A space for life and movement!
La Casona de la Danza is a cultural venue of the Instituto Distrital de las Artes (Idartes) aimed at the development of artistic practices and appropriation around dance. In person and virtually, it provides its infrastructure so that citizens can access their cultural rights in the artistic field of dance, through actions undertaken by the Dance Department through its Dance and Community management axis.
At this venue, individuals can hold Occasional Rehearsals, attend free workshops, discussions, laboratories, or conferences as part of its Monthly Program, or enjoy the Danced Visits. In addition, in this space, it is possible for people dedicated to this artistic field to offer their services as workshop leaders through the Bank of Proposals for the training agenda in the lines of dance and health, updating knowledge and inhabiting my body, which are carried out in the Casona and in the territories, attending to the specific requests of the community.
Likewise, the Casona de la Danza has the Bank of Requests, a strategy to generate actions aimed at providing non-financial and short-term support to community and local agents to strengthen their training and creation processes
History
The Casona de la Danza is a building from the 1930s constructed during the mayoralty of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. Today, it is part of the landscape of Bogotá’s Circunvalar Avenue. Under the name of Escuela Pública Rural República del Perú, the building was the last piece of a series of public schools built by that district administration in the rural areas of the city.
Later, when it was a property of the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, the Casona saw the arrival of the new century converted into a storage warehouse for the musical instruments of La Media Torta, and little by little it lost its character, the spaces were reduced by the accumulation of dust and disused instruments that hid the hand-painted ceramic floors. Abandonment gave way to deterioration and the idea of its demolition.
However, in 2010, the Bogotá Mayor’s Office and the District Institute of Cultural Heritage (IDPC, for the Spanish original) decided to recover this construction because they considered it a “reference of the social thought of the period of liberalism” (Gabriel Pardo, former director of the Institute). To the above, its location (Historic Center, delimited by Decree 678/1994) and therefore its architectural value was added, which opened the way to its heritage recognition.
For 10 and a half months, the recovery works of the Casona were carried out, which included the structural reinforcement of the building and its exterior areas, including the main entrance. Likewise, special emphasis was placed on the conservation of the finishes, as was the case with the original designs of the windows. It was necessary to install electrical, hydraulic and sanitary networks and a ramp designed for people with physical limitations was adapted.
On April 29, 2011, in the framework of International Dance Day, a symbolic act was held to deliver to Bogotá this space for the practice and research of dance, guaranteeing the cultural rights of the artistic sectors and social organizations that promote art and culture in the city.
The Casona de la Danza is today a dream come true for the community of dancers in Bogotá, eager for spaces to rehearse, create and train. The two-story building, with five classrooms, wooden floors and excellent lighting, has become a center that contributes to the visibility of artistic processes and the generation of job opportunities for teachers and dancers.
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