Mark Morris Dance Center

rdf:langString Mark Morris Dance Center

rdf:langString The Mark Morris Dance Center is the permanent home of the international touring modern dance company, the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG), in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City. It is at 3 Lafayette Avenue, on the corner of Flatbush Avenue. Open since 2001, the center also houses rehearsal space for the dance community, outreach programs for local children and area residents, as well as a school offering dance classes to students of all ages. In 1996, the Mark Morris Dance Group launched a $7.4 million capital campaign to build what would be its first permanent headquarters in the United States. The company purchased a derelict building on the corner of Flatbush and Lafayette Avenues in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and broke ground in 1999. The architectural firm Beyer Blinder Belle designed the building, which consists of 5 stories, seven column-free studios with wood-sprung floors, locker rooms with showers, a wellness center, a 140-seat performance space, and offices for the company's administrative staff. Seven studios are available to rent at discounted rates to non-profit dance companies, and range in size from 430 square feet (40 m2) to 3,600 square feet (330 m2).