For the first time in its nearly 50-year history, Steamboat Dance Theatre will soon have a dedicated space to call its own.

Effective July 1, the nonprofit will assume the lease of a shared studio currently occupied by Steamboat Dance and Fitness. Located in central Steamboat Springs at 1955 Bridge Lane, the space will become a flexible, community-based venue for dance classes, rehearsals, workshops and events that align with the theatre’s mission to “engage, educate and enrich” the Yampa Valley through dance and movement.

“It’s the first time in our history that we have our own physical space,” said executive director Lori Biagi. “Unless you go all the way back to the early starts of this organization, when we were under the Steamboat Springs Arts Council and had some space at the depot, this is a first for us.”

The move marks a strategic step for the organization, which has long operated without a permanent location. Until now, Steamboat Dance Theatre had to rent space for programs, rehearsals and its flagship community concert — all to the tune of over $12,000 spent annually for rehearsal time alone.

“We spent almost $13,000 on rehearsal spaces last year, and that figure is increasing because our community concert and programming are growing,” said Biagi. “We now have more outreach, and our hope is that it will continue to grow.”

The new location will still be shared with Bella Movement, a fitness and youth dance studio run by Jamie Boeri and will continue to operate in the space on a collaborative basis. Other current tenants, including Goodhart’s Dancin and Forty106 Dance Project, are ending their use of the studio. That transition opened the door for Steamboat Dance Theatre to expand its footprint while preserving affordable access for other instructors.

“We saw this as an opportunity to continue to operate that space as an affordable place for artists to create and teach classes, as well as for us to host our own programming,” Biagi said.

Under the new model, Steamboat Dance Theatre will implement a tiered rental structure, offering discounted rates for partner instructors, nonprofits and multiple-use agreements, while still allowing general public use of the space for events such as birthday parties, yoga classes and word workshops.

“We just want to have an additional affordable space in the community that’s run by a nonprofit that people can utilize,” said Biagi.

According to Biagi, the step is philosophical and logistical, as it aligns with Steamboat Dance Theatre’s vision of making dance accessible for all.

“Our vision has always been a thriving dance community where anyone who wants to participate in dance can,” said Biagi. “We want to make dance truly accessible, not only to those that are experiencing dance, but also to those who are teaching dance as well.”

Rising housing and rental costs in the Yampa Valley have made that goal harder to achieve over the past two decades. Studio space is increasingly unaffordable for emerging instructors or independent artists, and program drop-in costs for students can run up to $30 per class, a price that many local families cannot afford. 

“We hope that by providing a really low entry-level rate for our partner studios and instructors, they’ll be able to offer programming that’s affordable and more attainable for the general Steamboat community,” said Biagi.

The board of directors approved the lease as part of a long-term sustainability plan. While Bella Movement will remain an anchor tenant, priority access will go to Steamboat Dance Theatre partners as well as instructors and studios formally affiliated with the organization. These partners will pay annual dues and receive discounted rates, scheduling priority and encouragement to keep their classes affordable for all.

“We’re not in competition with local studios,” said Biagi. “We provide community programming so we can reach underserved demographics while supplementing existing programs. This move is strategic. We won’t be offering our own studio-style classes, but will continue to act as a resource and network for dance in the community.”

That support extends far beyond rehearsals. 

In the past year alone, the organization has launched new programs including adaptive dance classes, Dance Vitality workshops focused on health and mental wellness and the World Dance in Schools initiative, which brings cultural dance education into the classroom. Having a dedicated space will help solidify and expand these efforts.

“We started an adaptive dance program,” said Biagi. “Right now we are not only paying an instructor for that program, but we are also paying for space.”

The studio will also host teacher trainings and serve as a central point for long-term planning and partnerships.

“We want to cultivate a community and a space where we don’t feel like we’re on islands,” said Biagi. “We want to foster support in achieving our collective mission, which is to make dance thrive.”

As of now, interested instructors and community members can inquire about space availability or booking by contacting Steamboat Dance Theatre via email at rental@steamboatdancetheatre.org. Additional booking information, including rates and calendars, will be available on the organization’s website later this summer.

In the meantime, the organization is finalizing staffing for the space and preparing for a one-year pilot period to test and refine the model.

“Being that it’s the first time we’ve ever done anything like this, we’ll give it a year and we’ll see how it works,” said Biagi. “The goal is to continue reaching the community in more meaningful ways, and to continue doing what we’re doing on a greater scale.”