The light.
It’s the first thing that strikes you as you walk into Cincinnati Ballet’s new $30.8 million home. Not lighting fixtures. Or lighting effects.
This is the real thing – natural light that cascades through nearly every space in the building. Towering windows dominate the dance studios. Most of the offices, too, and even the wardrobe department, which had been buried away in subterranean spaces – former beer tunnels – in the company’s former home on Central Parkway.
[ Dance on through more of David Lyman's recent arts coverage HERE ]
“I really had no idea what to expect,” said Margaret Valentine, who, along with her husband Michael, contributed a whopping $10 million to make this building – the Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance – a reality. “GBBN – the architects – really created a facility that matches the vision of the ballet; the energy and elation of what the building represents. And the light ..." As many times as she has visited the building, she still finds it difficult to find the words to adequately describe the impact of the light. “It really is inspiring.”
The center officially opens its doors to the public during a grand opening weekend Sept. 17-19. In reality, though, the first studios were put into service in late June, in time for intensive summer sessions for dozens of students from around the nation.
“To be able to pull that off was pretty miraculous,” said company president and CEO Scott Altman. “We were fortunate in a lot of ways.”
But this was no miracle. This is precisely the way Altman, along with GBBN and Messer Construction, planned it. It was, to be sure, an ambitious project. I remember being skeptical when, on a sodden February morning just 19 months ago, Altman told the crowd that had gathered that the building would be ready to welcome students in June 2021. It seemed so unrealistic.
But then, Altman has spearheaded huge construction projects during previous tenures at Ballet West and Arizona Opera. Clearly, he knew what was ahead of him with this project.
“This new Ballet Center is a dream,” said Altman. “But it really was a necessity. We were bursting at the seams in our old building. We had simply outgrown the facility. We were a victim of our own success.”
The new complex weighs in at 57,000 square feet – 60% larger than on Central Parkway. And at first walk-through, it seems that they have put that space to remarkably good use. There are nine dance studios, enough to accommodate the main company, Second Company and all levels of the Otto M. Budig Academy. One of the studios is even equipped with a “mobility lift system,” which enables a new level of mobility to students with a variety of physical disabilities.
Aside from all the things you might expect – generously sized dressing rooms, public lounges, break rooms for company members, a 140-seat performance space – the facility has its own recording studio. And a dedicated board room, something they’ve never had before.
“And we have state-of-the-art security,” said Altman, though he declined to talk about any of the specifics of the system.
Even the sinewy white air ducts that snake their way through the studios look as if they’d been shaped by choreographers rather than engineers. Unlike many arts groups, who have had to repurpose existing spaces to meet their needs, this is a purpose-built facility. Everything in it is somehow defined by dance.
Initially, there was some doubt about whether the company might remain near the heart of the city. Space is pricey down there, particularly in the area near the ballet’s former home. Remember, it was the construction of FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium and nearby development that forced the ballet to relocate.
But after looking at dozens of locations – mostly within the I-275 ring – the company found what seemed to be a forgotten sliver of land at 1801 Gilbert Ave., next to the Baldwin Building and just down the hill from the Cincinnati Art Museum.
This location was another thing that particularly appealed to the Valentines.
“It creates an arts corridor on Gilbert Avenue,” said Valentine, noting that not only are the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Playhouse in the Park close neighbors, but so, too, are the Planet Dance studio (home of Exhale Dance Tribe) and ArtsWave. “This location serves the community and allows people from the surrounding areas to participate in the arts – they didn’t build in Blue Ash.”
The result really is quite glorious. From some studios, you look out onto a wall-to-wall expanse of trees in Eden Park. In other studios, there is a postcard-perfect cityscape. In others, you look out to Mount Auburn and the WKRC-TV tower above the bustle of I-71.
“We’re dancers – we love to complain,” said company dancer and choreographer Taylor Carrasco, preparing for a rehearsal in the Two Sisters studio. “But this place,” he said, his arms sweeping to describe the expanse of the studio. “I'm thankful for this place. I think we all are. It’s super-inspiring. I’m looking forward to many years of making great dance here.”
Grand opening schedule:
At Cincinnati Ballet's Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance, 1801 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills.
Ribbon Cutting
- 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Sept. 15
Community Block Party
Performance Plaza Dedication
Academy Open House
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