front entrance of lathrop hall

Facilities

The Dance Department is located in the historic Lathrop Hall building, where it houses 12,600 square feet of studio space for class instruction and rehearsals and a fully equipped, 240-seat theater where it produces full-length concerts throughout the year.

In addition to traditional classroom space, Lathrop Hall also has several specialized laboratory and studio spaces.

Take a virtual tour of our building with Professor Chris Walker.

The Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space

This intimate, 240-seat, state-of-the-art theater is located within Lathrop Hall, and is operated by our resident, professional Theater Director and Lighting Designer, Claude Heintz.

Theater Specs

Learn more about the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space, including stage information, seating, lighting, and sound and video capabilities. When the theater is not in use for departmental activities, it is available for rent. Contact our Theater Director Claude Heintz to inquire about rental and use of the theater.

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How to Rent

During the regular fall and spring semesters, when the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space is not in use for Dance Department activities, it is occasionally available for other events. If you would like to use the performance space for your event, the following steps are necessary:

  1. Consult with the Dance Department theater director about the availability of the theater and the appropriateness of your event for the dance space.
  2. Complete a Facility Use Agreement Request and obtain a Facility Use Agreement including an estimate of Facility Use Fees from the Dance Department theater director.
  3. The Facility Use Agreement, along with the estimate of fees and a deposit (if required) is submitted by the theatre director to the School of Education for approval no less than one month prior to the event.
  4. The event is approved and the space is reserved for your use once the signed Use Agreement is returned to the Dance Department from the School of Education and you receive a copy.

Download the Use Agreement Request

Seating Capacity

240 total seats, some obstructed view.

Seating chart

Stage Information

  • Width: 34′ to onstage edge of fixed black legs.
  • Depth: 31′-6″ to black scrim. (35′ to permanent white cyc)
  • Height: 20′-3″ to fixed black borders
  • Floor: Permanent “L’air” sprung dance floor with semi-permanent “Harlequin” marley type surface

Curtains and Rigging

  • No main curtain.
  • Proscenium opening is mauve velour curtain, legs and border, color matches seats
  • No fly system: All curtains are fixed/dead-hung or travel on permanent tracks
  • 5 Sets of fixed black velour legs
  • 3 Fixed flat black borders
  • 1 Permanent white cyc with opaque front/rear projection surface
  • 1 Upstage black scrim, travels open and closed
  • 1 Midstage white scrim, travels open and closed
  • 1 9×12 Projection screen (flies) immediately behind main border
  • Lighting is from fixed pipe grid 25′-6″ above stage
  • Additional rigging is Dead Hang Only at discretion of the Technical Director.

Dressing Rooms

One room for warmup and costume/prop storage immediately backstage. Men’s and women’s locker rooms with mirrors and showers available near to backstage. There is no backstage page/sound system.

Lighting

Lighting is from house repertory light plot. Rep plot includes:

  • Warm & Cool Shins
  • Warm & Cool Heads
  • One Set High Sides (warm SR, cool SL 9 areas)
  • Blue Backlight (9 areas)
  • Backlight with Color Changers (9 areas)
  • Top No-Color Pools (3×3) see image
  • Warm and Cool Back Diagonals
  • Light Blue and No-Color Front in 6 areas
  • Cyc Colors; upper and lower
  • 6 specials with Rosco I-Cue moving mirrors

Minimal changes are possible at discretion of the technical director.

Sound and Video

  • Mackie SR24-4 24 channel mixer
  • Main Speakers: House left and right
  • Stage Speakers: Side fill, downstage left and right
  • Behind cyc, upstage left and right
  • Cassette and CD players

Microphone lines, stage to booth (7) as follows:

  • 1 downstage right
  • 2 upstage right
  • 2 downstage left
  • 2 upstage left

Microphones

  • 1 SM 57, general purpose/instrument
  • 1 SM 58, vocal
  • 2 PCC 160, floor
  • 2 Boom type mic stands

VHS VCR

  • Sanyo 9000 video projector

Sound System Reference PDF (includes diagrams)

Studio Space

Lathrop Hall has 12,600 square feet of studio space equipped with sprung floors, audio-visual systems, mirrors, mats, barres, portable lighting, and pianos.

studio space in lathrop hall at uw madison

Gallery Space

The Lathrop Hall Gallery Space is a stunning permanent exhibition of photographs, visual art, and films that bear witness to dance pioneer Margaret H’Doubler’s Radical Pedagogy when dance became a rigorous academic discipline.

visitor listens to video presentation during gallery opening at lathrop hall

Specialized Spaces

In addition to its studios and the theater, Lathrop Hall has several specialized laboratory and studio spaces, including Pilates Studio, Sound Lab, Video Lab, Costume/Sewing Room, and Drum Room, as well as classroom spaces for course lectures.

pilates equipment