A popular Oakland dance studio is dealing with a major setback after getting hit by thieves.
“Based on the tire tracks. It looks like they backed up a vehicle into our roll up gate. So that was the biggest damage,” said Rocko Luciano, co-owner of Full Out Studios.
Luciano and Anthony Esposo showed where thieves broke into their West Oakland Dance studio.
Surveillance video captured the burglars inside, ripping out the studio’s register drawer and making off with cash, keys and employee paychecks.
“It’s obviously heartbreaking that it had to happen, and that it did happen,” Esposo said.
“It’s just really invasive. It feels really violating to see strangers I mean I feel like this is my house. I think a lot of people feel like this is their home,” Luciano said.
Full Out Studios has been home to hundreds of dancers since it opened eight years ago.
“I think this space is a space for people to explore themselves and it's a place for people to build community,” Esposo said.
Arayah Fleming is a regular. She teaches and takes class at Full Out. She knows how much it means to the community and how hard the owners have worked.
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“It definitely is heartbreaking to see because I know firsthand how much they put into it financially, emotionally, physically,” she said.
The owners had already been struggling to keep the studio open. In fact, they just held an eight-year anniversary event to raise money for needed upgrades and now this happened.
“We were raising funds for studio improvements. We really need a new HVAC system to make sure the dancers are cool in the summer and warm in the winter and now, we’re going to also have to fundraise for the repairs,” Luciano said.
The studio has set up a GoFundMe to help with the setback and are committed to keep moving forward.
