The Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity A case study by Andrew Meyer, Britt Schenk, Charvi Jagani, and Melissa Brooks Professional Practice 2016
Table of Contents Abstract
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Architect and Contractors
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Client
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Design 14 Protocols
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Services and Schedules
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Project Delivery
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Financial Risk and Management
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Project Resources
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Stories
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Ideas
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Measures of Success
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Lessons Learned
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Thank you
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41 References
Figures Figure 1. (Cover) Todd Bolender Center Exterior, bnim.com Figure 2. Dance Class, bnim.com Figure 3. KC Ballet Performance, kcballet.org Figure 4. Design Drawings, “Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity - SlideShare.” Figure 5. Design Drawings, “Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity - SlideShare.” Figure 6. Building Section, Longitudinal Section & South Elevation bnim.com Figure 7. Floor Plans, bnim.com Figure 8. Design Drawings, “Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity - SlideShare.” Figure 9. Catwalk, bnim.com Figure 10. Before - Main Lobby, bnim.com Figure 11. Dance Class, bnim.com Figure 12. After - Main Lobby, bnim.com Figure 13. KC Ballet Practice, kcballet.org Figure 14. Catwalk, bnim.com Figure 15. Longitudinal Section & South Elevation bnim.com Figure 16. Dance Class, bnim.com
abstract The Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity captivates attention of designers, visitors, and users alike for a myriad of reasons: personal associations with dance, its unique adaptation of a historic building, and its integration of environmentally conscious systems. However, none more so than the shared positive experience cultivated by the atmosphere of the space. There’s a bit of poetry in the fact that such a delicate expressionistic art is being generated and refined in an industrial relic. Completed in 2011 by the Kansas City Based firm, BNIM, the Todd Bolender Center occupies a former coal-burning powerhouse, providing a place of permanence for a once nomadic client, the Kansas City Ballet. The center hosts six studios, a performance theater, and administrative offices. With functional ties to the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts and physical adjacencies to Union Station, the facility has become a community staple. The architectural community has awarded the Todd Bolender the 2013 AIA Kansas City Award, the 2013 AIA Honor Award in Interior Architecture, and the 2012 National Preservation Honor Award by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to name a few (architectmagazine.com). Due to its architectural notoriety, sensitivity to community and place, as well as serendipitous design process the Kansas City Center for Dance and Creativity serves as an excellent precedent for great design.
“IT’S ALWAYS A THRILL TO VISIT THE TODD BOLENDER CENTER FOR DANCE AND CREATIVITY, A REHABBED ARCHITECTURAL WONDER THAT NEVER FAILS TO MAKE THE JAW DROP.” – THE KANSAS CITY STAR
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architects and contractors BNIM (Berkebile Nelson Immenschuh McDowell) is a premiere architectural design firm that offers a range of services including the following: architecture, existing buildings, interiors, sustainable consulting, landscape architecture, workplace planning, planning, graphics, and research. Founded in 1970, their philosophy has always been rooted in creating “enduring buildings and place” which often translates into their goals of “delivering beautiful, integrated, living environments that inspire change and enhance the human condition.” (bnim.com) Correspondingly, this has led them to become industry leaders and pioneers in the sustainability movement reflecting a combination of Einstein, niche, and community leader strategy planning archetypes. In particular, BNIM has been instrumental in the development of the USGBC, LEED and the Living Building concept. (bnim.com) BNIM’s commitment to this philosophy permeates all aspects of their work resulting in local, regional, and national recognition. In recent years, not only has the firm been ranked as 25th overall among the Top 50 Architects of 2016 and 4th in the category of Sustainability by Architect Magazine, but it has been awarded with the 2011 AIA National Architecture Firm Award, and recognized with ten AIA/COTE Top Ten Buildings Awards.
