Dance Loft on 14/MOVEIUS Contemporary Ballet

As the only major performing arts center (and soon-to-be green arts campus) in Ward 4, Dance Loft incubates, presents, and provides space for local artists while offering youth and adults affordable dance lessons. Dancers in its professional ballet company are paid a living wage, performing socially conscious and critically acclaimed choreography. Artists rent subsidized rehearsal space at accessible hours, a rare find in today’s market. Public school students, who otherwise lack access to quality arts education in their neighborhoods, participate in bilingual world dance lessons and take free field trips to view professional performances. Semesters culminate in a fun, community-oriented showcase for these younger students and performance opportunities for adult dance students. Community members drive Dance Loft's work, funding a new, permanent space for artists and, simultaneously, much-needed affordable housing for neighbors -- the power of art and social change intertwined.