The Division of Dance is launching a new initiative this spring aimed at expanding access to live performance and arts education for young audiences across North Texas. On April 10, the Division will host local K–12 students on campus for an immersive experience designed to introduce children to dance, the university environment and the broader world of the arts.
The initiative, led by Assistant Professor of Practice in Dance Parisa Khobdeh, recently advanced to the final round for a $30,000 grant from Texas Women for the Arts (TWA). While funding decisions will not be announced until May 2026, Meadows has chosen to move forward with a pilot version of the program now, underscoring the potential impact of the initiative.
“The entire team of faculty and staff at Meadows are all very supportive of this idea and that combination of enthusiasm, need, and community support ultimately inspired me to apply for the grant,” Khobdeh says. “And although the funding would support next academic year, our chair Carter Alexander has approved a pilot program for this April.”
The April 10 pilot will welcome students from several partner schools, including Incarnation Academy, Greiner Middle School, Wiley Middle School, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School. The participating students span a wide range of ages, from pre-kindergarten through high school, and were invited through existing relationships with Meadows faculty and community partners.
At the center of the day is a 45-minute matinee performance in the Bob Hope Theatre featuring excerpts from the Division of Dance’s Spring Dance Concert. Designed specifically for student audiences, the performance will also offer a behind-the-scenes perspective, with the curtain rising between pieces to reveal the technical and production elements that support the work onstage.
Following the performance, students will participate in masterclasses led by Meadows faculty and student dancers in multiple campus locations, including Studio 1430, the Gene and Jerry Jones Atrium, and onstage in the theater itself. These hands-on sessions are intended to deepen engagement and provide students, particularly those considering future study in the arts, with a direct connection to university-level training.
“Experiencing live dance allows young people to connect with storytelling, emotion, and human expression in a way that cannot be replicated through screens, helping to cultivate the audiences of tomorrow while inspiring some to imagine themselves as future artists,” explains Division of Dance chair Carter Alexander. “Bringing students onto a college campus further expands that impact, allowing them to see themselves reflected in a higher education environment and recognize that they, too, belong in spaces of learning, creativity, and artistic exploration.”
The experience continues beyond performance and practice. Students will also visit the George W. Bush Presidential Library and the Meadows Museum, creating a full day of interdisciplinary learning that connects dance to history, visual art and cultural exploration. The vision for this kind of immersive experience was shaped by a simple but powerful moment.
After a brief outdoor performance at the SMU Daycare autumn festival, Khobdeh was struck by a young audience member’s reaction to a short excerpt: he simply wanted more. It became clear that children are eager for live artistic experiences, yet many schools lack the resources for transportation and performance access. Recognizing this gap, Khobdeh began developing the student matinee program and pursuing funding. The pilot represents both a test run and a commitment to building something sustainable.
“Our goal is to inspire students through the arts while offering them meaningful exposure to both a university environment and a professional artistic experience,” Khobdeh says. “By immersing them in live performance, behind-the-scenes processes, masterclasses, and visits to the Bush Library and Meadows Museum, we hope they leave feeling curious, empowered, and excited about the arts and about their own potential.”
As the Division of Dance prepares to welcome its first cohort of student participants this month, the pilot student matinee program marks an important step toward a larger vision: expanding access, nurturing creativity, and opening doors for the next generation of artists and audiences alike.
