Made to Move

For Pace University’s Commercial Dance students, stepping into the newly revitalized spaces at One Pace Plaza East was more than a first look. It was a first feeling.

The mirrors. The scale. The studios. The theaters. The sense that, at last, this was a place built with them in mind.

“My first impression of the new One Pace Plaza East space was WOW,” said Naomi Bowen ’26. “Almost too good to be true, the state-of-the-art design and technology we have.”

Opening in Fall 2026, One Pace Plaza East marks a bold new chapter for Pace University’s New York City Campus and for Sands College of Performing Arts. The transformation will create a dynamic home for learning, performance, creativity, and community, including state-of-the-art classrooms, creative arts and collaboration spaces, student housing in Maria’s Tower, and a new Performing Arts Center with three theater venues, including a reimagined 430-seat Schimmel Theater.

But on one spring day, just before graduation, the future of the space came alive in a very Pace way: through students.

A group of Sands Commercial Dance students entered the building for a social media shoot meant to capture their first impressions. What happened next became something bigger. Given a new space, a guerrilla camera crew, and very little time, the students began creating. Within about 20 minutes, they had choreographed and blocked original performances in the new spaces, adjusting in real time, directing one another, and transforming the shoot into a showcase of what Pace students do best.

They made something from nothing.

For Bowen, the approach was simple: “YES, AND.”

That spirit of collaboration, flexibility, and fearless experimentation is central to the Commercial Dance experience at Pace. Students are trained not only to perform, but to think like working professionals—to understand the camera, the audience, the product, the room, and the moment.

Bowen said the experience immediately brought her back to the program’s Los Angeles semester, led by Mandy Moore, one of the industry’s leading choreographers. In a course called Choreography for the Camera, students were often asked to create quickly and intentionally.

“It taught me that in these fast-paced environments, you have to be adaptable. And honestly, after performing shirtless on SNL with Harry Styles, nothing seems too scary anymore!”

“Our teachers Mandy and Jillian Meyers, assisted by the wonderful Claire, would do warm-up exercises at the top of class where we only had five minutes to create, forcing us to be quick on our feet,” Bowen said. “When we had longer work sessions, we focused on questions such as, ‘How do we motivate the camera?’ ‘What is the product?’ and ‘Who is the audience?’ That is what guided us throughout this little shoot.”

Aiden Powers ’26 saw the same training come to life. During the shoot, Powers helped direct the group while keeping the energy creative, focused, and fast-moving.

“In Commercial Dance, we go to LA for our junior spring under the direction of Mandy Moore,” Powers said. “In our Choreography for the Camera course, Mandy and Jillian frequently gave us complex tasks with limited parameters and a short amount of time. Collaboration was crucial to make those projects successful.”

That preparation showed. The students moved through the space with the confidence of performers and the instincts of creators, quickly shaping ideas, testing angles, and making decisions.

“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is a successful leader is decisive and doesn’t waste five minutes deciding if something works or not,” Powers said. “Making those quick decisions creates an efficient environment.”

For Powers, the shoot is also connected to recent professional experiences, including performing on Saturday Night Live with Harry Styles and with the cast of Dancing with the Stars. Those moments reinforced the importance of adapting quickly when movement meets the camera.

“We would get rehearsal footage back and they would immediately change numerous things to fit the camera better, almost like how we were adjusting choreography based on different takes with T-bone,” Powers said. “It taught me that in these fast-paced environments, you have to be adaptable. And honestly, after performing shirtless on SNL with Harry Styles, nothing seems too scary anymore!”

That mix of discipline, humor, skill, and confidence helped make the video resonate. The first social media post from the shoot quickly amassed more than 40,000 views, offering the Pace Community—and future performers—a glimpse of what is coming.

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For Holly Evans, program head of the BFA Commercial Dance Department, the day captured exactly what the new space represents.

“Having a dedicated space to celebrate the performing arts and arts education is transformative for our Sands programs,” Evans said. “It shows the University’s commitment to the arts and the amazing artists we train at Pace. NYC is the heartbeat for the performing arts, and our new building is right in the center of this energy.”

Watching students experience the studios for the first time, Evans said, felt like seeing the future of the program unfold in real time.

“As I watched my students walk into the new dance space, I immediately saw the future flash in front of my eyes,” she said. “They were so excited to be in the space and immediately wanted to share it with their peers who hadn’t seen it yet.”

The moment also reflected the culture of the Commercial Dance program: collaborative, generous, ambitious, and deeply connected.

“The culture of our program is a family and that was clear that day,” Evans said. “The oldest students immediately took leadership roles setting up the video concepts and blocking. The younger students collaborated but also respected the vision of our seniors. They all wanted what is best for each other and the program as a whole.”

“It felt like damn, I think I am ready,” Bowen said. “All the knowledge and tools I have accumulated over the years will be put to great use.”

For the graduating seniors, the experience carried an added meaning. They were standing inside a space that future Pace performers will soon call home, while also preparing to step into their own professional futures.

“It felt like damn, I think I am ready,” Bowen said. “All the knowledge and tools I have accumulated over the years will be put to great use.”

Powers felt that readiness, too—especially in the challenge of communicating movement to dancers, camera operators, managers, and even T-bone.

“This impromptu directing experience made me realize just how much I’ve learned, and how much I love directing,” he said.

For the Pace Community, One Pace Plaza East is not just a new building. It is momentum. It is a place where students can rehearse, create, perform, collaborate, and lead in an environment designed to match the caliber of their training.

“Sands has been able to produce great artists with limited resources,” Evans said. “I can only imagine what we will be able to do now. The future for Sands is limitless.”

And for the students who danced through the studios before the doors officially open, the message was clear: this space is ready for them.

Soon, it will be ready for everyone else.