Thesis forDance Centre

Dance is a creative physical activity that links art

and sport. It possesses the capabilities to stretch

our imagination and our bodies contributing to

the health of individuals and communities.

It is becoming one of the fastest growing art

forms in the Caribbean, especially in Jamaica. It

showcases body movement and focuses on

precision, time and coordination. Therefore, it is

an art form which requires discipline and

attention to detail. It entails many benefits to

different age groups, especially young children.

“Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.” Havelock Ellis

“I want us to sensitise the Jamaican and Caribbean people to the other components of dance, to develop more writers and teachers, to develop dance education.” Nicholeen DeGrasse-Johnson, Director of School of Dance, Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts.

Studio 1, Edna Manley School of DanceKingston, JamaicaPhoto Courtesy of Author

Studio 1, Edna Manley School of DanceKingston, JamaicaPhoto Courtesy of Author

NAITA CHMABERLAIN

“We need to start looking at art as a major part of educating our children. Dance is what we see a lot of, but not the one that we spend a lot of our time on. But it can be a major part of how we educate our children.” Nicholeen DeGrasse-Johnson, Director of School of Dance, Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts.

BENEFITS OF DANCE

Physical and Mental:

Coordination, agility and flexibility

Improvement in balance and spatial

awareness

Physical confidence and mental

functioning

Stronger heart, lungs, muscles and bones

Personal and Social

Improvement in psychological well-being

of people especially children

Greater self-confidence and self-esteem

Better social skills

Educational

Dance plays a role in changing attitudes

towards teenage pregnancy, drug and

alcohol abuse.

Dance is not a single commodity, but a collaborative activity,

engaging music, design and visual arts into a complete package. It’s

about taking risks and engaging new ways to communicate with

audience and participants.

Today, dancers continue to work in traditional spaces, but more

and more, they are finding new and unexpected spaces in which to

perform their work, animated public space and built environment.

There are still many parts of the country that lack adequate dance facilities especially in low-income

communities. The primary objective is to help make dance more accessible not only to the all people

With a growing demand for managers, teachers and leaders in dance companies, the centre can provide the

skills and long term employment for the residents of the communities.

It is a way of developing young dancers and ensuring that their talent will receive the best opportunities to

realise their potential.

The infrastructure of the centre will encourage more imaginative initiatives that will enable dance to connect

with audience and the people, including live work in both traditional and non traditional spaces or work

distributed digitally.

NDTCKingston, JamaicaPhoto Courtesy of NDTC

2

From the interview with Michael Holgate, artistic director of Ashe, he has worked with many children from inner

city communities. He states that the community is an integration of many factors which can contribute to the

development of children.

CHILDREN

PARENTS

ENVIRONMENT

TEACHERS

PEERS (FRIENDS)

The group has conducted summer workshops for one month with children for self

development, physical endurance and improvement in self-esteem. The workshops are

conducted in three stages:

FIRST WEEK: THEY CONDUCT EVALUATIONS WITH THE CHILDREN TO SORT THEM OUT INTO THREE GROUPS: BEGINEERS, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED BASED ON THEIR PERFORMANCE

SECOND WEEK: THEY HAVE DANCE CLASSES WITH THE THREE GROUPS AND THEY FOCUS ON THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT. DURING THAT WEEK, EACH GROUP IS REQUIRED TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND PRODUCE A DANCE BASED ON ANY SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENT ISSUE AFFECTING THEIR COMMUNITY

THIRD WEEK: THEY CONDUCT THE FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR THE FINAL PERFORMANCE, WHERE THEY INVITE THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OTHER DISTINGUISHED GUESTS FROM DIFFERENT DANCE OR CULTURAL GROUPS

In addition to the children, the group has also work with their parents, peers and teachers to

complete their cycle of self development without negative interference. POSITIVE INFLUENCE

ON CHILDREN

TRAINING WITH

PARENTS

TRAINING WITH

FRIENDS

TRAINING WITH

TEACHERS 3

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE BUILDING:

There are three basic divisions in the centre due to

the nature of different activities, type of spaces

required & equipment within each division:

The possible spatial connection between the education and performance

divisions is with a dance school yard for security, circulation of equipment to

stage and enjoyment for the public as well as the students.

