Everyone wants to know how I got into all this, said Matt Lincir, managing member of Alvas LLC. I was born here, in the dance studio my parents Rosalie and Alva Lincir built in 1952. My mom who taught dance, was giving a class and she was doing a plie. Without missing a beat, she gave birth to me. Not letting anything like childbirth get in the way, my mother continued with the class. After the class, they brought me upstairs to the apartment and I have been there ever since – that was 1957.
Since the 50’s when The Rosalie and Alva School of Ballet and Allied Arts opened, The Lincir Family has presented live local dance and music performance.
Growing up with my parents, dancing on stage was part of the deal. They would have recitals and we had quite a few fine dancers at the time. My parents were working television and film, and it was quite a draw for the locals in San Pedro. This encouraged people to take ballet from my mom and dad.
Rosalie and Alva would perform, as well producing these events, demonstrating to young Matt Lincir what real professional entertainment was all about – particularly in the area of dance and music. There were the rules that hang on the wall:
BOARD RULES GOVERNING DANCING ACADEMIES
In Addition to City Ordinances
RULE No. 1. – No dancing shall be permitted between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. of any day.
RULE No. 2. – No instruction in dancing shall be conducting or carried on between the hours of 12:00 o’clock midnight of any day of the week and 6:00 o’clock a.m. of the following day.
RULE No. 3. – Any conduct or activity which disturbs the peace and quiet of the surrounding neighbors shall be prevented and controlled.
RULE No. 4. – No person shall be permitted to smoke while dancing.
RULE No. 5. – No person shall be permitted to dance in lewd, suggestive or sensual manner and no lewd or disorderly person shall be permitted to enter or remain on such premises.
RULE No. 6. – Permittees shall acquaint themselves with Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 103.105, Dancing Academy Ordinance, and shall not conduct public dances without securing the necessary permits.
RULE No. 7. – These rules shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises of every location operating under permit granted by the Board of Police Commissioners.
A violation of foregoing rules is grounds for suspension or revocation of the permits and is a misdemeanor.
ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS, JULY 16, 1958.
ORDINANCE 111.348, SECTION 103.105.
This beautiful space where dance and music performance continues to explode is now referred to as Alvas Showroom. Designed to give the listener an optimal experience, Bubba Jackson of KJAZZ in Long Beach said: This is the best listening room in Los Angeles.
The room has had epic talents in the worlds of jazz, Fusion, Classical, Flamenco, Blues, Rock and Americana. Some of the artists who have performed upon the boards of Alvas have been Alan Holdsworth, Scott Henderson, Barbara Morrison & the Clayton Hamilton Orchestra, Dirk Hamilton, Spock’s Beard, Ricardo Diaz, Don Preston, Bernie Pearl, Josh Smith, Kofi Baker’s Tribute to Cream, as well as Fur Dixon, Steve Werner, Jose Antonio Rodriguez, Rachael Flowers and Mitch Forman.
Matt also noted: In the showroom, I’m able to host some of the greatest musicians in the world. I polished the gem from where it used to be. My dad, Alva, originally had floolights in coffee cans. The Wings – I had to roll up and down on a ladder by hand.
Today it is all automated; the sound was designed by professionals in the industry. This is now a state of the art performance gallery, a far cry from its home grown origins. I wanted it to be the ultimate place for performers to come and play.
I had no idea I was going to end up twenty or thirty years later owning a Music Store, said Matt, the middle of three boys. I had no real interest in being a dancer, but I became a schooled musician, and playing guitar became my passion.
When Matt took over completely, he started working toward the idea of a world class music store and a venue where the dancers, musicians and audience would be treated to a near perfect audio and visual experience. Alvas Music and dance Shop is competitive with any online or big box store, while still maintaining and expanding the dance equipment part of the business (that is still the backbone of the enterprise). The retail store has a high touch fell, while using the high technology of the web to stay competitive. The customer is greeted with friendly, knowledgeable service and the highest value savings on instruments.
Two generations of The Lincir Family have brought the arts to the city of Los Angeles and to the community of San Pedro for over 60 years. That says something about commitment and customer care; to stay in business that long, you have to be doing something right.
A story told by Matt Lincir from San Pedro, California whose father Tomislav Alva Linčir was born in Vis in 1915.