New building, new start for Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts

In the first two months of the school year, the Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts underwent more change than it had in years.

Over the summer, SPA moved into the old Rosslyn Heights Elementary building on 2291 East 2000 South, which had been standing empty for the better part of six years. As part of the move, the building was renovated to suit the needs of high school students, as well as the specific requirements of the school’s performing arts focus.

“All the neighbors we’ve met have been very happy that we’re there and the school is being used,” Artistic Director Joe Crnich said.

SPA held an open house in October so its neighbors could see the changes to the building and meet the students and faculty. Visitors were also treated to performances of students’ Shakespeare competition pieces.

The school is planning to make interaction with the community a regular occurrence, now that it finally has its own community to interact with, Crnich said. SPA would especially like its neighbors to come to students’ many performances -- often five or six are available at a time, with something for every taste.

Another community service SPA currently offers is a vet clinic at the school, providing vaccinations and licensing at half the cost of a regular vet.

SPA is a charter school associated with the Salt Lake School District. Students take their performance classes from SPA, and their core classes from Highland High. Before the move to the Rosslyn Heights building, SPA shared space with Highland, but now SPA students have a three to four minute shuttle ride between the two schools.

The new building has been great for SPA students so far, Principal Sheldon Worthington said.

“It’s helped us maximize their curricular activities,” he said.

Now that they have their own spaces to work in, and enough of the right kind of space - such as dance floors and stages, the students can shine brighter than ever. The building has also given them a clearer identity as a school separate from Highland, and someplace they can meet together that is their own, Worthington said.

“Our kids just like to be here,” he said.

Some of the specific renovations made to the building include two sprung dance floors, singing practice rooms, larger bathrooms, and lockers to replace the coat hooks. The gym was converted into a black box theatre, with the light-hanging structures, seating platforms and sound box built by technical theatre students.

“It gives us a lot more flexibility and a lot more intimacy as a performance space,” Crnich said.