Steve McDowell
Greg Sheldon
Rick Schladweiler
Julie Miller
Much of BNIM’s success can be attributed to its unique work culture. As a multidisciplinary firm, collaboration is a tenant for the work environment. One of the first quotes when visiting their website is that “no one knows as much as everyone.” These few words are reflective of the team’s unification of their common values and beliefs “that individual ideas are improved upon by... [their] designers and collaborators to form a continual and collective cycle of innovation” (bnim.com). Although BNIM is considered a large sized corporation (Inc.), their collective culture starts from the top 14 Principals and sifts down to the CFO, the 19 Associate Principals, 6 department directors, and the number of staff across its 4 national offices (bnim.com). Under this type of Project Team Structure, this affects their workflow in the following ways. First, there is always a principal in charge/ accountable who may or may not be heavily involved on the project. Secondly, there is a project manager, who is essentially the right hand man to the Principal. And lastly, there is a Project Architect who advises the team and becomes accountable for coordinating design effort (Sheldon, Greg. September29, 2016). In the case of the Todd Bolender Center of Dance and Creativity, the key players were Principal Steven McDowell, Principal Greg Sheldon, Studio Director and Senior Project Architect/Manager Rick Schladweiler. A number of mid-level staff also contributed to the design. Schladweiler, who is no longer with BNIM, acted as the main person responsible for the project. Sheldon also acted as the Senior Project architect, but more so in a supportive senior role where he provided back-up and was present on walk-throughs to evaluate potential problems. McDowell was more hands off but originally floated the idea of using the power plant for a project for some time before the departure of Moshe Safdie. The green light was ultimately given by the KC Ballet Board due to the Union Station property at that time, 4
offering a good deal and being sound structure it was looked upon as a unique opportunity and challenge (Sheldon, Greg. September29, 2016). BNIM had pursued working with the KC Ballet due to an existing relationship that they had with performing smaller projects for the company. At the time, BNIM was also responsible for working on the Kauffman Center which the KC Ballet had a relationship. BNIM continued to work on this project after the location was switched as they wanted to maintain the client relationship and see the project that they had invested in brought to fruition. In addition, the main aspiration for this project to create a something unique. They aspired to set the ballet in an environment that would separate them from the Kaufman Center. (Sheldon, Greg. September 29, 2016.) Or as Greg Sheldon’s described “Contrast [the] beautiful ballet dancers with [the] ‘brute of a building’
(Sheldon, Greg. September29, 2016). Per request of the client, BNIM supported the KC Ballet in their marketing efforts by producing materials for the Kansas City Ballet to raise funds. These materials varied from making presentation boards, PowerPoints, and even coming to present to community groups for fundraising. This project, like many, inevitably had issues, however, they were mostly site related but not managerial. The predominant challenge was dealing with existing condition of the building which had been abandoned for 50 years. (Sheldon, Greg. September29, 2016). JE Dunn is a construction company based out of West Des Moines, Iowa who was hired to work on the Todd Bolender Center. Working in Kansas City was nothing new to JE Dunn, who previously and since has worked on many projects in the area, including the Kauffman Center. After relocating the site for the ballet center to
the former Union Station powerhouse, JE Dunn began the process of renovating the abandoned industrial building. Because of nearly 5 decades of neglect there was substantial damage to the roof, windows, coal bins, coal hoppers, concrete flooring, exterior brick facade, terracotta, and interior brick firewall, which all required repair. Further complications were incurred due to the building’s location atop OK Creek which had filled the basement with nearly 8 feet of standing water. For three weeks, JE Dunn pumped water out of the basement before Structural Engineering and Associates were able to begin any type of structural assessment. De-watering then continued for a year and a half. Once the building’s under slab drainage system became operational, it became