Mission

The mission of Dance Place is to transform lives through performing arts and creative education programs that inspire personal growth, professional success, physical wellness and community engagement. Through truly affordable and free programs, Dance Place serves diverse audiences, artists, students, families, adults and children in the greater DC Metropolitan area.

Dance Place provides performance and training opportunities for emerging, mid-career and established performing artists primarily from the Mid-Atlantic and West Coast of the United States. Dance Place engages in community building and revitalization through partnerships with schools and other community-based organizations.

Dance Place maintains its permanent arts center in the Brookland neighborhood in Northeast DC, which is the home base for its presentations, dance school and youth program offerings.

Who We Are

Dance Place is:

A Dance Presenter — A Dance School — A Provider of Youth Programs

Since 1980, DC Wheel Productions, Inc. has developed its facility, Dance Place, into one of the nation's premier community arts centers. Viewed as a theater, school and community resource, and fueled by a passion for and expertise in dance, Dance Place is recognized for its leadership role and model programs in the national and local arenas. These programs aim to expand the field of dance, nurture leadership for the future and strengthen community partnerships. With ownership of our building, development of a broad reach of artistic and educational programs, leadership for community revitalization and youth outreach, Dance Place has enhanced the reach of our national presence and strengthened our connections to DC and our local Brookland neighborhood.

In particular, Dance Place has played an unprecedented role in the development of the local dance community and in the creation of a model program for at-risk youth. Crucial to the organization's mission is a commitment to serving the rich cultural diversity of our nation, city and immediate neighborhood through a wide variety of affordable and free programs.

Dance Presenter
Our reputation has been built through the public's appreciation for our work in providing a consistently engaging performance series since 1980. All other educational and leadership activities of the organization stem from this grounding in arts training. It is the springboard from which we dive into community partnerships, outreach programs, neighborhood revitalization, youth development and even computer training. This firm belief in the ability of the arts to heal, inspire, find creative solutions, generate discipline, enhance appreciation of diversity and facilitate understanding of others serves as the motivation to pursue educational opportunities through our school and develop the human resource capacity necessary to be a community resource.

Dance School
Our unparalleled work in this city since 1980 as a dance presenter, dance training ground and laboratory for experimentation has been realized in the fruition of a healthy and diverse dance community. Dance Place's school is focused on training adults in modern and West African dance and youth in creative movement. With a scholarship program called Work/Study, aspiring adult dancers have the opportunity to receive intensive training at no cost while working as volunteers in the operation of our theater. Internships for college students offer the opportunity to explore a career in dance, through on-the-job training in arts administration, intensive training in dance, career counseling and free housing. Established professional dancers come to Dance Place for continuous training, renewal, professional networking, auditions, and workshops that further their career development.

Provider of Youth Programs
Our core passion and expertise in dance spread leadership, healing arts, guidance and role models through partnerships with individuals and organizations. With programs on-site at Dance Place and off-site in schools, community-based organizations and other nonprofits, we are making a difference in the lives of youth and adults.

The directors and staff members of Dance Place have significant participation with other non-profit organizations sharing guidance, consultation and expertise. There is a constant demand for the leadership developed at Dance Place to help other organizations as they strive for health, stability and creativity. Although much of our expertise is focused on providing the professional arts community with training in the areas of organizational management, performing arts survivor skills, teaching adults and children, career development, and other topics, our expertise is often sought out by non-arts-related organizations. Our demonstrated success in management, staff development, fiscal responsibility, creative programming and leadership of people has proven to be invaluable information for others.

Top photo by Enoch Chan.