It may be a while before the dance world as we used to know it returns, but a shift is happening. The past decade has seen a string of closures of performing arts venues. COVID-19 has claimed some casualties, as well... But it's not all bad news. Local groups are carving out new homes to practice, perform, teach and create fresh works.

—Dance companies in the Twin Cities are finding space to breathe, 9/29/21

Our space offers arts organizations like Ragamala Dance Company the opportunity to collaborate with other members of our community and our south Minneapolis neighborhood. This continues to be a challenging time, and we very much look forward to working together to collaborate and re-engage with our communities.

—Ragamala Dance moving to expanded Center for Performing Arts in Minneapolis, 3/25/21

We’ve been working with [CFPA founder and Executive Director] Jackie Hayes and her team. We spent months developing this before we made it public. It’s been a really good process to figure out how to make best use of two multi-use theater spaces.

—Illusion Theater will have a new home, 12/9/20

…the new home will help Illusion move into the future, creating partnerships with other tenants of CFPA while nurturing art that speaks to the changing times. And about those times: Since CFPA is being built now, adjustments already are being made to ventilation and other specifications to suit it to a post-pandemic future.

—Illusion Theater is goin' south, 12/2/20

CFPA founder and Executive Director Jackie Hayes said the project is badly needed. “Amid a local arts landscape that has seen performance organizations and venues close or reduce operations consistently over the past few years, now more than ever, we saw a critical opportunity for adding additional and different kinds of spaces.”

—Construction begins on Center for Performing Arts expansion, 8/14/20

The current space has about 25 private studios and is occupied by musicians, writers, visual artists, performing-arts companies and massage therapists. Hayes said the additional space will allow for more people and groups to have private spaces in the center. Her long-term goal is to create community ownership of the building by letting artists buy their own space.

—Center for Performing Arts begins expansion, 8/12/20

The expansion comes as Hayes’ 24-year-old performing arts center is reaching capacity and several other local performance spaces and arts organizations—including Soap Factory, Intermedia Arts, Patrick’s Cabaret and the Bedlam Theater—have closed in recent years.

—Kingfield arts center expansion approved, 10/3/19

“Obviously there’s a major depletion of space to develop works in town and engage the public," Hayes said. "So I’m hoping we are able to also think through the models for sustainable art practice for individuals and organizations…I have been working with a construction company and architects. We have preliminary designs and are engaging various communities for feedback and brainstorming.”

—Center for Performing Arts to double its size with new south Minneapolis building, 4/9/19