Brooklyn Arts Organization To Open Doors At State-of-the-Art Facility In Gowanus

Dancewave, a Brooklyn-based dance education organization championing accessibility to arts education for all, opens its doors at the New Dancewave Center at 182 4th Avenue in June 2019. After nearly 25 years of groundbreaking work in the dance education field, Dancewave marks this historic event with a Ribbon Cutting ceremony opening the doors of the new Dancewave Center on Friday June 7th, 2019 at 9:00am and a full day of GO (Grand Opening) free community dance classes and live performances for the public on Saturday June 8th, kicking off a month-long celebration.

The complete renovation of the former factory building at 4th Avenue and Degraw Street into a Gold LEED certified building was made possible through generous support from the New York City Council, the Mayor's Office through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), and the Brooklyn Borough President's Office. This allocation is part of a $5.2 million capital campaign led by Dancewave Board Members and Capital Campaign Co-Chairs Grace Freedman and Sabrina LeBlanc.

"On behalf of the entire Dancewave organization, I am honored to welcome the public to the opening of the New Dancewave Center. The new building, a milestone in our history, expands Dancewave's ability to reach more members of our community; offering the public a diverse array of classes, workshops, lectures, performances and a multitude of events for Brooklyn and all New York City residents. It is wonderful to see what was once a dream realized today in this building, and feel the momentous excitement of what's to come next," said Dancewave ED/AD and Founder, Diane Jacobowitz.

Council Member Steve Levin said, "As the New York City Council Member of the 33rd District, I'm so proud to see Dancewave expand their current footprint and be able to provide services to more students and young people in New York City than ever before at their new location. Access to the Arts is imperative in fostering our children's minds, bodies, and souls. Dancewave has continued to change lives at their center on 4th avenue and in public schools throughout New York City and I have no doubt that they will continue this positive impact as they more than triple their capacity. I am thrilled to play a part in this growth and look forward to working with Dancewave for years to come."

The new 3,600 square feet Dancewave Center triples Dancewave's current size, expanding the nonprofit's ability to fulfill its vision to use dance as a vehicle for personal transformation and to empower youth to become individuals who contribute to the fabric of their communities. The design, developed by award-winning architect Wendy Evans Joseph from Studio Joseph, converted the industrial space into a gold LEED-certified arts facility, complete with two dance studios that open to a performance space with capacity for 100 occupants. The expanded center is a flexible space that can accommodate classes, rehearsals, and performances, bringing a dynamic cultural anchor to the Gowanus neighborhood.

The expansion into the New Dancewave Center at 182 4th Avenue allows Dancewave's programs to continue to grow and further their impact. Dancewave brings dance residencies into public schools, offers dance classes and a community dance experience for all ages and abilities, and creates opportunities for young people to learn and perform the work of world-renowned choreographers through pre-professional companies and ensembles. Dancewave's inclusive training programs focus on the development of essential skills to help build leadership and citizenry. Grounded in the belief that dance education changes lives, Dancewave serves more than 5,000 New York City youth in all five boroughs.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams said, "Dancewave has long been a treasured cultural institution in our borough, expanding access to the arts for so many children and families. The new Dancewave Center provides a proper, state-of-the-art home for this treasure, supporting the nonprofit's mission to develop the full personhood of our youth through the power of dance. It has been a goal of my administration to advance dance in Brooklyn, and without a doubt the capital investment we were able to make into the creation of this new center is a major part of that effort."

On Saturday, June 8th, 2019 at the New Dancewave Center, Dancewave will be hosting GO! the Grand Opening of the New Dancewave Center from 12:00-7:00pm. The celebratory event is open to the public. The day's activities will include tours of the new facility, performances, free classes for all ages, contests, giveaways, and more.

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