About the Center
The Deeply Rooted Center for Black Dance and Creative Communities (formerly named the South Side Dance Center) will transform a vacant property in the Washington Park State Street Corridor into a premier training and presenting space that will serve as an international home for Black dance and a thriving network of dance partners.
The Deeply Rooted Dance Center’s state-of-the-art space will include six dance studios, a black box theater performance and rehearsal space, a costume and set design shop, offices, meeting rooms, a library and resource center, and green spaces for community gatherings, including a rooftop garden.
“The Center will respond to the need for artists to have a space in which they can see themselves authentically and connect intergenerationally to the shared experiences of others within the dance community—locally, nationally, and globally.”
A Community Connection
The Deeply Rooted Dance Center will:
Serve as an international cultural destination and intergenerational community hub
Expand opportunities for artists and access to arts experiences on the South Side
Increase jobs, foot traffic, spending, and businesses in Washington Park
Develop young people for careers in the arts and beyond
Grow programs, revenue, and audiences for South Side-based dance and community organizations
Provide the permanent home of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater
House other arts organizations for decades to come
Invest in the economic revitalization of the Washington Park State Street Corridor
Contribute more than $1.2 million annually in additional revenue to Chicago’s entertainment and tourism sectors
