Arts in Motion Spartanburg joining W Square revitalization on east side.
The arts will be taking center stage at the recently renovated W Square on the east side of Spartanburg.
Arts in Motion, currently located at 401 E. Kennedy St., will move into a 5,000-square-foot space at the shopping center in January, according to owner and instructor Rachel Epps.
Arts in Motion offers dance, acrobatics, tumbling, theater, voice and visual arts classes for preschool and grade school children throughout the week in the afternoons. Open six years, the business has grown from about 50 students to nearly 200 and needed a larger, upgraded space.
The new venue will include three performance-based studios for dance, acrobatics, tumbling, theater and voice classes, a dedicated art studio for visual art students, and a student lounge. There will also be space for building props for the two productions they stage each year.
The new studios are larger than the school's current studios and were designed by Epps to fit the students' needs. The studios will feature floating sub-floors that allow for better shock absorption, making them safer for dancers.
“The exciting thing about this new space is it will allow us to have full-scale rehearsals in the studio, so we’ll be able to see our productions come to life before dress rehearsal day at the theater,” Epps said.
Epps said W Square was appealing because of the family-friendly community atmosphere the new owners Josh Tew and Paul Halphen have planned. Arts in Motion will be joining Milltown Coffee Co., which opened in November and will be next door to Thai Basil and The Beerded Cork taproom when those restaurants open. The second location of Burrito Hub, also not yet open, and its shared green space for dining and play are within sight of the art school's new location.
“I’m really excited about the way Spartanburg is kind of growing out in that direction. The new owners have a great vision for the property, and we’re excited to be a part of that and to be more incorporated into that area of the community where most of our students are coming from,” Epps said. "I know some of our parents are very excited about dropping their kids off and going to grab something to eat, grab some coffee. It'll be a really great family environment in that shopping center."
Students can start class at Arts in Motion at 18 months old and the school is growing with its students, the oldest of which are 12 and 13 years old. Epps wants Arts in Motion to be a place where kids can explore the arts and the instructors are happy to take students who will be trying an activity for the first time.
Monthly tuition at Arts in Motion is $70, and the school has rolling admission and offers free trials. Parents can call the office, open noon-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, at 864-528-ARTS to enroll.
Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: The arts take center stage at east side shopping center W Square
