KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Darby O'Connor with Circle Modern Dance teaches a ballet barre class on the roof of her building. She is almost alone. "My neighbor is up here. Say hey to Andrew. And his dog. Lots ...

For nearly a decade, neither snow nor sleet nor waking up early on a Saturday morning could keep a group of women from their modern dance classes at the Howard County Center for the Arts. Known as the ...