My name is Alicia Karczewski and I’ve spent most of my life supporting the arts and pursuing a career in dance, as educator and professional dancer. I am currently owner and proprietor of a building that has become a somewhat historical icon that once housed a theater and dance studio. Continuing it’s legacy as an arts hub, this building now holds a co-op style community of theatrical and movement artists, instructors, groups, and performers. The building is a resource for many in Lakewood as well as beyond the greater Denver metro area.
We keep rental space prices low and affordable so that several groups can hold a few weekly classes. We offer free and discounted studio time to individual arts and non-profits. Along with weekly groups, several artists have found this a home for their performances, recitals, master classes, individual rehearsals,…we all share this very unique building. But, with the space being affordable, it is becoming difficult to sustain the building expenses.
During the pandemic, we took a very large financial hit, draining us financially. Because we were a new business (and building owner), we did not receive support or funding from local, state, or federal institutions.
We are in need of finding a long term solution prior to the sale of the building. Please help us extend our time and the ability to find a concrete sustainable solution. This space impacts so many in our community.
Thank you,
Alicia Karczewski/Owner & Proprietor
MOVE! Dance Space & Arts Center
1980 Youngfield St.
Lakewood, CO
MOVE! Dance Space & Arts Center has continued to be an affordable location for community workshops, events and shows in our belly dance community. MOVE! has hosted a number of community workshops and shows for our community. Many of the community spaces have closed due to high costs, sales of buildings or recovery issues post covid. Move has continued to offer space while attempting to recover and meet the rise in costs. Rather than raising prices to a level that locals like myself cannot afford, Alicia has continued to keep the community feel and work with the community. Losing this space would be a huge loss to many in the various dance communities in our area. Please consider contributing to help cover some of the rising costs and recovery from covid so we can continue to have access to a reasonable priced space for larger workshops and shows.
-Phoenix - Colorado Belly Dance Instructor and Event Producer (www.phoenix-dancing.com)
Phoenix of Denver
Wings with Phoenix DVD & Dancing from Within Cards Available
Workshops, Classes and Events with Phoenix
"I first encountered the space as a student taking a private lesson from the late renowned CO tap master Gene GeBauer. My favorite memory is when I showed up without my tap shoes and he let me wear his gold performance shoes for the lesson. The show must go on!
Today, we use the space for our community team, The Mercury Retros. The venue has ambiance and care put into it, plus it's a working studio for what our bodies really need: community and movement. MOVE! has that in spades.
Full circle, I'm also grateful to pass along the lessons I learned from Gene. Help us preserve this legacy space for future generations!
- Ceth Stifel
Lindy Hopper, Swing Nights Mercury"
“After the pandemic permanently shut down The Bovine Metropolis theater, Bond Improv was formed to keep several of Denver’s favorite improv shows alive. We quickly found our new home in MOVE! Dance Space & Arts Center and would not have been able to keep performing if it weren’t for this space. Our cast members always say that rehearsal is the main thing that they look forward to every week and we all are so grateful for the community that MOVE! has allowed us to grow. Our shows are not just entertainment- they are about connection, understanding, and expanding perspectives. Each of our actors is immensely proud of what we do, both onstage and backstage to foster a creative arts community that improves lives and connects people. MOVE! makes this possible.”
- Kat Bond
Bond Improv
"I moved my dance studio, Destination Dance, to 1980 Youngfield St., (MOVE! Dance Space & Arts Center) in June 2020. It has been a fantastic space for us! The building is a wonderful space, and Alicia, the owner, is great to work with! Destination Dance offers classes for all ages and genres, from tiny tots to adults, and the space is perfect for our needs. Since there are three dance studios in the building, we can hold more than one class at a time. Also, with 3 studios, several businesses can rent space simultaneously. It has beautiful sprung hardwood floors and a stage available for shows and recitals. The community in the building is incredibly welcoming. Several businesses, including my own, rent space there weekly, which works wonderfully. This building means so much to so many people who love creating and perfecting their craft!"
- Colette Wagner/Owner
Destination Dance
