Our Mission
The Dance Complex enables the creation, study, and performance of dance. We sustain artists, audiences, and the community through programs that connect movement and ideas. We celebrate the wonder and curiosity of dance for all.
Our Vision
The Dance Complex is for all who want to dance or move; who need space to express or explore through movement. We offer classes, performances and professional development in a safe inclusive environment—unlike those with barriers to entry because we believe in catalyzing movement as both art and as a tool for life.
30+ year old central hub for dance
The Dance Complex is a 30+ year old central hub of dance- locally, with connections to the New England region and in dialogue with the inter/national dance field. Our building, an 1884-circa Odd Fellow’s Hall in the heart of Central Square, Cambridge, is home to a diverse range of movers and dancers. This unique arts center hosts professional, pre-professional, and recreational movers. All are able to find a variety of movement and dance classes to take their next step. All can access affordable studio space, and participate in programs to help strengthen their choreographic, performance, and production skills. Those who dance, teach and create within our studios receive valued space in a supportive environment for affordable rental rates.
We are a community space
We invite the community to join us for over 100 concerts a year in our theatre and studios, and to celebrate with us in seasonal festivals that bring study, creation and performance together. Local artists perform alongside national guest artists in two theatre spaces.
The Dance Complex is sustained by a staff comprised of professional artists and arts administrators, resident companies and artists, renowned teaching artists, a working board of directors and a corps of volunteers.
The Community Ambassador program provides The Dance Complex with a 50-person workforce who man the front desk, and clean and maintain the studios, affording the participants with valuable study in dance in exchange for their work.
The community at The Dance Complex is reflective of its locale.
Cambridge traditionally attracts all kinds of people from all corners of the world, and this is reflected in the artists, their classes and performances at The Dance Complex.
Our History
The Dance Complex is housed in an 1884-circa, 5-story building, originally built as meeting rooms for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a philanthropic fraternal brotherhood. By the mid to late 20th century, the building became used as aerobic/fitness and dance studios known as Joy of Movement Center. In 1991, when the fitness entity experienced financial problems and closed its doors, a group of local dance-makers, led by founder Rozann Kraus, negotiated with the City of Cambridge and lending institutions to maintain the building as a dance center.
Then, as now, faculty and resident artists include world-renowned teachers and dance-makers. From its early days, a team of Community Ambassador students along with the founding faculty donating their time to create a studio administration that was artist-centric, striving for affordable rental rates. A studio “time-share” system was created to put the profits from classes in the hands of the teachers; in turn, class fees to students were kept below the local and national norm. This model continues today, with a growing number of Dance Complex-sponsored programs alongside these resident teaching artists/entrepreneurs.
From its inception, The Dance Complex has hosted dozens of genres and dance styles and is the resident home of several dance-makers and teaching artists. A long tradition of mentoring, resulting in a series of Shared Choreographers’ Concerts over many years, allowed younger artists the benefit of seasoned choreographers’ advice. DanceMonth, in May, dedicated the month to dance-centric activities that extended beyond the building’s walls and into the ever-changing Central Square community. Founder Rozann Kraus, lead-dreamer and lead-catalyst, conceived these projects and was assisted by an able staff of working artists, teaching artists and work study students, along with partners in the community.
The Julie Ince Thompson Theater (Studio 1) is named in honor of the late, Boston-based dance maker and offers an intimate loft style performance space. Throughout the years, inter/nationally renowned guests performed in the theatre, including those artists and companies produced by Dance Umbrella, a pioneering, locally based presenting organization. The mix of out of town productions with Boston and regional offerings brought local presentations to a new standard.
The building was secured for purchase through arrangements with the City of Cambridge, the Central Square Business Association and lending institutions. As a new entity, The Dance Complex was sheltered originally under Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center (then CMAC, now Multicultural Arts Center) as the title holder. In the mid-2000’s, the building was transferred to The Dance Complex as owner of the building.
Historical Timeline
Our Accomlishments
The Dance Complex, a small business located in Cambridge for 30+ years, generates minimal waste and provides access to recycling throughout their facility.
