Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity facts for kids
The Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity is a special place for dance. It's named after a famous dancer, Todd Bolender. You can find it in Kansas City, Missouri. The center opened on August 26, 2011. It was once the old Power House for Union Station. After a lot of work, this historic building became the new home for the Kansas City Ballet.
History of the Building
The building where the Todd Bolender Center is now was designed in 1913. Its architect was Jarvis Hunt. He also designed the Union Station building. This Power House was finished in 1914. It used coal to create energy. This energy powered Union Station and other nearby buildings.
Building a New Home
Work on the new center started on November 13, 2009. The building was finished in the summer of 2011. The old Power House had 65,000 square feet of space. This space was turned into seven dance studios. One studio is the Michael and Ginger Frost Studio Theater. It can seat 180 people.
The building also has areas for making costumes. There are spaces for physical therapy for dancers. Storage rooms and locker rooms for artists are also included. The architects, BNIM, had a challenge. They needed to change the old Power House into a modern dance center. They kept some old parts of the building. For example, old coal hoppers became dressing rooms for children.
It cost about $39 million to restore the building. This also included $7 million for future needs. The Kansas City Ballet received $11 million in tax cuts. This helped them save the old building.