Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA)

As the non-profit DADA outgrew its prior studio space, a search began for a new, larger facility. Completed in 2022, the new, Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA) and Rhimes Performing Arts Center is an inclusive dance performance and educational center, with five studios and a 200-seat performance center. It provides opportunities for children ages 3–18 to learn and express themselves via performance art and dance. DADA also has a performing arts middle school in its curriculum.

The new facility used the rectangular footprint of three existing one-story buildings. The 1922 brick warehouse was enclosed in a new two-story structure, with a partial second floor. The new building was built within the existing buildings’ footprint and then covered by a new roof. The 2nd‑story addition uses translucent, white, insulated polycarbonate panel walls, (acting as a billboard and illuminating dancers inside). The project is a great success and welcome addition to the community it serves—a result of the positive team collaborationthrough all the project phases.