Every year, we start thinking not only about the things and events, but the people who helped define the year for us. Like ’em or not, good or bad, we will forever equate 2012 with what these North Texans brought to the table.
Bruce Wood, master of the dance
In 2012, the gay choreographer proved the return of his Dance project wasn’t just a one-off experiment, delivering a second stunning season of artistry in motion. Just last week, he announced the company would return in 2013, with two shows — one in March and another in June. The legend continues …
Monica Greene, restaurateur
Greene returned to Dallas after a self-imposed exile in Colorado two years ago, opening BEE in Oak Cliff, then Monica’s Nueva Cocina/MI Lounge in Oak Lawn … only to have both close by year’s end under a cloud of confusion.
Robert L. Camina, filmmaker
Camina spent nearly three years chronicling the hot-button events at a Fort Worth gay club in June 2009, and his documentary, Raid of the Rainbow Lounge, became both a touchstone in North Texas and a hit at film festivals across the country.
Randy Culbreath, archivist
Many patrons of Lucky’s Cafe have stared up at the names along the fascia chronicling those who have passed, but Culbreath was the first to take steps to preserve and restore it, which he did over the course of the summer and early fall. The resultant wall, which added color and detail, transformed an ageing remnant into a once-again-relevant memorial.
Molly Whitman, athlete
The sports enthusiast brought a feminine energy to the hyper-masculine sport of rugby by founding the Lady Quins Rugby Football Club, an affiliate of Dallas’ storied Harlequins men’s team.
Trey Jacobs, musicmaker
After spending the last few months of 2011 as interim conductor of the Turtle Creek Chorale, Jacobs — who
initially said he was not in the running for the permanent post — was appointed the new artistic director of Dallas gay men’s chorus in 2012, launching his own season on October.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition January 4, 2013.
