Big art. Small space.
The cabaret arts introduce a crossover culture of performing, visual, design, and culinary arts in small spaces.
Through this initiative, the Duncanville Arts Foundation connects working artists, chefs, local businesses, property owners, and residents to develop unique experiences in familiar and unexpected spaces throughout Duncanville.
By encouraging creative partnerships and making use of existing places and resources, we're creating paid opportunities for artists, supporting local businesses, and elevating the cultural experience for everyone.
How it started
On October 26, 2026, the Duncanville Arts Foundation, in cooperation with Xela Bistro and Chef Frances Villagran, inaugurated Xela Underground, a new after-hours cabaret concept combining exceptional live entertainment with an intimate dining experience.
We invited celebrated Dallas cabaret artist, Denise Lee, to launch the initiative, introducing audiences to an evening of professional performance, fine food, and the pleasure of sharing an experience in a small setting.
The inaugural evening was an opportunity to explore whether partnerships between local restaurants and professional artists could create distinctive cultural experiences supported by ticket sales.
It also gave us a starting point for understanding audience interest, production costs, and the potential for a recurring cabaret series.
What Comes Next
We're working with artists and hospitality partners to develop future cabaret evenings, each offering a unique combination of performance, food, and atmosphere.
Future programming may explore jazz, blues, musical theatre, storytelling, film, and other cabaret traditions, with different artists and creative collaborators shaping each experience.
We want these evenings to be memorable, accessible, and financially sustainable, creating reasons for audiences to return while generating meaningful paid opportunities for artists.
Where This Could Lead
Over time, these experiments could help establish regular performance opportunities, new cultural enterprises, and even a permanent musical dining club.
The Foundation's role is to encourage these possibilities, connect the right people, and help promising ideas develop into independent, sustainable ventures.