Dance Alive plans to purchase land for new facility that will add to area’s cultural arts landscape
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dance Alive National Ballet hopes to purchase a 5.5-acre parcel of land in northwest Gainesville that will eventually be the home of a new building with three dance studios, three music studios, an art gallery, a black box theater for rehearsals and rentals, and all the other miscellaneous spaces needed by a performing arts group.
Dance Alive, which makes its home in Gainesville, is the only professional ballet company in North Central Florida and has been a fixture in the world of performing arts for over 50 years. The Company has been sharing space with Pofahl Studios but has outgrown the space, and they will soon be raising money and applying for grants to build a 22,000-square-foot facility that will add to the cultural landscape of North Central Florida.
Dance Alive comprises an international roster of award-winning professional dancers who have full-time contracts and live in the local community; these dancers perform locally, nationally, and internationally and also teach at the resident school. The Company has toured 17 states, Costa Rica, Brazil, Cuba, and Russia, and it is the only arts organization in Florida to be on the State Touring Roster for 40 consecutive years. Dance Alive presents four annual mainstage productions at the Curtis M. Phillips Center, including The Nutcracker. The Company also has an outreach program for students in Alachua and Marion counties and programs to benefit veterans and persons with disabilities.
The proposed new building will include spaces for dance instruction, music instruction, rehearsals, and performances; it will also feature a physical therapy room, a kitchen, a laundry room, storage rooms, dressing rooms, and administrative offices. A large green space behind the building will be available for plein air painting, yoga and meditation classes, and other outdoor events.
Dance Alive National Ballet co-founders Kim Tuttle and Judy Skinner will continue to serve as Artistic and Administrative Directors during the transition to the new facility. Tuttle told Alachua Chronicle, “The arts are in us from childhood and as we grow, they make us better people, filled with humanity. A home for the arts celebrates this, with strength and love.”
I initially see this development as a great example of private enterprise and the arts sector contributing to the local economy. Dance Alive National Ballet’s plan to purchase a 5.5-acre parcel of land in northwest Gainesville to build a new facility is a testament to the power of capitalism and the free market. The organization’s growth over the past 50 years, its international roster of award-winning professional dancers, and its outreach programs are all commendable.
However, as I delve deeper into the matter, I start to question the role of government in this scenario. The company will be raising money and applying for grants to build this 22,000-square-foot facility. This raises the question of whether taxpayer money should be used to fund such endeavors. While I understand the importance of arts and culture in society, I believe that private funding should be the primary source of financing for such projects.
As I ponder further, I start to question the very structure of our society. Why should we rely on government grants or private funding at all? Why can’t we, as a community, come together to support the arts and culture that we value? Why do we need these hierarchical structures to dictate how resources are allocated?
In the end, I believe the Dance Alive National Ballet’s new facility could be a community project, built and maintained by the people who appreciate and benefit from its existence. This way, we can ensure that the cultural arts landscape truly reflects the desires and needs of the community, rather than the dictates of government or the whims of the market.
The public sector partners with the private sector in many ways already. It’s no different than a contractor building a new school, trimming trees away from power lines, trash pickup — or helping fund a new stadium, arena, concert hall, etc. As long as it benefits and is open toe public, paying for tickets or not.
Way to go Dance Alive! I’d rather see this than another sports venue.
Yeah, yeah, it’d be great if private interests fund this, but who cares. The city is going to either spend the money on this or on Grace Marketplace and funneling money to D’yanni whats-her-name. Might as well get something nice out of it before everything comes crashing down.
How do one get in contact to apply,??.My Email
mmilligan821@gmail.com
I’m sure there is plenty of property in east Gainesville. Probably cheaper too. Why not look there?
the land alone will cost more than the profals propertys value
Amazing! You two just keep on giving back to this community. A legacy!