Barre is raised College plans new dance center

In its continuing move to transform the South Loop into a centerfor higher education and the arts, Columbia College Chicago hasunveiled plans for a new state-of-the-art dance facility at 1306 S.Michigan.

The new Dance Center of Columbia College will be housed in a33,000-square-foot Art Deco-style building formerly owned by thecity. It was purchased for $1.35 million. Columbia will spend $2.8million more for its conversion, which is under way.

Since 1977, students taking dance classes at Columbia have beenrequired to trek between the South Loop campus and the school's DanceCenter at 4730 N. Sheridan.

Next fall this will all change.

"One of my goals has been to bring the Dance Center to the SouthLoop," said Columbia President John Duff, who will retire nextsummer. "Now this growing department and its students will be able toparticipate more closely in the life of the college."

As ideas for new educational and artistic sites continue to sproutin the South Loop - another recent development is Lewis Manilow'sproposal to turn the old Continental Trailways depot at Roosevelt andWabash into a complex of art galleries - a corridor of culturalactivity will stretch from the Museum Campus to the commercialtheater district in the North Loop.

The new Dance Center will be a strong addition to the theatersthat already house dance activities in the area, including the HaroldWashington Library Theatre, the Merle Reskin Theatre (used primarilyby the Theatre School of DePaul University) and the AuditoriumTheatre, which is home to larger companies, including the JoffreyBallet of Chicago and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

The Center is a major presenter of contemporary dance events, aswell as headquarters for the school's dance department. It wasfounded in 1968 by Shirley Mordine and is nationally known for itsinnovative programming, which combines dance training with exposureto working artists.

"We hope to reinvent the Center in the South Loop," said BonnieBrooks, newly appointed head of the dance department. "The goal isto bring dance into people's lives in new ways and become a livelyresource for dance."

The new three-story facility will provide twice the space of theCenter's current home, which will be sold.

When completed, it will house a 275-seat black box performancespace with stadium seating, as well as seven studios and additionalclassroom, rehearsal, student lounge and office space. Work isexpected to be finished by the fall 1999.

Columbia's dance department has 130 students and also draws manyprofessional dancers and others to its classes in contemporary, jazz,tap, ballet and African dance.