Help Alden Moves Open A Permanent Studio At 1203 Church Avenue
Photo via Alden Moves
We have exciting news! Alden LaPaglia, the founder and owner of Alden Moves Dance Theater, let us know that they will soon be moving to a storefront space at 1203 Church Avenue (between Westminster and Argyle Roads).
To help them open their new site, which will be called Studio 1203, Alden Moves has launched a Kickstarter campaign, which neighbors can donate to by going here through Friday, January 16.
Alden was kind enough to let us know more about their new home – a 1,000-square-foot open space storefront in Prospect Park South that will house a variety of dance programs for neighbors of all ages.
What will the space be like?
When renovations are complete, it will feature a sprung hardwood dance floor of at least 600 square feet, mirrors, a baby grand piano, and a sound barrier curtain (so the space can be opened for a crowd or closed to create a lobby). It also has a nice size backyard that we will start using in the spring.
What will be offered there, and why did you want to open this site?
Studio 1203 will house Alden Moves Dance Theater’s current dance program for kids ages 2.5-7 and adults, classical Pilates mat classes, and company rehearsals. As a dancer and now a dancer/singer/actress, I’ve been teaching dance and Pilates alongside my performing for the past 12 years. I began choreographing to find a new voice in which jazz, modern, and ballet meet to create exciting new work and have dreamed of creating a home for my teaching and company projects for years. I moved to Ditmas Park three years ago, and in getting to know our active creative community, knew this was the place I wanted to build it. I began offering my own classes in the neighborhood last November, and they’ve been growing ever since. For more information on classes, visit Alden Moves’ website.
What will you be able to offer at the new space that you can’t now?
To best serve the community, we’ll be offering tiered prices for classes, rehearsals, and events – an offering not currently available anywhere else in area. We’ll also have a large winter play space available so that kids have somewhere to stretch their legs when it’s too cold to play outside. Finally, we’ll offer discounts on our hourly rental prices for renters booking five or more hours per week, another thing which I was never able to find in the neighborhood. Our goal is to make it more affordable for artists to self-produce (something many do already but can not afford to do at the non-subsidized rental prices in our neighborhood), artists and fitness professionals to offer classes (allowing neighbors to more affordably take classes), and families to have access to a little extra space when they need it.
Alden also added that for neighbors who donate to the Kickstarter campaign, there are a bunch of things you’ll get as a reward, including discounts on classes, birthday parties, play space, and space rentals.
Good luck, Alden, and we’re looking forward to seeing the new Studio 1203!