Frances Daly Fergusson Dance Theater
Opening for it's first semester in Fall 2006, the new Frances Daly Fergusson Dance Theater is the first space dedicated solely to dance performance on the Vassar campus. Named for Vassar's ninth president, the new dance theater is 5,700 square feet and includes a fully sprung dance stage measuring 36' x 36' with surrounding wing space, raked seating for 244 people, professional quality lighting, sound and theater control systems, and complete and quiet air conditioning.
Adjacent to the hall, a new support facility annex has been added to accommodate a rehearsal green room with adjoining women's and men's changing rooms, a loading dock for scenery or set-building materials, and costume-making, office and storage spaces.
There are three new dance studios, one located on the first floor and two on the second. Two of the studios are 2,650 square feet, and the third is 1,160 square feet. The studios have been renovated to serve the curricular needs of the dance program, including the installation of new dance floor surfaces, barres, mirrors, acoustical ceilings, new lighting, and an enhanced audio-visual system.
The Dance Department occupies the whole southern wing of the building, maintaining its offices and studios where they previously existed, with new common areas providing easy access to the theater space for performers who have completed warm-ups or rehearsals in the upstairs studios. The main entry of Kenyon, with its wood-paneled lobby, is an elegant entrance for the dance performance audience.
One of the interesting, and historical, aspects of the architecture of the new dance theater is that it was created in the space of the old Kenyon swimming hall.
