Broadway Dance Center has expanded its lease at 321 West 44th Street to about 30,000 square feet.
The school and studio, which has its entrance on the 230,000 square foot building’s 45th Street side entryway, which goes by the address 322 West 45th Street, offers both classes for beginners and workshops for seasoned dancers alike taught by acclaimed professionals.
The center renewed its lease for the building’s entire third floor in the deal, a roughly 20,000-square-foot space, and expanded onto the ground and second floors, an addition of about 10,000 square feet. The expansion space was formerly occupied by the restaurant and bar Sweet Carolines, which left the building in recent months.
“People will now be able to walk by on the street and see the dancing inside,” said April Cook, a teacher at the school, who showed The Commercial Observer around the center’s space with associate executive director Reese Snow.
The building at 321 West 44th Street is owned by Kushner Companies, the real estate company where Jared Kushner, owner of The New York Observer and The Commercial Observer, is an executive and principal. Both publications base their operations out of the building.
Broadway Dance Center will add two studios on the new levels to the five it already has on three and install a street front retail store that will sell branded dance apparel. The ground floor studio will be visible from the sidewalk through the new retail space’s glass facade and down a short hallway inside.
Dancers were busy in the school’s studio spaces as construction workers were busy outfitting the floors below for the center’s occupancy in upcoming weeks.
A lithe gentleman that Ms. Cook said simply went by the name Q expertly ran through a hip hop routine, leading a class in one of the studios.
“He has done choreography work for the Anderson Cooper show,” she said. “He’s been on MTV.”
Mr. Snow said that the dance school used to be located on West 57th Street but moved to 322 West 45th Street a little over five years ago. The new location has been advantageous.
“We get students from out of town who come here because they want to connect into the New York dance scene,” he said, noting the tourist traffic in the area.
Ms. Cook said she’s seen dance pros walk in for a class just to get warmed up for an audition on Broadway.
“We’re right in the neighborhood where all these shows are taking place,” she said. “So expanding here is perfect.”
The new lease stretches for until 2023, Mr. Snow said.
CresaPartners repped Broadway Dance Center in the deal. An agency team from the real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield (CWK) represents Mr. Kushner at 321 West 44th Street.
Dgeiger@observer.com
