Dance Spaces
1306 S. Michigan Ave.
Columbia’s Dance Department has plenty of space for you to move—including a professional theater. We also have a dedicated sound and technology lab so you can create your own work.
Our building houses a buzzing dance community. In addition to studio space, we have a sound lab, locker rooms, and student lounges where you’ll hang out with your fellow dancers. And, we’re home to the Dance Center, one of the city’s leading professional dance theaters, where companies from around the world perform and workshop with students. It’s not unusual to see a professional choreographer, a faculty member, and a group of students stretching together in the halls.
The Dance Center Stage
The hub of the Dance Department is the professional stage where the Dance Center presents companies from around the world each year. All of our students also take courses, do workshops, and perform in this state-of-the-art space. It’s a 268-seat theater with full projection capabilities, LED lighting systems, and excellent sound. There’s not a bad seat in the house—and you’ll have access to discounted tickets year-round.
Studios
All eight of our studios are used for classes, but they’re also offered through reservation so you can rehearse and create your own work. We use professional musician accompanists in our classes—think live piano and drums—but many of our studios are also outfitted with a computer and sound board so you can bring in your own music. Our biggest space has a light grid as well. Most of the studios have large windows that bring in tons of natural light, and they all have sprung wood flooring with marley. Our smallest studio—Studio 102—has a wood floor and is primarily used for yoga and rehearsals.
Sound Lab
We have nine computer stations with all the software you’ll need (like the Adobe Creative Suite and Premiere Pro, Reaper, Qlab, Isadora, and Final Cut) to create videos of your work and your own soundscapes. You’ll also have access to equipment like computers, cameras, and audio recorders. Our Screen Dance Sound Design course uses our Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI), which gives students access to software and storage from their own laptop.