performance & Gala Committee
Honorary Chairs—Nancy & Richard Wallace; Chair—James Lynn Williams
Philip Clemmons, Margaret & Tom Chambers, Susana Franco, Todd C. Hedrick, Jennifer Hedges, Larry Lane, Amanda Lenox, Nicole Leone, Larry Lyles, Mary Ann May, Andrea Perez, Herb Weichsel
Gala Sponsors
Heritage Auctions (Presenting Sponsor), Rodger Kobes+Michael Keller (Show Sponsors), James Lynn Williams, Lancaster+Associates, Inc., Ellen Kendrick Creative, Inc., Donna Wilhelm Family Fund, Wallace Consultancy, Anne Compton, Virgin Hotels Dallas, Planet Lincoln Love Field, TerraCORE Panels, Chambers Interiors+Associates, Generations of Giving Foundation, James Avery Artisan Jewelry, E. Fay Jones Conservancy, Carrington Coleman, and The Eugene McDermott Foundation.
About Bruce Wood Dance Dallas
Bruce Wood Dance Dallas is a nationally acclaimed contemporary dance company that harnesses the power of dance to entertain, enrich, and heal. Hailed as Dallas’ “shining star” by Arts and Culture Texas and named D Magazine’s Best Dance Company six times, the company is rooted in the legacy of Texas choreographer Bruce Wood (1960–2014). Led by Artistic Director Joy Bollinger, the company’s repertoire features innovative works by acclaimed choreographers like Omar Román De Jesús, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Yin Yue, alongside masterworks by Jirí Kylián, Lar Lubovitch, and Twyla Tharp. A Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster member since 2016, Bruce Wood Dance Dallas has performed nationwide at Jacob’s Pillow, The Joyce Theater, Palm Desert Choreography Festival, Battery Dance Festival, and the Guggenheim Museum.
