Check Out William Brown’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to William Brown.

Hi William, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In my mid-20s, dance and I found each other and formed a lifetime bond. Our intimate pas de deux continues today at age 72. How did I get into dance? In short, I had spinal problems, and my doc suggested I take ballet for alignment. It was soon thereafter that I met Terrance Curtis, my soon-to-be life partner who was a dancer. Serendipitous!
Terrance introduced me to jazz, and eventually ballet. To support our passion, five years later, in 1982, we dove into the unknown and officially opened Studio A Dance in Los Feliz. In 1989 we moved to our new — and current — dance home in Silver Lake. Although Terrance passed from leukemia in 2003, Studio A Dance has thrived, with only a few bumps along the way.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
At times, keeping the studio afloat has been a challenge. And when I say afloat, I mean literally afloat. After seven years in business, we came across a problem that only Noah’s Ark could have solved. In mid-August, the landlady was redoing the roof when a thunderstorm struck. That’s when we dancers buckled up and performed the rain dance tango, madly mopping our beautiful maple floor during which our landlady (let’s call her Alice) phoned and relayed “Why has God done this to me?” Terrance calmly replied, “Alice, my dear, please ask God to bring tarps.”
Terrance had a way about him that soothed every situation. And so, when he moved on to cloud dancing with Ruth St Denis, Isadora Duncan, and other dancing greats, a big portion of Studio A’s spirit vaporized. This void propelled me to perserve his kindness, cleverness, and generous love thriving within our atrium-temple of terpsichore. I will never stop trying.
Other bumps?
Yes. In 2014 our Silver Lake landlady offloaded the premises. She said, “I’ve sold the Hyperion building.” (I had suspected there were others). She continued by cheerfully announcing, “And the good news is the new tenant will give you three months to move, and I will cover your moving expenses.”
I failed to see the happiness in her statement, and therefore was ready to pack it in. I asked her why she didn’t approach me before selling, and her response was she knew I couldn’t afford it.
True, and so what?
That’s when our “dancer in the sky” bestowed upon our dance community a miracle for the arts. I was telling my morning class about the pending doom. “Susan” offered to lend me $20,000, and soon several others joined in. Within minutes, I had raised $65,000 toward the $150,000 down payment needed to purchase the million-dollar building. Word spread, until I found myself bathing in a waterfall of kindness in the form of fulfilling the down payment.
Fast forward 12 years and everyone was paid off, with interest.
Next bump in 2016, ventricle tachycardia (VT) struck. During one of my jazz classes I passed out. Later that evening, a cardiology team informed me that my racing heart condition is potentially lethal. To summarize, a defibrillator was implanted the following day, so I was not about to dance the fatal finale of The Red Shoes. I was placed on a daily meds regimen and was sent home with my defibrillator — to whom I refer to as Pal — intact. Since that day in the mid-teens, I’ve had seven VT episodes, all cured with shock treatment.
Well, all but one. On that occasion, my class witnessed me receiving five shocks in a row (18 seconds apart). This grande allegro was unstoppable, and I couldn’t catch my breath. Therefore, following the third shock, I calmly asked my alarmed class, Would someone please call 911? Once again, I was whisked to the ER where I received a chemical cure. Another VT zinger was when I was in the studio alone teaching a zoom jazz class for all to witness the event in real time. So near, yet so far.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Teaching jazz dance is my passion, and running my studio is a means to that end. The studio has evolved into a home for many independent entities who rent space. This group of artists include instructors of ballet, yoga, Pilates, and fencing, as well as hourly rentals for rehearsals to ballet soloists, actors, and such.
Me? I teach BodyBlast (cardio dance), Comfort Level (a stretch class in — and around– a chair via zoom) and jazz. Here’s the thing, as I’ve aged, my classes and content have evolved as well. Most of my students are as young as 60 and as mature as in their 80s. A few have been joining me for 40 years or so. I cheer on my cardio class as we dance cha-cha, soft shoe, and tango inspired movements. Oh, and the pony. Uncomplicated choreography that’s safe on the joints.
I particularly love teaching jazz. I teach a new combination each week, often to Broadway music, but to other genres as well. Plus, I’m a playful instructor. For example, if a particular song is playing, I ask the class to name the artist, or name the musical, and sometimes even the composer. Last Saturday, the answer was Andrew Lloyd Webber. Mostly seniors attend, but some young ins join in with the fun as well.
In a nutshell, I have adapted my classes to what I refer to as gesture-driven dance. Movements include stirring the soup, going bowling, rocking the baby, and cracking the whip. You get the idea.
Also, at the studio, we’ve hosted book parties as well as DanceSpot, our dance performance series (anyone is free to audition). Even a cellist from the LA Phil held a solo concert in our space for his friends and family.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Since I have lived in Los Angeles all my life, I am happy to expand on this subject. What I like most about our city is the topography (lack of flatness) and climate. Due to the mild weather, I have designed a lush outdoor waiting area at the studio that I refer to as the “tropical breezeway.” Oops, a tangent.
Back to my likes and dislikes.
Likes: Views from so many places. Pasadena’s flock of parrots. The Ahmanson Theatre, the proximity to local mountains (with snow!), an abundance of our citizens’ embracement of diversity.
Dislikes: Just one. Road diets. Let’s face it, we are not giving up our cars, even if the commute time increases. Anything else would count as pet-peeves. To end on a positive note, Studio A Dance, just like many of the independent enclaves in Los Angeles, represents a bonded community that exudes joy.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @studioadanceLA
• Facebook: @studioadanceLA