Owned by Angela Blocker, Studio Detroit Dance Center is a multipurpose dance studio that offers a myriad of services to the Detroit community and its surrounding metro areas. It serves dancers of all talent levels by offering a reciprocal learning environment experience. New, inexperienced dancers are able to garner skills and tips from seasoned professionals, while the professionals are inspired by the aspirations, passion, and innovative approaches of new students.
Miss Angie B
Angela Photographed in Studio Detroit’s first location on Lafayette in Downtown Detroit.
ANGELA BLOCKER-LOYD
A native of Detroit, Angela Blocker-Loyd is a national award-winning performer and a dedicated artist who began her dance journey at the age of 4. By 15, Angela’s talent and passion had propelled her to become an esteemed dance instructor, honing her craft at several prominent Detroit-based studios, including Wendy’s School of Dance, Freedom Dance Expressions, and Fem Fatale Dance Studio.
Angela’s career boasts an extraordinary and diverse résumé that spans decades. She has collaborated with iconic entertainment industry figures such as singers Kelly Price, Kierra Sheard, Ginuwine, Tony Grant, Angie Stone, and Keith Washington. She has also worked with renowned choreographers like tap sensation Savion Glover, the legendary Arthur Mitchell of Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the multi-talented Debbie Allen. Angela’s performances have been enriched by working alongside celebrated musicians, including the late Marcus Belgrave and Bill Summers, as well as sharing the stage with actors such as Robin Givens, Drew Sidora, Clifton Powell, and Demetria McKinney.
Her impressive stage and performance credits include appearances with the Cincinnati Ballet's Nutcracker, UniverSoul Circus, and as the principal dancer for Motown Museum. Angela has also graced the stage in acclaimed theatrical productions such as Church Girl, My Brother Marvin, Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Boys?, When Men Pray, For Colored Girls, Ebony Magazine’s A Day with Gregory Hines, and the Broadway-touring productions Pride & Joy: The Marvin Gaye Story and Marvin Gaye: The Musical, where she also served as Assistant Choreographer. Most notably, Angela was the lead principal dancer for the legendary Aretha Franklin for an incredible ten years, a role she cherished until the Queen of Soul’s passing in 2018.
Despite her acclaim working with celebrities, Angela devotes herself to enriching every community she encounters by successfully managing various local performing arts programs. She has served as the Director of Liturgical Arts for all Triumph Church campuses in metro Detroit and leads several dance programs within the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Through the Studio Detroit Dance Center (SDDC) outreach program at Dove Academy—a charter school on Detroit’s east side—Angela and her team teach students the art of dance and its history, while also providing them with opportunities to perform in school productions.
Among Angela’s greatest accomplishments is co-founding Dream Detroit Skating Academy & Club in January 2022 with her partner Candice Tamakloe. As the first Black female-owned figure skating academy and club in the city of Detroit, it has become a groundbreaking initiative. Through this venture, Angela introduces students to the art and discipline of figure skating, providing opportunities for growth, competition, and personal development. The academy reflects her commitment to inspiring young people to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential.
Her other greatest pride is her award-winning dance studio, Studio Detroit Dance Center, located in Hazel Park, MI. Through her studio and skating academy, Angela provides her students with opportunities to travel, compete, and gain exposure through philanthropic work, scholarships, and employment—all while fostering a love for the arts and encouraging them to chase their ambitions.
Angela has earned numerous accolades for her contributions to the arts. She was recognized by The Michigan Chronicle as one of the "40 Under 40" (2018), included in Who’s Who In Black Detroit (2018), and celebrated as an International Women’s Day Honoree (2018). Her choreography has been showcased in Detroit’s All City Dance Concert and the Detroit Public Schools’ An Evening of Fine Arts, where her elementary dance group was the first to perform two years in a row. She has also choreographed for events such as Clark Atlanta University Coronations, Miss Georgia & Miss Fulton County pageants, and California’s United Methodist Church Women’s Conference.
Above all, Angela takes pride in being a devoted wife, mother, and daughter. She lives by the mantra, “Either find a way or make one,” a philosophy she instills in all her students. Angela holds this close as she embarks on expanding her studio, with plans for a second location in Flint, MI, where her husband currently serves as the Chair of the Genesee County Commissioners.
Photographer: LC Andrews