A dedicated studio space for dance classes at the Des Moines Social Club has gotten a face-lift  and a boost on future programming through a partnership between the Social Club and UnityPoint Health-Des Moines.  

UnityPoint Health made a two-year commitment for the project totaling $12,500, which was matched with a $12,500 grant from Bravo Greater Des Moines. The space is now known as the UnityPoint Health Movement Studio. The partnership represents a commitment by UnityPoint and the Social Club to collaborate on providing a community space to encourage more social interaction to promote well-being, say the project’s leaders. 
Brad Watkins, the Des Moines Social Club’s development director, said his organization was looking for a deeper connection with a sponsor that would go beyond just receiving a check. 

“We really want to be good stewards of the money we receive, so we identified that our movement studio would be a good space that fits some of the goals that UnityPoint was looking to achieve in the community,” Watkins said.  
The funding from UnityPoint Health enabled the Social Club to complete an extensive renovation of the studio, to include installing a new dance floor, new lighting and sound systems, and ballet bars. 

Chris McCarthy, community health project manager with UnityPoint Health-Des Moines, said the project addresses a need for more social connectedness identified in annual community health needs assessments. “We’re looking to work with partners to create better opportunities for social interaction with diverse types of folks and diverse types of activities,” he said. “And obviously, anytime you can inject physical movement, it helps physical health.” 

The renovated space will enable the Social Club to jazz up its dance class offerings, with one of the first new classes an adult hip-hop class it recently started. The second-floor dance studio, which at one time was the dormitory of the historic fire department headquarters, is filled with natural light from windows on two sides, with mirrors along the long wall of the 44-foot by 22-foot room. 

“With UnityPoint’s sponsorship, we’ve committed to yearly scholarships so that there are no access barriers to any of our classes,” Watkins said. “They’re supporting and helping us to continue that initiative. Next year, they’ll be helping us identify other community nonprofits and organizations that could utilize the space, specifically for cultural and other community outreach events.” 

The space is also available for organizations to rent for private events, he said. 

“And any organization that would want to look into doing a partnership like this, we would love to talk to them about getting deeper roots into the community,” Watkins said. “We really want to be everybody’s social club — it’s important that we represent the community.”