Metro for dance events

(I sent this out to some dance companies earlier today and thought I'd post here too)

Hi folks, this is Nathan from Intrepid Theatre writing. We run the Metro Studio Theatre on Quadra Street in downtown Victoria. I've put together a list of local dance companies I wanted to introduce ourselves to this year, to let you know what we now have in terms of a performance and rehearsal venue for dance. Please feel free to forward this to associates.

The Metro has turned out to be as popular a venue for dance as it is for anything, which sort of surprised us when we opened the space 18 months ago. We have already hosted events by Centrepointe Dance, Suddenly Dance Theatre, Academy of Ballet, Victoria Dance Series, Island Dance Studio, and the UVic theatre department for a Butoh show in April. We have upcoming events by Lynda Raino Dance and Ballet Victoria. There are several attractive things about the Metro for events like these, the first being the size of the stage. I sometimes think it's a little too large for the kinds of shows we at Intrepid produce (27'd X 37'w plus wings), but for dance it seems more ideal. The floor is sprung, lino over wood. Venue capacity is 200, and last month we installed brand new theatre seats. It is very well-equipped with lighting and audio systems - great control over lighting, as the walls and drapes are black. We have projectors, a piano, and a top-notch technical staff (our crew produces the Fringe Festival each August, about 250 shows over 12 days).

Current drawbacks include not enough dressing room space (renovations are expected this year), the small lobby (I can't wait for the renovations!), and sightlines in some rows. With the sightlines, now that our new seats are in we plan to reconstruct the audience risers to make them higher overall and shallower in each row, but this renovation is possibly 12 months away. Until then we have up to four or five rows on the same level as the stage unfortunately. We don't have mirrors or barres, unless you have some to donate!

The thing I hear from dance groups more than anything though is that the rates are great compared to other suitable venues. We knew our renters would be non-profits and small businesses so we put a lot of thought into making things more affordable. The standard rates are posted on the website (link below), and I'm the person to talk to about booking.

Lastly, I wanted to mention that although we are a very busy venue these days, we generally have good, regular availability weekdays before about 6pm, and early hours on weekends. If you are looking for a new workshop studio we may be able to work out a regular schedule, with an offer that meets your budget.

Ok! That's all the pitching I will do today. Take care,


Nathan