Houston Met Dance Celebrates 30 Years of Community Impact with Gala

Michelle Smith, Founder & Executive Director
Michelle@MetDance.org
713-384-0498
MetDance.org

For Immediate Release

Houston Met Dance Celebrates 30 Years of Community Impact with Gala

Milestone event highlights decades of supporting local artists, inspiring HISD students, and making dance accessible to all Houstonians.

HOUSTON, TX —Houston Met Dance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and cornerstone of Houston’s performing arts community, will celebrate its 30th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, October 18 at its Midtown studio (4916 Main Street), honoring three decades of empowering artists, inspiring students, and enriching Houston through dance.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a VIP reception honoring Cecilia Winters-Morris, acting president and treasurer, featuring performances by Virtuosi Youth Orchestra. General admission opens at 7 p.m. with a silent auction and performances by Jasmine Hearn, the Houston Met Dance Adult Ballet Ensemble, and more.

Proceeds support the nonprofit’s core programs: artist residencies, scholarships, and educational outreach. Tickets and sponsorships are available now at MetDance.org.

Houston Met Dance was founded in 1995 by Michelle Smith, a former performer and company manager with the Delia Stewart Dance Company and Center. When Delia Stewart retired, Smith transformed the organization into a nonprofit that provides a creative home for Houstonians of all backgrounds with a place to experience dance.

“Our mission has always been to serve the community through dance,” said Smith, founder and executive director of Houston Met Dance. “Thirty years later, I’m proud that we continue to honor that vision—providing space for artists, inspiring students, and ensuring that dance remains accessible to everyone in Houston.”

Its Made in Houston initiative, supported by Houston Endowment, Dance Source Houston, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Houston Arts Alliance, provides choreographers with residencies, workshops, space grants, and presenting opportunities. This program offers artists the time, resources, and audiences necessary to create and share new work in Houston.

Recent participants include Persi Mey, a multidisciplinary artist blending modern, jazz, breaking, muay thai, capoeira, and ballet; Jasmine Hearn, named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” (2025); NMLY.dance (Nicole McNeil and Lori Yuill), whose multimedia installation everyday more dystopian: entropic playground combined dance, projection, and ecological storytelling; and guest artists including slowdanger, who offered workshops and open studios that expanded MET Dance’s creative reach across disciplines.

At the same time, Houston Met Dance’s educational outreach reaches more than 5,000 K–12 students annually through free in-school residencies. 

The nonprofit also serves more than 1,000 adult and youth students weekly in its classes, making dance both accessible and sustainable in the Houston area.

About Houston Met Dance

Houston Met Dance is a nonprofit dance organization dedicated to cultivating passion for dance, training youth for professional careers, and fostering community through performance and education. Each week, Met Dance serves over 1,000 students and provides space for local artists and arts groups, strengthening Houston’s cultural landscape. For more information, please visit MetDance.org or contact Michelle Smith at Michelle@MetDance.org or 713-384-0498.