Save the Mobtown Ballroom

To us, Mobtown Ballroom is a second home. It’s our primary destination at the end of a long day. A place where we can dance, listen to live music, and share quality time with friends.

However, in light of the ongoing health crisis of COVID-19, the Mobtown Ballroom has made the difficult decision to close their doors for the foreseeable future. The ballroom owners, Michael and Sarah, have made this choice in the interest in protecting the health and safety of both the swing dance community and the broader Baltimore community.

As a creative arts space, Mobtown was built to bring people together. The current closure is a devastating blow to the business of the ballroom. Without dancers and students, the livelihood of the Ballroom, its instructors, and its staff is in jeopardy.

If the ballroom is forced to remain closed for more than a month, it could be closed forever.

We are raising $10,000 to be gifted to the Mobtown Ballroom. This money will help pay for rent, utilities, and insurance while the space is unable to host events and classes. We would need to raise at least $20,000 to cover the staff’s salaries as well as the building expenses.

If you are a dancer, or know and love a dancer, please consider a minimum donation on par with what you may spend on social dances, bar tab, and classes (about $115/month for the average class-taking social-dancer). For others, please consider donating what you can to help support the arts and to preserve this community space in Baltimore.

If a financial donation isn’t feasible for you, but you’d like to help in other ways, there will be opportunities to help volunteer posted by Michael and Sarah on their COVID-19 response Facebook group (such as helping refinish the floors).

Finally, we'd love to hear from you about why you want to save the Mobtown Ballroom. Please send photos or short (30-second maximum) videos to [email redacted] explaining what you love about Mobtown, or sharing your favorite memories.