DC Wheel Productions, Inc. / Dance Place was founded by Carla Perlo and Steve Bloom as an educational and performing arts company, which toured the public schools in the Greater DC Metropolitan area.
Our Mission
Rooted in the United States capital, Washington D.C., Dance Place supports movement artists by creating opportunities for creative development, performance, and education. By investing deeply in artists and centering those who have been systemically excluded from such opportunities, we strengthen the dance field.
Dance Place is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization (federal tax ID# 52-1118504).
Dance Place accomplishes its mission by:
Supporting the creation and development of new dance work by artists and companies from the Washington, DC area and around the United States.
Presenting dance performances by artists and companies from the Washington, DC area, from around the United States, and from around the world of a variety of dance genres in our theater, online, and in locations throughout the D.C. metro area;
Providing opportunities for youth and adult dancers to engage in a wide range of dance classes in our dance school;
Serving our city and the arts community therein, through inclusive ticketing options, scholarships to our educational programs, broad access to programs both on our campus and throughout the city, and civic participation in advocacy, local government, and neighborhood growth.
Our Values
Movement
Dance Place embraces the multitude of ways the human body can communicate. We value how dance unlocks expressive opportunities, connects people to one another, and touches upon the human experience. We believe that physical movement has immense potential to spark socio political movement, building community and advancing social justice work.
Gathering
Dance Place upholds the importance and power inherent in the shared experience of creating and witnessing live performance. We value the unparalleled significance of gathering for the practice of dance, at all levels of expertise and in a myriad of movement styles.
Diversity
Uniquely situated in our nation’s capital, Dance Place’s programming reflects the breadth of identities that make up our community, our city, and our world, so that anyone who comes to our programs might see themselves reflected on stage or in the studio – regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexuality, socio-economic background, physical or mental ability. All are welcome.
Collaboration
Dance Place appreciates that our success is only possible in relationship to the individuals and communities we serve: artists, audiences, students, families, neighbors, funders, volunteers, staff and colleagues in the field of dance. We value how working together we are able to create more than we could when working alone.
Artists
Dance Place recognizes that artists play a critical role in the world as agents of change, interrogators of systems, disruptors of the status quo, and creators of beauty, innovation and provocation. To that end we invest in artists at every stage of their careers and every stage of the creative process.
Lifelong Learning
Dance Place understands that learning happens within and without institutions, in structured curriculum and in improvisation, with careful planning and quick responsiveness, at any age, at any moment. Utilizing a variety of approaches to learning, Dance Place centers the importance of listening, while balancing rigor and joy. We value that listening and learning foster leadership.
*Values Statement as of 7/31/20
Our History
Dance Place has been heralded as the “hub of dance activity in Washington, DC” (Alan Kriegsman, The Washington Post).
1978
1980
DC Wheel Productions, Inc. established a studio and theater under the name Dance Place in Adams Morgan and has been doing business under that name ever since.
1986
Dance Place purchased its permanent home in Brookland / Edgewood, converting an abandoned warehouse into a thriving community cultural center.
2016
The building underwent major renovations and expansion as part of the organization’s Moving Forward capital campaign. The final stage of our Arts Campus was completed in 2016, the 8th St Arts Park, which converted the asphalt alley between our building and the adjacent Brookland Artspace Lofts into a vibrant public space. Today, our campus includes three training and rehearsal studios, a 144-seat theater, two offices, a children’s center, the 8th St Arts Park and housing for artists and interns.
2017
For decades, Dance Place thrived under the leadership of Founding Director Carla Perlo and Co-Director Deborah Riley. In 2017, Christopher K. Morgan succeeded Carla and Deborah as the new Executive Artistic Director, propelling Dance Place into a promising new stage. Dance Place was awarded the DC Mayor’s Arts Award for “Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education” and “Excellence in Service to the Arts.” The Kresge Foundation also profiled Dance Place as a leading example of best practices in creative placemaking.
2022
Sustaining robust virtual and hybrid programming through the global pandemic, Christopher and team continued to expand programs and reach throughout the district and increased national attention for Dance Place and prioritized direct support for artists. In August 2022, Dance Place named veteran arts administrator André Mazelin as Executive Director to lead and strengthen the nonprofit organization. Following the pandemic, Dance Place embarked on the long road to recovery; focusing on financial sustainability, renewed venue operations, and rebuilding long standing relationships.
Performance Weekends
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Artists Served
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Dollars in Scholarships
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Data from Dance Place’s 2021-2022 Season annual report.
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