apparent that the chemicals used in the original coal burning process severely degraded many of the original structural steel members. To repair the degraded steel, Genesis Structures and The Bratton Corporation developed an elaborate post shoring system to jack the building up ½ inch in order to reduce load on the steel members to perform the needed repairs. To obtain the historic tax credits for funding the project, the Todd Bolender Center was required to retain many of the building’s existing features such as steel ash hoppers, the “Texas Skylight,” restoring stoker rails and smokestack bases, salvaging of coal carts, and the gantry crane and hook. JE Dunn was able to retain and renovate all of these existing features that would provide the ballet with a unique facility that embodies adaptive reuse principles (jedunn.com). Other participants on the project included several engineering consultants including the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering firm of Gibbons Drake Scott, US Engineering, and Mark 1 Electric engineering. Coordination between the Kansas City Ballet and the construction team was mostly handled through the client representative of MC Realty. 6
client The client of the project, the Kansas City Ballet, founded in 1957, is a 30 member professional ballet company and ballet school. The vision of this highly community driven company is to make “Kansas City a destination for dance” (kcballet. org). The KC Ballet intended to build (restore/repurpose) a facility that would play heavily in increasing their national/international competitiveness as they competed for dancers and other artists all over the world. The KC Ballet wanted to have a facility that the local community was proud of, awed by, and one that would change their position in the community in terms of their perception. (Amey and Bentley, October, 13, 2016) They intended that this facility, once operational, would give them a ‘seat at the community table’ and move their organization from a local ballet company and school to being perceived as a cultural institution which was a pillar of the community’s source of pride. The KC Ballet envisioned a ‘dancer-centric’ facility, the design of which would recognize elements that would favor the artist and the art form (e.g. optimum natural light throughout the facility, generous studio space in terms of square footage, height and unimpeded space - no support pillars in the middle of the studios). They sought an easily accessible urban location for dancers, students, Figure 2. Dance Class, bnim.
Figure 3. KC Ballet Performance, kcballet.
Jeffery Bentley staff, and audiences to be influenced by the KC Ballet and so they continued their relationship. The new design for the facility their surroundings. served as a source for the generation of Client Values: “Mold a flagship institution art/dance while the Kauffman Center recognized as one committed to provided a stage for display. The Board of Directors for Kansas City excellence on a national level. Instill the core values inherent in dance as a Ballet is the volunteer governing entity creative art form utilizing high quality responsible for the long-term financial education and training to advance our and overall health of the organization. mission. Recognize dance as an art form The facility is a resource of the Kansas City that transcends arbitrary distinctions Ballet. The Board was actively involved and segmentation; that defies barriers to with raising significant funds to renovate/ communication; aspire to equity, equality repurpose the facility as part of their supportive role to the Company. The and diversity in all areas of endeavor� Executive and Artistic Directors of the The KC Ballet had initially commissioned two Company report directly to the Board of architecture firms - Moshe Safdie with BNIM Directors. The staff leadership responsible as the architect of record. Due to budget for design and layout of the facility had overruns by the Moshe Safdie design, significant experience in dance/ballet the KC Ballet was forced to withdraw the and took a lead role in working with the commission in favor of a more reasonable architecture team. A series of charrettes scheduled involving parents, budgeted design. BNIM had illustrated were their competence and willingness to administrative staff, artistic staff and select work creatively and cost effectively with community members in the design phase. 10
Figure 4 Design Drawings, “Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity - SlideShare.”
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Figure 5. Catwalk, bnim.