DANCE CENTRE

SERVICE DIVISION

(20%)

PERFORMANCE DIVISION

(30 %)

EDUCATION DIVISION

(50%)

Education Division: Dance studios, Pilates clinic, classrooms, library/resource room, archives room,

administrative offices (full-time), faculty lounge (small kitchenette and sick bay), lecture theatre, meeting room, dancers’ lounge ,scene shop, costume shop,

changing rooms

Performance Division: Lobby area (ticket office, public restrooms, exhibition space/gallery), cafe/bar, stage, auditorium, dressing rooms (with make-up stations,

lockers, showers and washrooms)

Service Division: Maintenance rooms, mechanical rooms (lighting, sound and recording), storage

(wardrobe, audio equipment), service corridors.

PRECEDENTS

Zagreb Dance Centre

Architect: 3LHD

Location: Zagreb, Croatia

Site Area: 1360 sq. m.

Floor Area: 1438 sq. m.

The volume and its broken also form suggest dance movement

The architects converted a cinema in Zagreb, Croatia, into a dance centre.

accommodate around 40 local dance troops.

Includes the following:

a large studio and performance space

two smaller practice studios

dressing rooms

bathrooms

storage and offices

7

6

4 8

8

13

13

2

10

9 11

5

3

Entrance Court

Main Entrance - 1

Entrance Lobby - 2

Theatre/ Studio 1 - 4

Dressing Rooms - 8

Cafe - 9

Tickets - 10

Studio - 6Visitors Restrooms -11

Storage

3,5 & 7

Service Corridor - 13

Zagreb Dance Centre - Ground Floor

Dance StudioPhoto Courtesy of Dezeen.com

Entrance lobbyPhoto Courtesy of Dezeen.com

Theatre/StudioPhoto Courtesy of Dezeen.com

Green Roof

7 6

8

10

2

3

1

5 4

Zagreb Dance Centre - First Floor

Entrance lobbyPhoto Courtesy of Dezeen.com

Green RoofPhoto Courtesy of Dezeen.com

Lobby- 1

Gallery- 2

Media Library- 3

Hall- 4

Theatre/Studio 1 - 7

Studio 2 – 6

Office – 8

Sanitary Facilities- 5

Exit- 10

PRECEDENTS

The Bridge Arts Centre

Architect: Gareth Hoskins Architects

Location: Easterhouse, Glasgow

.

The Bridge Arts Centre nestles between the existing community swimming pool and the John Wheatley

College, to form Easterhouse Cultural Campus, and provides a naturally ventilated auditorium space,

rehearsal workshops, recording suites, education and gallery spaces, café and community library.

uses the bridge/ramp as the organizing link to the project and also see the spatial quality of

the auditorium space

General student lobby linked to major dance studioPhoto Courtesy of www.garethhoskinsarchitects.co.uk

12Design Brief – Nettleford Dance Centre - Design Studio M.Arch 2

The Bridge Cafe Bar is situated at the heart of The Bridge. With an open plan foyer space and lots of light, the cafe bar is a bright airy space for coffee, lunch or a pre-theatre drink.

The Daniel Performing and Visual Arts Centre, Simon's

Rock College of Bard

Architect: Ann Beha Architects

Location: Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Floor Area: 4923 sq. m. (53,000-sq.ft. )

Garden Court stage door to Mainstage Theater

The contemporary two-building complex establishes a new gateway to the bucolic campus.The complex has a performing arts wing and a visual arts wing linked by a double-height lobby encased in fully glazed walls. The entry court sits between the wood clad studio theatre and the translucent dance studio. The upper level lobby offers a panoramic view of the arts courtyard, the hills, and a view into the studio theatre and dance studio.

The lobby, including a bridge to the gathering area below, unites and intentionally blurs the distinction between the theatres, dance spaces, and art studios, and also between performers, audience, and staff to further the school’s interdisciplinary approach to education.

Outside ramp leading to studioPhoto Courtesy of www.garethhoskinsarchitects.co.uk

Design Brief – Nettleford Dance Centre - Design Studio M.Arch 2 13

PRECEDENTS

Dance Space, Dundee, East Scotland

Scottish Dance Theatre - Studios, Scotland

Architect: Nicoll Russell Studios

Location: Scotland

Floor Area: 2295 m2

.

