Seattle’s Century Ballroom to close in 2025

SEATTLE, Wash. — Seattle’s Century Ballroom is closing.

Owner Hallie Kuperman and long-time instructor Alison Cockrill recently announced the decision on Facebook.

“We’ve lived our dream for 28 years and it seems like it’s time to let that go,” Kuperman said.

It’s been a staple in the Capitol Hill neighborhood since 1997, promoting social dancing of all different styles. From Argentine tango to lindy hop and line dancing, Century Ballroom has something for everyone. It’s a place where people from all walks of life come to express themselves and try something new.

Kuperman said their lease is up in August and they won’t be re-signing because rent is astronomically high.

“We would have to raise our prices a lot and it just doesn’t fit the mission to have a diverse clientele that can afford to come out more than once a week,” Cockrill noted.

In trying to keep the business afloat, they downsized so much that they no longer have a large enough staff to continue.

“Our passion is to do exactly what we’ve done and we love it,” Kuperman said. “So we want to make the choice about how to leave this business as opposed to try and fight to keep it going for another couple years.”

Classes will continue through the beginning of the new year, and the pair said there will be a party for the ballroom’s 28th anniversary on March 1.

Kuperman said they don’t have an exact closing date at this time.

Kuperman also owns The Tin Table, a restaurant next door. No word whether it will stay open after the ballroom closes.

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