At Studio 1924, Melissa Agocs and Count Glover share the vision to provide an intimate, fun place for dancers where they can truly feel part of a community. Melissa and Count respond to a few questions about their inspiration to open Studio 1924.
Photo courtesy of Studio 1924 owners
When did you open your studio?
The studio has been open since September 2012. It has been keeping us busy and inspired ever since.
What influenced you to open the studio?
Count: My grandmother, Sadie Bruce, had a dance company and dance studio in Chicago that started in the late 20’s. With Studio 1924, I feel like I am keeping her legacy alive.
Melissa: Like many others I know, I can honestly say that learning how to dance changed my life. I would even say that it helped me realize and become the kind of person I want to be. I was feeling ready for a change in my career and had grown to love being a social dancer. After getting laid off from my job of thirteen years, I felt driven to start a business to help introduce the joy of dance to others.
What does your studio offer/focus on?
We offer classes ranging from Adult Ballet to Zumba. While we like to help experienced dancers enrich their dancing skills, we also focus on bringing new people into the community. We plan to add classes for children and teenagers in the near future as well.
Information on current classes can be found at studio1924.com/calendar. We offer classes during the daytime (11-11:45am, noon-12:45pm and 1-1:45pm) as part of the “Take 5” program and we also offer classes during the evenings. The “Take 5” lunchtime classes come with an option to have lunch included or not (from a neighboring café).
In addition to classes and workshops, the studio can be rented for private events.
What is your favorite memory in the studio?
Count: The day we opened.
Melissa: We decided to install a new dance floor in the studio soon after moving into the space. After some time on the job, Count and I realized it was too much to tackle on our own and several friends and regular customers pitched in their time and energy to help, showing us that we truly are building a community at the studio.
First dance memory?
Count: My first memory is watching my father performing on stage when I was two.
Melissa: I remember dancing wildly in the living room whenever I heard the Bee Gees as a little girl. I remember the music making me incredibly happy. Even as an adult, I can still get taken away by a song, though my repertoire has extended beyond the Bee Gees now.
Studio 1924 is located at 1924 Franklin St, Oakland, CA (walking distance from 19th St BART Station), 510-832-1702, www.studio1924.com
This studio along with 328 others can also be found online at www.bayareaspaces.org
This article appeared in the March 2013 issue of In Dance.
