The sensitively renovated building of the Braník brewery provides a quality background for dance education and continuous activities of professional independent companies.
Dance Art Center is an administrative, production and economic institution with its own legal personality (registered association), which coordinates the most efficient use of the building and this unique concept of an extremely extensive educational and cultural service. All permanent residents of the Dance Art Center are independent - non-governmental non-profit organizations.
After the failure of all negotiations with the Prague Municipality (2009 - 2020), the Prague Dance Centre - Conservatoire
chose the last realistic rescue step and in February 2021 secured a new seat in the private sector - in the sensitively revitalized and strictly protected industrial complex brewery Braník (from 1898). A complex and costly renovation into educational, cultural and technological spaces followed - the approval procedure was completed - already in full operation - in July 2022. We invited other critically endangered partners to collaborate and the "Dance Art Center" was created, providing the conditions for:
- implementation of the educational concept of the "Prague Dance Centre - Conservatoire"
- artistic operation of the "Prague Chamber Ballet"
- activities of the agency "International Dance Centre" (Ballet Prague Junior, Baby Ballet Prague)
- educational and charitable activities of the "Dance and Theatre Foundation"
- educational and research activities of the "Pavel Šmok Foundation and Institute"
- children's dance studio "Terpsichore" - preparatory department of the conservatoire
- children's musical theatre "Youth Musical Theatre"
- Tap Dance Studio - two groups: adults, children from 6 years old
- open evening contemporary dance lessons for the public
- dance training for selected modern gymnastics groups
- talent tests for applicants for dance studies in children's studios and conservatoire
- "Further training of dance teachers" for non-certified colleagues from the ZUŠ
- masterclasses of choreographic work for candidates for studies at the University of Arts
- demonstration methodological lessons for candidates for studies at the University of Education
- student production agency - preparation for studying management at university
- Fundraising - preparation of grant applications for public administration, state
- storage space for stage technology, backdrops and props for the independent scene
- production facilities for the promotion and marketing of contemporary dance theatre events
- showcase of choreographies for children "Dance Teachers of the Year" - first part and rehearsals of the final
- dance rehearsal rooms and facilities for the "International Dance Weeks" festival
- shows of works with pastoral themes "Christmas Dance Scene" in Braník
- public demonstrations of the repertoire of artistic ensembles during events of the residents of the brewery Braník complex
- seminars of the Association of Dance Artists on the problems of the independent dance sphere
- seminars of the Pavel Šmok Institute on the history of Czech dance theatre
- rehearsals of repertoire by independent dance artists and groups (irregularly)
- rehearsals of the repertoire of the First International Ballet School Prague
This has created a unique (previously non-existent in the Czech Republic) cultural facility that provides professional, artistic and technological facilities for dance education, dance theatre companies, research and charitable activities and the community needs of citizens and parents. A total of 3126 m² of space (the Old Brewhouse and part of the Malt House) is available in the Dance Arts House so far: Practice stage, 5 dance studios, 5 classrooms with video projection, auditorium - concert hall, 2 club rooms, study room, audio-video lab, production and operational facilities - offices and storage, library, video library, dance art historical archive, copy centre, gym, rehabilitation, massage room, dressing rooms and hygiene and catering facilities for about 200 people, dressmaking + costume room + laundry, workshop + prop room + storage of stage technology, storage of sports and fitness equipment.
In this way, the residents of the House of Dance Art (so far 280 permanent users and about 60 external, or "public") help to solve the fatal lack of infrastructure for dance art, art education and movement aesthetic disciplines in Prague.
