Theater & Dance

CityDance announces plans to transform D.C. school site

By Rebecca Ritzel May 10, 2015

AtitsDreamscapeGalaonSaturdaynight,CityDanceofficiallyannouncedthatthegroupwillhelpturntheformer
Grimkeelementaryschool,at1923VermontAve.NW,intoanewUStreetculturalhub,withCityDance,theAfrican
AmericanCivilWarMuseum,StepAfrika!andImaginationStageasthemaintenants.
AlexeNowakowski,CityDancesexecutivedirector,broughtatrioofdancersdressedinmatchingredbolerojackets
andparachutepantstothestagetodemonstratetheneedfornewdancestudios.Theyoungwomenbegandancing
throughCityDanceafterschoolprogramsattheirelementaryschoolsbutfounditdifficulttocontinuedancingonce
theyadvancedtomiddleschool.
Theyhavebigdreams,andtheirdreamsinspiredustodreambig,Nowakowskisaid.
CityDance,whichisbasedatStrathmorebutoffersclassesinTenleytownandatsixcityschools,beganlookingfor
anurbanspaceofitsowntwoyearsago.WhenthegrouplearnedthatthecitywasseekingproposalsfortheGrimke
building,CityDanceinvitedStepAfrika!,acitybasedprofessionaldancetroupe,andImaginationStage,aBethesda
childrenstheater,tosharethespace.Thegroupalsocourteddeveloperswhomightbeinterestedinbuilding
housingunitstocreateamixedusecomplex.
AllproposalsforthepropertieshadtoincorporatetheAfricanAmericanCivilWarMuseum,aneasyalliancefor
CityDance,whichistemporarilyholdingSaturdayclassesfor47middleschoolstudentsinthemuseumsVermont
Avenuespace.InDecember,theprojectwasawardedtoCityDanceanditsdevelopmentteam:Roadside
DevelopmentandSorgArchitects.Lessthanamonthlater,however,newD.C.MayorMurielE.Bowser(D)flagged
Grimkeasoneoffive11thhourdevelopmentcontractsapprovedbyherpredecessor,MayorVincentC.Gray(D),
thatshewantedherstafftoreview.
AproposalfortheformerFranklinSchool,onKStreetNW,waspulledback.ButastheWashingtonCityPaper
reportedlastmonth,theGrimkeprojectwillgothrough,with13outof42housingunitsbeingdesignated
affordable.

ThetargetopeningdatefortheGrimkeschoolspaceis2017,Nowakowskisaid.Thefinishedprojectwillinclude
13,000squarefeetforthemuseum,aswellasofficespace,classrooms,dancestudiosandablackboxtheatertobe
usedbyCityDance,StepAfrika!andImaginationStage.Nodollarfigurefortheprojectisavailable,arepresentative
ofRoadsideDevelopmentsaid.CityDanceplanstolaunchacapitalcampaignthissummerandhasalreadyreceived
a$500,000grantfromtheBarbaraEpsteinFoundationtosupporttheexpansion.
Anearlierversionofthisstorygavethewrongnumberofsquarefeetfortheproject.Thisstoryhasbeen
corrected.
Ritzelisafreelancewriter.