design As previously mentioned, the Kansas City Ballet had to be moved to a different location than was initially intended. The KC Ballet planned to be located east of the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts (KCPA), but due to budgeting issues of designing a new building there was an agreement to move the KC Ballet to its now permanent location at the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity (Amey and Bentley, October 13, 2016). The location is in the former Union Station Power House, designed by Jarvis Hunt and constructed from 19131914 (bnim.com). The previous design for the KC Ballet, by Moshe Safdie was a new building and was more expensive to build; however, the KC Ballet was more inclined to do an adaptive reuse of the historic building because of the tax credits and ultimately cheaper cost. The location of the Todd Bolender Center also has many parking spaces which was a major bonus since the first design had only a small space for parking (Amey and Bentley, October 13, 2016). This resulted into something truly unique for the KC Ballet Company and it has become a valuable asset in the local and national dance community. This location allows the dancers and teachers to be in an urban environment and gain inspiration from its context (Amey and Bentley, October 13, 2016). The design consists of six dance studios and a performance theater, which seats 180 people. Additional components include administrative offices, wardrobe,
costume, and production areas. For the studio space the KC Ballet desired plenty of natural light, tall ceilings, and wide spans so there would not be any columns in the middle of the dance floor. Because the KC Ballet Center is the practice facility for the larger Kauffman Center, it was crucial that the main stage matched the performance stage at the KCPA (Sheldon, September 29, 2016). Some of the major challenges for this site was how to preserve the historic shell of the building as well as major renovations to the interior. (bnim.com) The wear and tear of being abandoned for so long resulted in broken glass, asbestos, lead paint, dead animals, and structural deterioration. The culminating effects of these issues led to a longer clean-up and additional costs. The structural deterioration alone cost $11 million to fix, however with the additional help from the tax credits they were able to save the building and continue with the design (Amey and Bentley, October 13, 2016).
timeline
1998- Started initial project ideas in
2004- begins design and constructionrenovation 17 months of contruction
2011- Kansas City Ballet moves into new home paralleling its opening with the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts
project stats (bnim.com): Initial Cost: $31 Million 11 million in tax credit it cost around $21 Million to complete. Size: 66,000 SF Project Type: Institutional, Adaptive Reuse of Historical Building 14
Figure 6. Building Section, Longitudinal Section & South Elevation bnim.com
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Figure 7 Floor Plans, bnim.com
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protocols The end result of the Todd Bolender Center was vastly different from the initially intended design. As the Kansas City Ballet awaited the development of the Kauffman Center to progress concerns about the rising costs of the Safdie design and due to limited funding the Ballet was forced to abandon the initial design. BNIM had developed a strong relationship with the Kansas City Ballet and was chosen to move forward with a new solution that would be more suitable to the budget of the Ballet. In searching for a new design and site for the then homeless Kansas City Ballet, Steve McDowell had suggested the use of the abandoned power station at the nearby Union Station. With the tax credits gained from the rehabilitation of the Powerhouse, this became much more feasible for the new home of the Kansas City Ballet. The Principle assigned for the project was Steve McDowell, but the majority of the decisions came from the project architects and project managers within the firm. In total there were three different project managers on the project. Devon Case and Julie Miller managed the project prior to Rick Schladweiler, who would see the project through to the end.
Within BNIM Steve McDowell had the ultimate authority on the project, but most decisions were finalized as they reached the project manager. On the owner side of the project the Board of Directors for the Kansas City Ballet had selected their Executive Director Jeff Bentley and their General Manager Kevin Amey to take charge on client decisions. MC Realty was also involved as an owner’s representative to coordinate with construction teams. Because Union Station remains the owner of the Powerhouse for tax credit reasons, they had complete authority above all decisions, but were neutral to design decisions so long as they adhered to historic preservation protocols. (Interview with Rick Schladweiler, November 8, 2016)
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services and schedules BNIM was involved with many pre-design services for the Todd Bolender Center including site selection, fundraising, and structural analysis of the existing Powerhouse. Due to the extremely poor condition of the Union Station Powerhouse, it was hard for the Kansas City Ballet to see the potential for their new building. “The moment the test bid was made, visuals were produced to see its potential.� (Interview with Rick Schladweiler, Phone Call Nov. 8) Not only was there a lot of convincing to be done to get the Board of Directors to choose the site, but raising funds meant that an intensive campaign had to be done to gain support from potential donors. Typical design services were delivered from BNIM, but what made this project unique was the strenuous structural analysis needed as well as the coordination with historic preservation requirements. Structural Engineering Associates were contracted to perform the analysis and they were tasked with renovating a steel structure that had been subjected to neglect and flooding for years prior to the rehabilitation of the building (Sheldon, Greg, September 29, 2016). BNIM had also turned to another consultant that they had
worked with prior to the Todd Bolender Center in Cydney Millstein. Millstein is a prominent historic preservation consultant that worked in concert with the BNIM design team to bring new life to the Powerhouse while keeping the industrial qualities that Powerhouse possessed. Once the design process was completed, BNIM was not employed to offer any post-construction services. Although they are commonly used for such things, final construction decisions were left in the hands of the contractors.
