With only three weeks to move their intricate dance floors, the Evergreen City Ballet is now open at its new location.

“It’s wonderful for the dancers to have a place where they can go and be educated in a state of the art facility,” said Kevin Kaiser, the artistic director.

The move to South Renton comes with a 10-year lease, which creates the stability to the non-profit needs to grow, Kaiser said.

The move wasn’t easy, but ECB opened on time, Sept. 1. It’s first performance was mid-October with a young choreographer’s showcase.

“Considering all that had to be done, I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome,” Kaiser said.

The studio floors made the move difficult. They’re made of woven pattern of one-by-fours topped with plywood.

“It was a challenge, but it was a fun challenge,” Kaiser said.

The floor was carefully taken apart, then reassembled board by board.

“It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle,” said ECB director Lawrence Fried.

With about 7,600 square feet, about half the size of their location on South Second Street, the new building at 2230 Lind Ave. S.W. is a better fit.

Two dance rooms are split by a curtain, which ECB hopes to replace with a retractable wall. For performances the rooms are joined and black box seating is set up.

A smaller dance studio was built for children. Tall glass windows face the lobby, so parents can watch as little ones twirl.

The new building is surrounded by a greenbelt, providing a more tranquil atmosphere.

“It’s a comfortable place,” Kaiser said. “It’s setup exactly how we need it.”

The move wasn’t without financial burden.

“When all is said and done, we’ll be in the six figure range,” Kaiser said.

However, with a new building comes new naming opportunities, and for ECB this means everything from dance studios to lobby furniture and telephone systems is available for naming.

“We’re always looking for people who want to help the arts,” Kaiser said.

The old McLendon’s Hardware building ECB moved from is still available for lease with a couple interested companies.

“Mr. Cugini was absolutely wonderful to us,” Kaiser said of his former landlord, Renton’s Alex Cugini Jr.

ECB is South King County’s only professional ballet company and hopes to continue connecting with Renton residents.

“We’re building relationships throughout the community as quickly as possible,” Kaiser said.

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