Twenty-eight Cedar Hill ISD and Dallas ISD students from Texas Supremacy Music & Arts Conservatory (TSMAC), a Dallas-based nonprofit dedicated to culturally rooted music and performing arts education for youth, recently took part in a national photo and video campaign for New Balance in partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods.
The production company, X.Wave, led by Managing Partner Adam Sandler, researched performing arts organizations in search of a partner capable of connecting a national brand campaign with authentic talent from the marching band, drumline, step and broader performing arts communities. After reviewing TSMAC’s mission and its track record across the Dallas-Fort Worth community, X.Wave identified TSMAC as a trusted organization and contacted the conservatory directly.
The production was designed to capture more than performance. X.Wave built the campaign around the relationships, discipline and personality behind band and step culture, filming themes that included friendship and camaraderie, preparation and section pride, leadership and mentorship, football and game-day energy, individual style and self-expression, and community and personal growth.
Content captured across the shoot included group performance footage, individual and group portraits, participant interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and New Balance product content for retail and social media, with X.Wave describing its goal as creating something “authentic, energetic and community driven.”
Cedar Hill, Dallas ISD Students in Dick’s Sporting Goods New Balance Ad
The collaboration was structured as a paid opportunity, with every selected performer compensated for their participation. Participating students also received new New Balance shoes and accessories, and X.Wave covered approved production-related expenses such as transportation and meals.
Beyond the opportunity to perform, the production gave students a firsthand look at the career paths that exist behind the camera. Students worked alongside professional producers, directors, photographers, stylists and brand marketers, gaining direct exposure to the advertising, media, entertainment, production, marketing and fashion industries that power a national retail campaign. That exposure reflects TSMAC’s broader commitment: helping students see how the discipline, creativity and teamwork they build through music, and the performing arts can translate into real career pathways well beyond the stage.
“Our work is about more than developing great performers,” said William D. Allen, Founder of TSMAC. “We want young people to understand that the discipline, leadership, teamwork, confidence and creativity they build through the arts can open doors far beyond the stage. Seeing our students represented in a national campaign like this shows them what is possible when their talent meets the right opportunity.”
The New Balance campaign will be featured in Dick’s Sporting Goods locations nationwide.
Texas Supremacy Music & Arts Conservatory (TSMAC)
Founded by Grammy Award-winning band director William D. Allen, Texas Supremacy Music & Arts Conservatory (TSMAC) is a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing high-quality, culturally rooted music and performing arts education for youth ages 12 to 19. TSMAC’s programs center on urban performing arts and Historically Black College and University (HBCU) traditions, including marching band, dance, cheer, step and music therapy. Since 2019, TSMAC has served more than 1,500 students, primarily from low-income communities, through free camps, afterschool enrichment, cultural showcases and college-readiness experiences that build artistic skill, confidence and pathways to higher education. Learn more at txsmac.org.
