Texas Tech University's School of Theatre and Dance (SoTD) has much to celebrate.  In addition to the fully remodeled Maedgen Theatre, the dance program now has a newly refurbished home of its own.  After years of planning and waiting, and more than two million dollars of renovations, the Creative Movement Studio (CMS) now offers the dance program a dedicated space that contains a 3,500 square foot performative studio, a 2,000 square foot studio, a 2,100 square foot smart classroom, men's and women's locker areas, and faculty offices.

Renovations for the CMS, which had not had any significant improvements since it opened in 2012, took three months to complete. Kyla Olson, the Head of Dance at TTU shares that the long-awaited project was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The School's new facilities manager Natalie Mayo, who oversaw the endeavor, says delays in securing materials “caused the original timeline to fluctuate a bit.”

Timing for the project's completion is significant not only because the CMS was open and ready for use at the start of the fall semester, but because some aspects of the renovation were required to bring the dance spaces up to code.

“We wanted the renovation to be completed before our accreditation site visit this coming November,” Olson said, referring to when both the theatre program and the dance program will undergo accreditation review by NAST and NASD, respectively.

For Olson and Mayo, however, the safety of students in the dance program, as well the theatre students and others who will also use the facility, was the top concern.  

“The students spend many hours training in our studios,” Olson says, “so it's important that we provide them with a sprung floor to avoid injuries and long-term issues.”

The dance floor in the old space “had broken in several places and was worn down.” Mayo adds, “Having a functional sprung floor is better for dancers' health as it is less impactful on the joints.”

In addition to the protective flooring, the CMS now has state-of-the-art new equipment including a new sound board and a new lightboard with what Mayo calls a “light lock.”  The light lock is a high paneled wall that prevents entrances from the back of the space from allowing light to flood into it, disturbing classes, rehearsals or shows.

Olson was also concerned with the mood of the space: “One of the most noticeable changes was painting the walls. We wanted the performance half of the room to be black but knew painting the whole room that color would make it incredibly dark. With black flooring, black curtains, black ceilings, we needed a pop of color to brighten up the space.”

The solution inadvertently came from the students and faculty who wanted windows in the space.  Adding windows was cost prohibitive, so they picked a “debonair” blue to give a similar feeling of the Texas blue skies.

“The look,” says Mayo, “is new and fresh and revitalizes the entire building.”  With numerous new construction projects underway on campus, the renovated CMS is another valuable addition to the school and the university. Although has first priority in this space regarding usage, it is available for student organizations and other campus entities can rent it out for use, if there is room in the schedule.

These changes are not the only ones in store for the Creative Movement Studio.  

“By next semester,” says Mayo, “we will have automated seating risers installed in the space as well!”

Not long ago, the School of Theatre & Dance was scattered throughout TTU's campus. Before moving to the CMS, and for the bold renovations of the Maedgen that brought most of the School's classrooms, rehearsal and performance spaces, and offices together in one place, the dance program was housed in the old women's gym which was torn down to make way for Talkington Residence Hall.

Although it is still physically separate from the rest of the school, the dance program is very much a part of the family.  

“It's great to see the CMS receive a bit of a facelift to update the space,” Olson says. “With all the beautiful renovations and additions in the Maedgen, it's nice to see similar renovations in the dance building. It's also comforting to know that the university values our program (enough) to provide the funds to update our studio spaces.”

The results have been overwhelmingly positive.  

“Students and faculty alike are excited to see the newly renovated studio space” Olson says. “Seeing the smiles on their faces make me happy and proud. It's surprising how a little paint goes a long way.”

If you haven't seen the new renovations or never been to the Creative Movement Studio, Olson invites you to come check out their dance spaces. The CMS is located at the southwest corner of Akron and Glenna Goodacre Avenues, just north of TTU's Petroleum Engineering building. All are welcome.