Debbie Allen Dance Academy moving to Crenshaw Plaza

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA), a Culver City fixture for almost nine years, is relocating to the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza shopping center, occupying the new digs beginning today.

The academy will celebrate the new space -- find it at 3791 Rosalia Drive -- with three days of open house events and performances June 25-27. As part of the June 26 festivities, one of the studio spaces will be dubbed the Berry Gordy Room after the Motown mogul. The dancing will take place on the roof of the mall in a series of concerts appropriately titled ‘Up On the Roof’; a final concert in that series will take place July 3.

The academy was invited to move to Crenshaw Plaza, home to more than 115 shops and restaurants as well as the Magic Johnson Theaters, by Capri Capital Partners, owner of the mall complex. Quintin E. Primo III, chairman and chief executive officer of the company, became a supporter of the dance academy after flying to Oakland to watch Allen conduct a master class for 300 students.

Allen is in London and could not be reached for comment Friday, but said in a statement: ‘We want the entire community to join us for our opening and experience DADA. We’ve got something for everyone -- tap, flamenco, modern, ballet, jazz and hip-hop ... everyone who comes will be dancing on the roof!’

-- Diane Haithman