Troupe movement: Pennsylvania Ballet relocating to N. Broad space

The Pennsylvania Ballet will construct a new home soon in Center City Philadelphia as the classical dance company prepares to demolish buildings on North Broad Street to build its new studios.

The Pennsylvania Ballet is right now a scattered organization; its administration offices are located at 18th and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, while rehearsal studios are in East Falls.

Its new home, at 321 Broad St. just north of the Vine Street Expressway, will position the company in a single location. Performances still will be staged primarily at the Academy of Music.

Executive director Michael Scolamiero said the new facility will allow the company to launch a ballet school in addition to studio space for its performance company.

“There are not enough studios to open our school, and the studios in East Falls are not sufficient in size to prepare for outreach in the community,” he said. “They’re perfectly suitable for a professional company, but we really need a large main studio that the company would be able to do blocking for productions that are on stage at the Academy of Music.”

Some of the existing buildings at the new site will be converted into offices and studios–others will be demolished to build new spaces. Scolamiero said the location–a half-block from the expressway–is convenient for parents driving their kids in from the suburbs to attend classes.