Debbie Allen's Academy Scatters L.A.'S Conjunctive Points - Brief Article

Dance Magazine, April, 2001 by Sara Wolf

In a controversial move that surprised students and teachers alike, the landlord of Conjunctive Points Dance Center in Los Angeles closed down the studio in January and reopened it as the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

Located in a former aerospace factory in Culver City, Conjunctive Points had been home to a consortium of dance instructors offering classes in jazz, tap, tango, flamenco, salsa, modern, release technique and ballet. Owners Frederick and Laurie Samitaur Smith also provided reasonable hourly rates to three resident companies--American Repertory Dance Company (ARDC), Jazz Tap Ensemble and Helios Dance Theater--and dedicated a 6,000-square-foot studio to ballet master and former Royal Ballet principal Stanley Holden.

According to many who taught and danced there, the center provided two things Los Angeles sorely lacked--a school and performance space for professionals, and a hub for L.A.'s far-flung dance community. "Los Angeles has always presented the enormous challenge of creating synergy," says ARDC Artistic Director Bonnie Oda Homsey. "CPDC was a gathering place, and for a brief while fulfilled a great need."

This changed in December when the tenants were informed that "due to a planned reorganization of the Dance Center," their monthly use agreements would not be renewed. In their stead, the Smiths negotiated a three-year lease of the entire facility to Emmy Award-winning dancer-choreographer Debbie Allen.

Allen, an artist in residence at the Kennedy Center for the past seven years, enlisted Adrienne Dellas Thornton, formerly of the Kirov Ballet Academy in Washington, D.C., and renowned dancers such as Carmen de Lavallade and Dudley Williams to help her establish an academy for children. Out of 500 applicants, the new school selected 150 students who will take twelve lessons per week in ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop and African dance. The school also offers a "pre-academy" preparatory program and plans to establish a professional ensemble that will perform annually.

Several sources said Frederick Smith had complained about losing money on Conjunctive Points. In a January 6 Los Angeles Times article, however, the Smiths, who declined to comment on the controversy for this article, stated that Allen's artistic vision, not economics, motivated their decision. They also contended that tenants were not living up to a mandate to develop their dream of a youth academy, professional company and public performances.

This allegation, says ballet teacher and former Pacific Northwest Ballet principal Reid Olson, "is absolutely false. I just fronted $8,000 of my own money in October producing an in-house concert. But Stanley and I weren't invited over there to manifest Frederick's vision; we were invited to teach ballet class."

When interviewed, Allen admitted that she hadn't been aware of the studio's history, but said, "This is all about the kids, so anything that happens has to go straight-line towards whatever works--they come first." She invited CPDC instructors to stay on as part of her academy, but to date only one has taken her up on the offer.