Ground is broken for an all-new performing arts complex, the future home of the Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC), at 450 West 37th Street in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Construction is temporarily halted after the terrorist attacks of September 11.

BAC’s first resident artist, dancer/choreographer Aszure Barton, with dancers from The Juilliard School and her own company, develops Over/Come, first performed at Center for the Arts at Buffalo University on June 8, 2006.

The BAC fellowship program supports five graduate students of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts as they make the transition from university life to professional life.  These emerging artists receive time, space, and financial assistance to work on projects with the support of artistic mentors.

BAC’s administrative offices open, providing the first permanent home for staff.

The Movado Hour, a series of free chamber music concerts, launches with a performance by the Brentano String Quartet.

A program supporting visual artists is established with an exhibition of People by photographer Leonid Lubianitsky.

BAC forms Hell’s Kitchen Dance to showcase some of the work commissioned and created at the Center. The ensemble, comprising gifted young dancers affiliated with The Juilliard School and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, as well as Mikhail Baryshnikov, tours internationally with a repertoire of world premieres.

A program of workshops for professional artists is established with master classes taught by Azari Plisetsky for New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre dancers, open for viewing to instructors.

A lecture series is launched with a discussion featuring dancer Steve Paxton and dancer/choreographer Boris Charmatz, in collaboration with Danspace Project.

BAC launches its presentation series with Art Is Otherwise, a four-day festival conceived by Toni Morrison and co-presented by the French Institute Alliance Française, including the U.S. premiere of You Made Me a Monster by William Forsythe; a public dialogue between Morrison and Forsythe; and a chamber music concert by the Alliance Players with commentary by Morrison.

A jazz series with live radio broadcast is launched with a performance by Henry Butler, New Orleans jazz pianist, co-presented by the Jazz Foundation of America and WBGO public radio.

BAC signs a letter of agreement to purchase “Theater C” within the 37 Arts building from the consortium that owns the three theaters at the site.

The Orchestra of St. Luke’s expresses its interest in purchasing “Theater A” and “Theater B” in the 37 Arts building.

BAC announces that it will provide artistic direction for a new arts festival at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida.

BAC completes the purchase of “Theater C,” which is to re-open, after renovation, as the Jerome Robbins Theater.

BAC Flicks, a new film and discussion series is launched with the screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary Man on Wire, followed by a Q&A with Philippe Petit.

Renovation of Theater C begins.

BAC opens the new Jerome Robbins Theater.   

The Wooster Group, BAC’s new resident theater company, gives a performance of North Atlantic in the Jerome Robbins Theater. 

The Orchestra of St. Luke’s opened The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, becoming BAC’s building partner within the performing arts complex at 450 W. 37th Street.