In the process of completing a multi-million dollar historical renovation, the Dance Complex recycled and reused building materials including doors, windows, lighting, bathroom fixtures, and lockers.
A reuse center is maintained in the lobby allowing people to donate and take items for reuse including clothing, home furnishings, baby accessories and even partially used bottles of shampoo.
Accept used items and refurbish theater equipment, dance flooring and ballet barres. Paper office supplies feature post-consumer recycled content and staff work to reduce paper use.
Boston architects Henry W. Hartwell and William C. Richardson design the five story red brick commercial building, adorned with Romanesque and Sullivanesque decorative detail of pressed brick and terra cotta (Hartwell and Richardson also designed the First Baptist Church in Central Square and the Exeter Street Theater in Boston).
– Cambridge Historical Commission
In 1973 Kenneth Estridge leases the building from the Odd Fellows. In partnership with Alison Binder, Ken Estridge creates the Joy of Movement (JOM), a chain of fitness centers. JOM coexists with the Dancer’s Center (c. 1986) offering advanced level dance classes until 1991.
On March 24th, 1991, the doors of the building are padlocked shut, without warning to Joy of Movement members, dance teachers, or students. JOM ceases to operate and later files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Founder and First Dance Complex Executive Director Rozann Kraus leads the effort to negotiate with the City of Cambidge and lending instituations to maintain the building as a dance center.
The first faculty dance concert/benefit is held at The Dance Complex, called “Sunday Funnies”. Performances are made by former JOM, and current Dance Complex, faculty members: Deborah Wolf, Adrienne Hawkins, Olivier Besson, William McLaughlin and Rozann Kraus.
Somerset Savings Bank holds an auction for ownership of 536 Massachusetts Ave, threatening The Dance Complex with eviction. Rozann Kraus successfully argues The DC holds the right to an offer of first refusal.
The Dance Complex celebrates the first DanceMonth in May of 1993. With support from Mayor Kenneth Reeves, DanceMonth is a collaboration with the City of Cambridge that includes a large public dance party on Massachusetts Ave, public dance events and classes, and “Dance Distractions” (flashmobs) that occur throughout the city. DanceMonth continues for 15 years.
Somerset Savings Bank serves an eviction notice to The Dance Complex despite their right of first refusal. The City of Cambridge ‘rescues’ The Dance Complex with $75,000 for a downpayment on the mortgage from unused Urban Development Action Grants funds.
Rozann Kraus creates the Leap Year Dance Marathon, a sunset to sunrise dance fundraiser at The DC with volunteer live bands. This first Leap Year Dance Marathon helps fund the first stairlift to be installed. See the CCTV Documentary for footage from this party.
In 1997, Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) creates a short documentary on The Dance Complex.
Studio 1 is renamed in honor of Julie Ince Thompson, dancer, choreographer, and board member who passed of cancer. Renovations are made to the stained glass window in the theater to reflect the new title.
Peter DiMuro takes on the role of current Executive Artistic Director of The Dance Complex.
In 2014 the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) awards two grants to The Dance Complex to renovate Studio 1 and Studio 7 (previously a vendor space), the following year the Barr Foundation awards a $500,000 grant to complete the rennovation of of Studio 7 into a dance studio.
As part of the 2017 Festival of Us, You, We & Them, The Dance Complex partners with Masary Studios to create a light projection of dancers on the outside of the building. The street in front of The DC is also closed for public dance and music performances.
After considerable deliberation The Dance Complex re-opens with quarentine saftey protocols.
Starlight Square opens, created in partnership with the Central Square Improvement District, Central Square Theater, Improv Boston, and The Dance Complex. The Square is a temporary open-air performance, public art, and vendor space within Municipal Lot 5. The Dance Complex hosts and participates in multiple events/festivals/performances/and dance classes over the Square’s 4 years of cultivation.
In 2021 BioMed Reality gifts a temporary space to The Dance Complex located at 650 East Kendall Street (the Canal District). For the next two years, The Dance Complex uses the space as a creative art lab and performance space.