In honor of Duke's Centennial, in the fall 2024 the Duke Dance Program threw a party celebrating the history and legacy of the Ark Studio. With live music from the Willie Painter Band, the celebration gathered faculty, students and alumni in an evening of laughter, fun, and — of course — dance!
Built in 1898, the Ark Studio is considered the site of the Duke Dance Program's beginnings in 1982. In the past 100 years, it has been a gymnasium, bowling alley, laundry, photography studio, cafeteria, site for social dance and relaxation, and now the Duke Dance Program dance studio and site for creative collaborations and embodied research. This celebratory event commemorated its noble past, as well as the current partnerships with the American Dance Festival, African American Dance Ensemble, and local and international artists.
Read more about the Ark's vivid story.