Figure 8. Design Drawings, “Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity - SlideShare.” 22
project delivery The project delivery method on this project was a design-negotiate-build between BNIM as the design team and JE Dunn as the construction manager. JE Dunn was currently working on the Kauffman Center and scheduled to work on the initial Kansas City Ballet building when their services were requested to help with the Todd Bolender Center. It was due to this prior relationship between architect, owner, and contractor that shaped the project delivery structure, and prevented it from going out to a bid process. Due to the convenience of working on these other projects there were some overlaps in subcontractors in the Kauffman Center and Todd Bolender Center projects, but due to the historic preservation and rehabilitation requirements of the project several additional consultants and subcontractors became involved. BNIM typically uses Building Information Management programs on their designs, and this project was no different. Autodesk Revit was used throughout the design process from beginning to end. Even in the Moshe Safdie design this was the typical working method for the Kansas City Ballet’s projects. The quality control on the program was managed internally at BNIM because of their high design standards and was enforced by each of the three project managers. Figure 9 Catwalk, bnim.com
financial risk and management From the beginning of the first design by Moshe Safdie the financials for the Kansas City Ballet were a prominent concern. It was precisely because of budget overruns that the first design was rejected. One of the benefits of choosing to rehabilitate the Powerhouse was that the budget was supplemented by state funding for historical preservation. Missouri has one of the most progressive tax credit components for historic preservation and this greatly aided the project on the financial side. The Todd Bolender Center would end up costing $39 million to construct but came with a $7 million endowment and $11 million in state and federal historic tax cuts for reviving this nearly extinct building. Much of the risk management issues that were incurred through the project were do the same aspects which gained the center its state and federal funding. Originally constructed in 1913, the Powerhouse had also been abandoned for over 40 years, so its condition was poor to say the least. Rigorous structural analysis had to be done to ensure that the building could meet current International Building Code. Accessibility was another issue that had to be dealt with, but the Todd Bolender Center was able to become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act afforded full access to all parts of the Powerhouse. Figure 10 Before - Main Lobby, bnim.com
project resources The biggest resource for the Todd Bolender Center came from the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation which was also the major backer behind the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts and Moshe Safdie’s initial design for the Kansas City Ballet. After Muriel Kauffman’s passing in 1995 her daughter Julia began to push forward her mother’s desires for a performing arts center in downtown Kansas City. Due to this large financial push for the performing arts the Kansas City Ballet was able to partner with the Kauffman Center and tap into some of the resources that it would provide. With such a grand facility as a partner, the Kansas City Ballet was able to use this facility as its performance stage, relegating the Todd Bolender Center as more of a practice space. This significantly reduced the financial burden that a larger facility housing a performance stage would require. A second but no less important resource was governmental funding for the rehabilitation of a historic building. Without tax credits this project would not have happened and with the limited funds from donors the Kansas City Ballet would have likely had a much less impactful facility.
Julia Kauffman
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stories Not only does the Todd Bolender Center provide numerous opportunities for the dance community in Kansas City, but comes with many stories in its development as well. Once the literal powerhouse for Union Station, it has now been transformed into another type of generative function but instead of turning coal into electricity it now manufactures ballet. Rick Schladweiler had begun his career working on another project on the Union Station campus in Kansas City, so it seems fitting that he finished the design process as the project manager for BNIM. To this day Rick visits the building often, as his daughter performs in the very same building. In our team’s visit we found a profound reverence for the industrial relic of the early 20th century only to discover the delicate and beautiful art of ballet being practiced within. The monumentality of the building only heightens the attention to the fluid movements performed at the human scale.
