By Alyssa Tremblay
The Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre (CDCC) has taken steps to expand its reach as a community hub for arts, performance and learning with the installation of a new sprung floor.
The updated hardwood oak sprung floor is specifically designed to absorb shock, making it a healthier flooring surface to tap, leap and stomp across.
Stacey Can-Tamakloe is a recently graduated Carleton alumna who completed a practicum at the CDCC in addition to working as a front-of-house representative. She says the new floor ensures the space is more comfortable for dancers of all styles and bodies.
“I grew up dancing on hard wooden floors, and my feet were always red and aching after class,” says Can-Tamakloe. “After dancing for an hour on this new floor, my body was hurting, but my feet were fine.”
Located in Room 15/16 on the CDCC’s second level, the dance floor is fully accessible via elevator and a ramp that was added at the entrance of the room as part of the overall facelift.
The renovations — which began in August 2022 and were completed in September — were made possible through support from a donor-advised fund through the Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF).
“In years prior, the CDCC had received a multitude of inquiries from groups about spaces that could work for movement arts practice. We had previously been required to confirm only having concrete floors throughout the building, up until the OCF and donor announced their extremely generous funding for this uniquely impactful healthy flooring project.”Mara Brown, Director of the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre
“In years prior, the CDCC had received a multitude of inquiries from groups about spaces that could work for movement arts practice. We had previously been required to confirm only having concrete floors throughout the building, up until the OCF and donor announced their extremely generous funding for this uniquely impactful healthy flooring project.”
Since officially opening its doors during the Fall 2022 semester, the newly refurbished Room 15/16 is getting plenty of use by Carleton and community groups alike.
For instance, the Ottawa Rhythm Initiative (ORI) regularly books the room for its intro to advanced tap dance lessons.
According to ORI founder and artistic producer Carole Anne Piccinin, their dancers love the renovated space to the point where teachers “sometimes have a hard time getting them out the door when classes are over!”
“It’s a great space for them to hear their tap sounds clearly, and dance and move freely and safely,” Piccinin explains, noting that the large windows provide lots of natural light which makes the room feel inviting and spacious.
“The floor is hardwood oak — as tap dancers, that’s our instrument — and it sounds crisp, which is fantastic.” Carole Anne Piccinin, Ottawa Rhythm Initiative
“The floor is hardwood oak — as tap dancers, that’s our instrument — and it sounds crisp, which is fantastic.”
Fellow Ottawa-based dance organization Propeller Dance taught inclusive contemporary dance classes all year out of Room 15/16 at the CDCC.
“This room is a beautiful space to dance in,” says Kira Zanyk Davey, a teacher and dance partner specialist at Propeller. “It is a bright and friendly place to be.”
The CDCC’s Centretown location, coupled with its accessible washrooms and elevator, make it an ideal venue for their program participants, which includes those with physical and intellectual disabilities in addition to non-disabled dancers.
“The CDCC is a wonderful venue. It's centrally located downtown. Students love the space, as it is accessible with a ramp into the classroom, an elevator and accessible washrooms.”Kira Zanyk Davey, Propellor Dance
“The CDCC is a wonderful venue. It's centrally located downtown. Students love the space, as it is accessible with a ramp into the classroom, an elevator and accessible washrooms.”
In Winter 2023, the room also played host to Carleton Instructor Mary Ellis’s Intermediate Drama Workshop (ENGL 3904A).
The first year that Ellis taught drama at Carleton, it was challenging to find a movement-ready space on campus. The start of each class would often involve her and her students shuffling desks and chairs around to make room for their scenes.
“Moving to the CDCC made such a huge difference,” Ellis says. “Our student actors can now easily work in groups and move around freely.”
She found that having a studio space, instead of a standard classroom, made the students more energetic during those blustery Monday morning winter classes, eager to get up and tread the boards while practicing their lines.
“It’s really nice to teach and learn in a space where the rooms are designed to accommodate you. It gives the students an extra level of excitement.” Mary Ellis, Drama Studies Instructor at Carleton University
“It’s really nice to teach and learn in a space where the rooms are designed to accommodate you. It gives the students an extra level of excitement.”
To learn more about the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre or to book a space for your upcoming class or event, visit carleton.ca/cdcc/bookings.