The Client's brief, although complex, was rationalised into 4 distinct parts: (i) three dance studios, (ii) auditorium, (iii) support accommodation and (iv) public foyer and student 'buzz' area.

The entrance to the building presents itself to the main gate thus allowing early identification and clarity of approach.

The auditorium is separated from the dance studios and seminar rooms by the circulation 'artery' which leads from the main entrance, placed on the approach axis from the main gate, through the public foyer into the double volume student ' buzz area'.

The 'buzz area' is seen as the 'core' of the school and is so called as it reflects the energy and activity generated in this area between events and classes.

Its form and top lit double volume promotes interaction and, in an informal manner, is the focus for spontaneous events or performances.

They conduct monthly workshops geared

towards empowering youths, their parents

and community leaders to live a healthy

lifestyle and create a healthy environment

within their communities.

Benefits: Self-empowerment, self-confidence

and physical endurance

Workshops conducted in three stages:

LOCAL PRECEDENT "T

he y

outh

ther

efor

e m

ake

com

mitm

ents

not

just

for p

erso

nal h

ealth

and

lifes

tyle

but

also

for t

he c

omm

unity

, the

ir fa

milie

s, th

e co

mm

unity

, the

cou

ntry

and

the

wor

ld."

- Mic

hael

Hol

gate

, arti

stic

dire

ctor

, writ

er a

nd w

orks

hop

train

er/f

aci

lita

tor

of A

SHE

INTERNATIONAL PRECEDENTS

Ashe conducts workshop with students from Carlton and Wellesley College.

Arts Council England - Dance IncludedAim: explore models of good

practice in dance and social exclusion. The

initiative funded six dance-led

projects that aimed to tackle problems

associated with social exclusion.

The six projects focused on the following

factors:

low educational attainment, poor health,

poverty, crime and unemployment.

Physical Justice (2003-05) - East London Dance

designed and delivered Physical Justice for young

offenders and young people at risk of offending.

Physical Justice aimed to:

- Show how dance can contribute to reducing

re-offending

- Demonstrate how dance can enhance educational

learning

- Prevent young people from becoming engaged in

criminal activity

- Find new methods of teaching, communicating

with, and engaging young people labeled as hard

to reach

- Identify organisational learning outcomes

Third Symphony Men at War led by Dance

United

Program aimed to use the creation of a

dance

performance in a young offender

institution to support the

accreditation of participants in basic

and key skills

The 1.8 weeks program with several other

trainees were involved in other aspects

of dance production such as set

building.

Dance United at HMYOI Wetherby, 2003 – Men at War© Dance United,

People Interviewed:

Marlon Simms- Dance Captain of NDTC

Keita – Marie Chamberlalin – Dancer NDTC

Michael Holgate – Director, Ashe

Nicholeen DeGrasse-Johnson – Director of Edna

Manley School of Dance

Neila Ebanks – Dance Teacher , Edna Manley; Former

Member of NDTC

Rufus – Lighting and Sound Director, Little Theatre

Reference:

Publications from Art Council,England UK (www.artscouncil.org.uk):

Dance and Health: The benefits for people of all ages

Dance Policy: The context for dance and the role we play; our vision for

dance ; our priorities for dance 2007-2011

Six Successful Workshops of 2009

Using the arts and culture to deliver positive activities for young people

Jamaica Gleaner Article:

Dance and the Child Conference coming to Jamaica – Sunday November 16

2008

Excellent start for daCi conference

Tutt, Patricia; Adler David, New Metric Handbook: Planning and Design Data: Chapter-

Theatres, Butterworth Architecture, London pgs 183-193

Arts Education Facilities Planner, Public School of North Carolina, State Board of Education

2000

Places Visited:

Edna Manley School of Performing Arts

Little Theatre

NDTC

performanceorganisation

spaces

box officepublicspace

auditorium

orchestrapit

stage

stage door

managerialspaces

delivery of materialsto workshops(wardrobe & scenery)to the stage

public entry

performers'spaces

sceneryworkshop& storage

wardrobeworkshop& costumestorage

publicspaces

public and school entryoff Heroes Circle & Park

rehearsalstudio

SOCIAL PRECEDENTS: WORKSHOPS