Hopkins Center for the Arts facts for kids
The Hopkins Center for the Arts is a cool place at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. People often call it the "Hop." It's like the main spot for all things art and culture at the college. The Hop was designed by a famous architect named Wallace Harrison. He also designed the Lincoln Center in New York City! The Hop is where the college's drama and music departments are located. It even has a woodshop and a jewelry studio. Students and the public can use these creative spaces.
What You Can Find at the Hop
The Hopkins Center has several different performance spaces. These include Faulkner Recital Hall, Spaulding Auditorium, Warner Bentley Theater, the Moore Theater, and Alumni Hall. These areas are used for many exciting events. You can see student performances, concerts, and plays by visiting artists. Alumni and faculty meetings also happen here.
Student Performances and Shows
Many student groups perform regularly at the Hop. These include the Dartmouth College Gospel Choir and the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble. You can also hear the Glee Club, the Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble, and the Wind Symphony. The Symphony Orchestra also performs often. Students get a special lower ticket price for shows. All events are open to everyone, though. You can buy tickets at the Hop's box office.
Creative Classes and Workshops
The Hop offers many classes each school term. These classes help students and the public learn new skills. For example, the dance department often teaches different dance styles. You might find classes from ballet to hip hop.
The Mail Center
The Hop used to be home to the college's mail center. This was called the Hinman Mail Center. Now, it has moved to the basement of the nearby Class of 1953 Commons. Every college student gets their own mailbox there. It's known as a "Hinman Box" or "HB." Students can also send and receive packages there.
Famous Artists at the Hop
Many amazing artists have performed at the Hop. In 2014, famous musician Reggie Watts performed. The talented American violinist Joshua Bell also played there.
"Top of the Hop" Events
Sometimes, special events are held at the "Top of the Hop." This is a cool area on the second floor of the center. The college president often hosts parties here. These events celebrate special visitors, donors, art shows, or performances.
History of the Hopkins Center
The Hopkins Center opened its doors in 1962. It was the very first arts center of its kind at a college. Because of this, it became a model for many other arts centers. Hundreds of similar centers have been built since then.
How the Hop Was Planned
The idea for a new theater started in the late 1920s. Dartmouth president Ernest Martin Hopkins promised a new theater to Warner Bentley. Bentley was a new English teacher who ran the college's theater program. Many things delayed the building, like the Great Depression and wars. But when construction finally began in the early 1960s, the plan had grown much bigger.
The new center would include a concert hall, a film theater, and a "black box" theater. It also needed rehearsal halls for music and theater. There would be a recital hall, art galleries, and art studios. A student workshop was also part of the plan. The new building covered a huge area of four and a half acres.
Changing the Building's Look
Early drawings showed a brick building in the Georgian style. This would have matched many other buildings at Dartmouth. But then, architect Wallace K. Harrison was hired. He was a favorite of Nelson A. Rockefeller, a Dartmouth graduate and New York's governor. The style changed to modern 1960s design. The front of the building has arches and lots of glass. Harrison used some of these ideas later when he designed the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center.
Arts Before the Hop
Arts were not new to Dartmouth before the Hop opened. There was already a student theater company and the Glee Club. The Handel Society Chorus and Community Symphony Orchestra also existed. The Dartmouth Film Society and artist-in-residence programs were also around. The idea was to get students more involved in the arts. So, the design included lots of glass inside. Large windows looked into the theaters, shops, and practice rooms. They also looked into art studios and galleries. Some of these windows were not very practical for the activities happening inside!
Early Programs and Fame
The first directors, Warner Bentley and Peter D. Smith, started many public programs. These programs got a lot of attention. The Hopkins Center became a popular place for arts in the region. Sometimes, it was even famous across the country.
In the mid-to-late 1960s, the Hop hosted a summer "Congregation of the Arts." This event had summer theater programs. It also featured a festival orchestra and chamber groups. They performed music by famous modern composers. There were also art exhibitions and special film series. The Hop became known as a place that supported new and modern music for almost 20 years. In the 1970s, it also started "Celebration Northeast." This festival celebrated folk music from North America that was not mainstream.
For many years, the Hop was ahead of its time with its shows. Peter Smith used to joke about bringing in artists just before they became superstars. He once booked Luciano Pavarotti and Bruce Springsteen before they were world-famous!
Connections to Other Buildings
The Hopkins Center is connected to the Hood Museum of Art. This is North America's oldest museum that has been open continuously. It is Dartmouth's own museum. It has both permanent collections and special visiting exhibitions. After exploring the museum, you can visit the Hood's museum store. This store is next to the Courtyard Café. Below the museum is Gilman Auditorium. This hall used to show movies regularly. Now, movies are often shown at Loew Auditorium. That auditorium is in the Black Family Visual Arts Center, right next door.
