Look up at the FLI-City Studios stage during one of their new community talent exhibitions, and you might catch a group of dancers performing. That’s not unexpected in a dance studio. But the next act could be Rich Small, a longtime fixture in Flint’s music scene, playing a saxophone solo. Then maybe followed by a hip hop performance, or even a comedic game show hosted by FLI-City Studios co-owner Jared Hurd that pulls local author Connor Coyne out of the audience to participate.
There isn’t necessarily a theme, other than a desire to showcase a cross section of the immense creative talent Flint has to offer in an approachable setting. FLI-City hosted their second ever variety show, this one called ‘After the Ides of March,’ on March 27 at their studio, located at 2321 Corunna Road, near the old Zimmerman Center on Flint’s westside. The showcase was the second hosted by the studio, with the first taking place last October and another planned for August this year.
“The first time we did this, we got great feedback and people said, ‘When’s the next one?,’” said Alisyn Hurd, who co-owns and operates FLI-City Studios with husband Jared. “So we were like, let’s schedule it! We’re trying to do three a year actually.”
This particular showcase featured dance performances by FLI-City Studios Modern Dance Ensemble students as well as Vertical Ambition, a professional dance company and crew. Small performed two solos. THOT SQUAD, a popular Flint hip hop artist currently on tour with Qveen Herby, also performed. Dancers mixed in fun, famous renditions of dance scenes from movies like Napoleon Dynamite and Save the Last Dance, among others, and played comedic versions of game shows like Family Feud and Jeopardy. The point is simply to have fun.
“We’ve done dance concerts before, ever since 2008 in different places,” said Jared Hurd. “But we really wanted to bring the community in and highlight them. Rich is often playing in large ensembles, in jazz bands all over Flint. So to see him do solo work is awesome. To bring friends who are in the arts community and are also on a higher level touring and doing things, to bring them into a smaller show and get that kind of exposure to the crowd that maybe wouldn’t normally see them, that makes me pretty excited. I love mixing it up. We’ve had belly dancers in the past, and we’re trying to expand into more things. We’d love to see some step teams, or bands too.”
Creating excitement around various forms of performing arts and music is in line with work FLI-City Studios has led in the city since 2013. They’ve been in their Corunna Road location since 2018. The dance company and community hub focuses on using movement and the arts to inspire personal growth, creativity, and cultural expression.
They also emphasize accessibility by offering classes for all ages and skill levels in styles like breaking, hip hop, ballet, and contemporary. They also provide financial assistance to ensure anyone can participate.
“It’s kind of like this hidden little spot,” Jared Hurd said. “This used to be a theatre a long time ago, and then it was a ballroom place for a while. So we’re kind of continuing the entertainment aspect of the building and the history of it. We live in the same neighborhood that our studio is in, so we feel very connected. All we’ve ever done from the beginning and wanted to do was to make it accessible for people to dance and access the arts. We need more places where they can be accessed inexpensively. Public schools used to be a place where you had access for free to the arts, but that’s not always the same at studios. They’re often very expensive, and so we’re happy to be here, connected to the city and always giving back.”
For Alisyn Hurd, getting exposure to dance when she was young was particularly important for her, which motivated her to find ways to provide those types of opportunities for others.
“I love it (dance) because I was always a hyperactive kid and I’ve been moving my whole life,” she said. “There is catharsis, there is release of serotonin and dopamine in dancing. There’s community and friendship in dancing. And then it’s just really fun. Performing is my favorite thing in the world. I love performing. When I was a little kid, I didn’t know what I wanted to be, but I knew I wanted to perform. But even in our classes here, not everybody wants that, and that’s okay. We don’t force anybody to do the performances. We just give them opportunities if they want to. So we just like people to keep dancing. The dance community is a place where you can be expressive and be your true self. And we want to have that type of atmosphere here and we want everyone that walks in this door to feel that welcomeness.”
Part of that inclusiveness includes welcoming dancers of all ages and backgrounds. Both Alisyn and Jared have been motivated by experiences in other studios, where classes for adults are minimal because they’re focused on preparing students who want to dance professionally, not dance just for the personal joy of it without a professional goal in mind.
“Jared and I have worked at a lot of studios where basically once you graduate high school, it’s like, ‘Alright, don’t come back,’” Alisyn Hurd said. “I just think it’s really sad that you can put 10 years of training into something and then just walk away from it. I think that adults deserve the opportunity to continue if they just love dancing and moving, they don’t have to be professional dancers. And we have a space here where people can continue training or start dancing for the first time. We have some people dancing here who’ve been dancing with us for like 10 years now, who never got to dance when they were kids. We just saw a gap and we had friends who would say, ‘Oh, I always wanted to dance,’ or, ‘I wish I could still take classes.’ And there’s no reason why you can’t. So probably 50% of our students are adults.”
Classes are offered for ages three all the way through adult, with information and pricing available on the FLI-City website. They offer drop-in and monthly rates for classes, as well as family and other discounts. They also have open sessions each week, where people can just come in and watch and see what they’re all about. Open sessions are free every Wednesday from 7:30-10 p.m. and feature people coming in and dancing in different styles, but also just talking and being a part of the culture and community. The Hurds encourage anyone who is curious about getting back into dance, or getting into it for the first time, to stop by and learn more. In the open sessions, they can just watch and meet people, there’s no requirement to participate.
“Even if you have initial fear, just do it (start dancing) and you’ll reap the benefits,” Jared Hurd said. “There’s nothing about doing art for yourself that hurts you in the long run. It’s only beneficial. You can’t own dance. So when you see it, you’re seeing it as it’s intended, live in the moment. The emotions are sincere. You’re vulnerable. The crowd’s vulnerable. And so as an art form, it keeps me extremely engaged and I love presenting it and sharing with others.”
Information about events or other programs at FLI-City Studios is also available on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Through all of their work, the goal is simply creating an inclusive space where dancers can build confidence and connect with others.
“Building community and supporting each other as artists is really important to us,” Alisyn Hurd said.
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