The University of Iowa Department of Dance has moved into a newly renovated, modern home that provides faculty, staff, and students with updated spaces that inspire learning and collaboration with each other and other performing and visual arts programs along the west side of the Iowa River.

The renovation, completed this summer, was funded entirely through the university’s P3 program. The project also gives new life to the university’s former museum of art building, which had been damaged by the flood of 2008.

“This represents a brand new era for us,” says Jennifer Kayle, department executive officer and professor in the Department of Dance. “We want to build on our legacy and honor our past — including the building that served us for over 100 years — but this really does represent a new phase. Our building is a world-class, updated facility. I think everyone is going to be just so impressed with the design. It’s a new jewel in the crown of the University of Iowa.”

Dance programs previously were located in Halsey Hall, an aging building on Jefferson Street originally built as a women’s gymnasium. The move marks the latest chapter in a program with more than a century of history at Iowa.

The Department of Dance evolved from the Department of Physical Education, which was established in 1924 and led by Elizabeth Halsey. In the 1970s, dance faculty members helped develop dance curriculum, leading to the Bachelor of Arts in Dance degree in 1976. The Department of Dance was formally established in 1988 and offers BA, BFA, and MFA degrees.

While Halsey Hall served the Department of Dance over the course of that history, Kayle says the new dance building provides an upgraded teaching and learning environment better suited to helping students meet their goals.

The move also brings the department under one roof, including digital arts spaces and programming that has been located on the west side of the Iowa River. 

“We’ve been across the river from our own program in a lot of ways,” Kayle says. “Now, we have everything under one roof: digital arts classrooms, the motion capture studio, five studios, and an office suite. Each studio is an appropriate size and has better functionality, with an upgraded sound system and video projection.”

Kayle adds that one of the studios has a wood floor, something dance faculty and staff have not had for rehearsals and classes in decades. The wood floor is more appropriate for different dance styles, including hip-hop and street dance, which is a new aspect of the curriculum. 

While the Department of Dance will continue to use Space Place Theater in North Hall, Kayle says the new building also has an informal performance space with audience seating where students and faculty can share their work with community members. 

Students also have dedicated space to gather, do homework, eat lunch, or talk with their friends, something that Halsey Hall lacked. 

Andre Perry, the UI’s assistant provost for arts and creativity and executive director of Hancher Auditorium and the UI’s Office of Performing Arts and Engagement, says the move is part of the continued growth of Iowa’s creative campus.

 “The Department of Dance’s proximity to the School of Art, Art History, and Design; Department of Theatre Arts; and Hancher Auditorium affirms the arrival of an arts neighborhood on campus,” Perry says. “The opportunities for learning, collaborating, and building community are abundant.”

Kayle says she hopes the new space continues to build on the national reputation the Department of Dance has established, with high MFA placement rates in the profession and academia, where MFA alumni are teaching the next generation of dancers at more than 30 universities across the country. The UI’s program also is the only comprehensive university dance program in the state.

“What this building represents is both a huge commitment from the university to our students and faculty, and an inspiring space ready for our whole community — beginners, experts, observers, and all friends of dance,” Kayle says. “I really hope that the beauty and functionality of the building draw more people to the program, whether it’s prospective students, community members, or prestigious guest artists. I’m so grateful for the support from our partners and University of Iowa leadership on this project. They are investing in us, and they believe in us based on our past performance. We plan to build on that.”