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East Dallas Arts is a nonprofit organization with a mission to bring the community together by providing opportunities to develop an appreciation for the arts through performance, education and arts experiences.

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Tom Parr | Artistic Director

Tom Parr is a critically acclaimed director, design and theater educator. For over 15 years he has guided students of all ages toward finding their passion for the arts. His work has taken him across the country to teach and coach teachers in his integration arts techniques, combining all aspects of arts, technologies, and core subject material. In 2003 he co-founded Second Thought Theatre in Dallas, Texas. He has directed and designed over 30 professional productions including DFW Theater Critics’ “Best Play” of 2006, Dallas Morning News’ “Artist to Watch” 2007, and the Dallas Observer’s People’s Choice for “Best Director” 2012. In 2010, Tom joined St. John’s Episcopal School as the Arts Integration and Theater Director. While there, he directed over a hundred student created works and 20 mainstage productions. His students have gone on to successful acting and arts studies at multiple area high schools including Booker T Washington, Woodrow Wilson High School, Jesuit, Ursuline and Hockaday Schools. Many of his former students are still acting, designing and dancing professionally and at universities across the country. Tom is thrilled to bring his unique talents to the East Dallas community and to keep working hard to inspire and foster artists of all ages.


Amiti Perry | Dance Director

Amiti Perry received her BA in Dance from the University of North Texas and MFA in Choreography from The Ohio State University. Since returning to North Texas in 2012, Amiti has been serving as dance adjunct at the University of North Texas’ Department of Dance and Theatre, teaching varying levels of modern, ballet and jazz dance techniques, kinesiology, Somatics and Laban theory courses, all levels of choreographic inquiry from improvisation to full production for student choreographers. In addition to teaching, she has performed in faculty works, presented her choreography as a guest artist and served as rehearsal director for guest artist works. Each year, Amiti accompanies faculty and students to American College Dance Association’s regional conference where she teaches master classes and is the rehearsal director and stage manager for adjudicated works from UNT. In 2006, Amiti founded æmp:dance/amiti perry + company, with whom she created, presented, and performed in multiple New York venues and since presented as a company in North Texas.  She co-founded DIPdance with collaborator Coco Loupe in 2001, presented and performed works in New York, Texas, Louisiana, and Ohio; performed as a guest artist with Rachel Lambert and Dancers (Ithaca, NY, 1999); Ellen Stokes Shadle (NYC 2006 – 2008); Satellite Dance Company (2012-2013) and performed, taught, assisted and designed, nationally and internationally, with Skip Costa/COREmovement Project-NYC (1999-2003). Amiti performed at the 2019 Orlando Fringe Festival with collaborators in a dance theatre work titled From One Foot to the Other. She served as resident choreographer for Odysseus Chamber Orchestra 2015-2017, presenting original choreography for Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4, Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du soldat (The Soldier’s Tale), as well as choreographed to original works by OCC composers. She is currently in her sixth year as resident choreographer for musical theatre productions at Theatre at The Colony, under the direction of Dwayne and Ronda Craig, for whom she has choreographed for the past 20 years. Additionally, she has choreographed musical productions and served as movement director for multiple productions in Texas, Ohio and New York.  Locally, she has worked with Woodrow Wilson High School’s show choir, Variations, and is scheduled to choreograph for upcoming productions. She began working with Director Parr in 2018 and East Dallas Arts in 2019.


Amy Kulas | Executive Director

Amy Kulas has always had a love of the arts and has played a big role in her community. Growing up, she was heavily involved in dance and community theater in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was a part of an outstanding performing arts department at Lincoln East High School, participating in select choirs, musicals, plays, and traveling the country competing with her show choir. As a college student at Texas Christian University, she was selected for TCU Voices, a collegiate show choir. After graduating, she became an elementary school teacher in the Grapevine-Colleyville School District, and directed the Children’s Summer Musical, Broadway Extravaganza. She also directed kids in a musical radio commercial for Columbia Children’s Hospital. Along with being a soloist in her church choir, she has worked as a wedding vocalist and has played featured roles as an adult in both Fiddler on the Roof and Brigadoon, Fort Worth community productions.  Most recently, while raising her three children in Dallas, she has led worship (soloist) for Cornerstone at Highland Park United Methodist Church, worked as the Director of Worship for Cornerstone, served as President of the Lakewood Service League, and has held a variety of other volunteer and leadership positions at her children’s schools, through her church, and in her community of Lakewood. For the past five years, she has costumed over 100 Woodrow Wilson High School theatre students for their annual spring musical. Her love of the arts continues. She and her husband of 28 years regularly attend productions at Broadway Dallas and the Winspear Opera House. They have passed this love and appreciation of the arts on to their children, who have participated in various arts programs including the Variations Show Choir at Woodrow Wilson, the Woodrow Wilson musical, leading worship, and one of her daughters is currently studying Music Education. Amy is dedicated to showcasing the artistic talents of the community through East Dallas Arts.

Please contact us if you have any questions at

eastdallasarts@gmail.com