TAMMYE NASH | Managing Editor
Nash@DallasVoice.com
June is a-bustle here in Dallas, with Pride Month activities peppered throughout the month, not to mention the city’s status as one of the homes of FIFA’s 2026 World Cup games.
And there in the middle of all the activity, STRUT Dallas returns to the Round-Up Saloon for the fourth edition of its day time Tea Dance, featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shea Couleé and DJ sets, live shows and a pop-up bazaar coming together to “tap into an international pulse that’s loud, proud and distinctly Texas,” says STRUT event director Deryck Todd of Todd Productions.
The party starts at 2 p.m. at The Round-Up Saloon, 3912 Cedar Springs Road, and continues through the afternoon and into the evening, ending at 9 p.m.
Emceed by Chevelle Brooks and hosted by DeAndre Upshaw, Rolla Derby and Waylon Tate, STRUT will include sets by DJs Memoz, Apthout and Level, and shows by Aaron Rey, Arya Jealous, April Rition, Barbie Davenport Dupree, Blue Valentine, Briar Rose, Brigitte Bandit, Buck Wylde, J Rock, Macarena, Mulan Alexander, Oak Lawn Band, Reign LaRue, Taylor Summers and The Round-Up Saloon Dancers.
Shea Couleé said she is thrilled to be part of STRUT in Dallas and looks forward to “sharing the stage alongside an incredible lineup of talented DJs and taking the stage with some of Texas’ most dazzling performers.”
“Being welcomed into such a vibrant and supportive community makes the experience even more special,” Couleé said. “There’s nothing like the electric energy that STRUT audiences bring to the legendary dance floor at the Round-Up Saloon. From the moment the music starts, the room comes alive with joy, self-expression and unapologetic Pride.
“The atmosphere is pure magic filled with love and unforgettable moments under the lights.”
With the event just days away, Todd took a minute this week to talk with Dallas Voice about this party, STRUT in general and the importance of celebrating LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment during trying times.
Dallas Voice: Give us the background on STRUT. When and where did it start, and what was the original purpose of the event? Deryck Todd: STRUT started almost 12 years ago in the basement in New York City’s Soho Neighborhood. The funny thing is that it almost wasn’t called STRUT at all. I had another name the first week, nobody showed up, and I immediately scrapped it. That’s probably the most honest origin story I can give you.
I remember sitting there writing possible event names on a poster board trying to figure out what this thing even was. Was it a dance party? A drag show? A community gathering? A social club? The answer ended up being ALL of it.
Growing up, I didn’t always feel like I fit in. I didn’t have many friends, and I know what it feels like to be on the outside looking in (nothing has changed too much, even now). Looking back, I think a lot of what I do now comes from that place. My goal is pretty simple: Make spaces where people feel welcome. Hugs over handshakes. Connection over coolness. We’re all VIPs.
The original purpose of STRUT wasn’t to build a brand or create a touring event. It was to bring different kinds of people together in the same room and see what happened. Twelve years later, that’s still the mission.
I know you started expanding into other cities pretty quickly. How did you choose which cities to carry STRUT to? And why Dallas, in particular? Is STRUT Dallas built on the same format as the other events, or is it unique? We never really sat around a conference table and said, “Let’s conquer America.” Most of the cities happened because relationships happened. Someone would attend an event, introduce me to someone else, we’d start talking and, before you knew it, we were trying to figure out how to pull off a STRUT in a new city.
Dallas has always felt special to me. I’ve been wearing cowboy hats long before I had any business wearing cowboy hats and long before I ever produced an event here, I knew about The Round-Up. It’s one of those iconic places that exists in queer mythology. You hear about it before you ever walk through the door.
Over the years, STRUT slowly started making its way south. We’ve produced events in Texas before, including Austin, but Dallas keeps pulling us back. This will be our fourth STRUT Dallas, and every year adds something new to the story.
The format is similar from city to city, but Dallas absolutely has its own personality. This year alone we have Shea Couleé [and several local entertainers], local vendors, community organizations like The Help Center, Resource Center and SomosLOUD — folks from every corner of the community.
That’s what makes it work. It isn’t one thing. It’s drag queens standing next to cowboys standing next to activists standing next to somebody attending their very first Pride event. We had a mom and grandma duo attend recently — cue to me getting emotional in the dressing room.
The last 18 months or so have been pretty hard on our community. The current administration in D.C., and here in Texas, too, has put a target on our backs, especially transgender folks. At a time like this, when we are being targeted and seeing our rights systematically stripped away, what is the purpose of an event like STRUT Dallas? Do you see this as more than just a party? And having the event during Pride Month — does that carry extra meaning? Absolutely! Last weekend at STRUT Nashville we welcomed Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones and Council Member Olivia Hill. One minute people were talking about civil rights, community and protecting vulnerable people. Ten minutes later there was a giant human bowl of spaghetti running through the crowd.
That probably sounds ridiculous. It was also perfect. That’s kind of the point. The LGBTQ+ community has always known how to hold joy and struggle in the same hand. Pride was never meant to be solely a protest, nor was it ever meant to be solely a party. It’s both. When legislation is targeting members of our community, particularly transgender people, black people, queer people — showing up matters. Gathering matters. Visibility matters.
I don’t know that a dance floor changes a law. But I do know that community changes people. Every friendship started, every introduction made, every person who feels a little less alone after attending one of these events — those things matter. It matters to me. That’s what gives me hope.
As the force behind STRUT, what do STRUT Dallas and the other STRUT events mean to you on a personal level? What do you hope people take away from STRUT? Honestly, I hope people leave with a couple of new friends and maybe a few phone numbers. The performances are important. The music is important. Shea Couleé is phenomenal. The drag artists, dancers, DJs and vendors all work incredibly hard.
Some of my favorite STRUT memories have happened in Dallas. We’ve had Sasha Colby ride into the event on horseback. We’ve watched Barbie Davenport Dupree lead a full Beyoncé Formation-inspired performance with 10 dancers behind her. We celebrated Raja Gemini’s 50th birthday with a Kroger sheet cake that somehow became one of the most talked-about moments of the day.
Those are the things I remember. Not because they’re the biggest production moments (and pretty damn fun, too), but because they’re the moments people still talk. It’s watching someone introduce two strangers and seeing them spend the rest of the day together. It’s seeing a local nonprofit meet a volunteer. It’s watching somebody arrive nervous and leave feeling like they found their people.
If people leave feeling more connected to their city and more connected to each other, then we’ve done our job.
Everything else is just production.