He tangos, she dances ballet. They teamed up to fight lack of arts space in Charlotte
The struggle to find a place to teach tango resulted in Charlotte dance instructors Matthew Seneca and Sarah Harkins holding classes in fitness studios and community centers.
But now, they’ve decided to make their own space by opening an event venue near Plaza Midwood.
The venue is called The Long Room. It will welcome not only artists in need of a space to create, but also events, from weddings to live concerts and corporate events. When it opens in September, it will serve as the home of Tango CLT, where Seneca and Harkins teach weekly tango classes.
Seneca owns Tango CLT and The Long Room, running both as a team with Harkins.
Their new destination, between the Plaza Midwood and Belmont neighborhoods, is a 2,800-square-foot building that dates to 1953. Its design plays on original details, like exposed brick and concrete walls, as well as new additions such as a sound system, dance floor and theatrical lighting.
Seneca said Charlotte needs more spaces like The Long Room, as areas for the arts community can be hard to come by.
“There’s a huge number of creatives and artists who are struggling to find space just to be themselves,” he said. “There’s very few spaces that are affordable and accessible and available to artists who are not necessarily going to be selling out Panther stadium.”
Originally, the building was two stories with low ceilings, Harkins said. They created a dance floor and balcony by cutting a large hole in the second floor, recreating the vibe of a tango club they visited in Buenos Aires.
That club had a large dance floor full of people, with a balcony above for spectators, Harkins said. There were lights, a bar and plenty of space for dancing — all of which they included in The Long Room’s design.
They will provide audio visual equipment for rent, and staff that will set up tables and chairs for events and other client needs, according to the venue website. The space also provides parking, bar facilities and a kitchen.
The venue is in the former Nestlewood Realty office building at 1111 Central Ave.
These two can tango
Seneca is an experienced Argentine tango dancer, former actor and high school English teacher. He met Harkins, a former Charlotte Ballet dancer, during the pandemic when the ballet’s season was canceled.
He took ballet lessons from her then began to teach Harkins about the tango. They started dancing together regularly in 2021, and started Tango CLT a year later in March 2022.
The dance organization holds classes on Tuesdays, and hosts social dancing events twice a week around Charlotte. Finding a space to dance has always been a concern factor for the business.
The Tuesday night classes were originally taught out of MoveStudio Charlotte, near the Oakhurst neighborhood, in a Pilates studio. They later held their classes to the Midwood International and Cultural Center, which was bought by a developer and is moving to a smaller location, causing Tango CLT to move again.
This was one of the many catalysts for their purchase of The Long Room property, Seneca said. He bought the site for $1.4 million in 2022, according to county tax documents. They plan to move the Tango Tuesday classes to The Long Room once it opens.
“Argentine Tango has always been a bit homeless,” Seneca said. “It’s always happened in coffee shops and bars and sometimes on the street, and wherever there’s a little bit of room in a hardwood floor to dance. And that’s been our journey so far.”
But that will change at the opening of their venue.
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