Figure 12 (left) After - Main Lobby, bnim.com Figure 13 (right) KC Ballet Practice, kcballet.org
ideas Capitalizing on contrast between the industrial nature of the building with the delicate art performed within has driven many of the design choices within the Todd Bolender Center. Retaining many of the fixtures used for energy production was not merely a necessity, but the design proudly displays them. Upon entering coal hoppers announce themselves in bright orange amidst the greys and muted reds of the building interior. A ballet studio in a power plant presents a one of a kind experience and this was not forgotten in the design. If you find yourself thirsty on the third floor you can use the drinking fountain at the base of a smokestack that used to spew black clouds into the Kansas City air. Its moments like these that showcase the many opportunities this project has presented and the innovative ways in which these juxtapositions are unveiled.
Figure 14. Chimney, bnim.com
measures of success With construction of the Kauffman Center underway on the former site of the Ballet’s facility and the intended Safdie design being rejected, the Kansas City Ballet was in dire need of a new home. All of the services required to take the Powerhouse from a dilapidated industrial remnant to a functioning home were able to be completed in 17 months making this project successful in terms of fulfilling a pressing need for the client. This is the most basic of successes that the Todd Bolender Center has achieved. Besides becoming a beacon for the performing arts in Kansas City, the Todd Bolender Center has received over 14 awards including the National Preservation Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation (2012) and Project of the Year from the International Concrete Repair Institute (2011). This building is so well received by the city of Kansas City that it has earned the moniker of “the living room of the performing arts.”
Figure 15Construction Process, “Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity - SlideShare.” 37
lessons learned Flexibility in practice and design was demonstrated through the many challenges faced by the Todd Bolender Center. Rather than abandoning the project altogether when the Moshe Safdie design fell through there was a pushback to find a better suited home for the Kansas City Ballet. This flexibility leads to the second lesson of taking the chance opportunities when they present themselves. Steve McDowell had been looking at the abandoned Powerhouse for some time when the opportunity arose to give it new life. In trying to find a new use for the building there hadn’t seemed to be a great fit for someone willing to take it on. When the opportunity for a new use arose in the form of the Kansas City Ballet, the perseverance of Steve McDowell paid off. A good maintaining of relationships always pays off. Even though BNIM was attached to the rejected Moshe Safdie design they were not abandoned with the design. A good relationship was established and with the understanding of the Ballet’s specific needs BNIM was able to use that relationship to foster both business and design. Open-mindedness is something that everyone could stand to learn from. While the Powerhouse seemed like an outlandish suggestion for a ballet facility, it was having an open mind that allowed for a design to be flushed out. In the reuse of such a brute of a building for such a delicate art form, the notion that art can happen anywhere is truly proven in the Todd Bolender Center of Dance & Creativity. Figure 16 Catwalk, bnim.
thank you Professor: Ann Sobiech-Munson, AIA BNIM: Greg Sheldon, AIA Hollis + Miller Architects: Rick Schladweiler, AIA Kansas City Ballet: Jeffrey Bentley, Executive Director Kevin Amey, General Manager
reference list Amery, Kevin and Jeffrey Bentley. Personal Interview. 13 October, 2016. “BNIM.” N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016. “Kansas City Ballet | Official Site.” N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016. Schladweiler, Rick. Personal Interview. 8 November, 2016. Sheldon,Greg. Personal Interview. 29 September, 2016. “Sustainability in the 2013 AIA Honor Awards.” Sustainability in the 2013 AIA Honor Awards. Architect Magazine, 14 Jan. 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2016. “Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity | JE Dunn ...” N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. “Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity SlideShare.” N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.