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Where creativity meets commerce. Published by Dance Media, LLC. https://linktr.ee/danceretailernews

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24/08/2026

💗 Expanding beyond dancewear can open the door to new customers and new revenue—but how do you grow without losing what makes your store unique?

From rebranding and redesigning your retail space to creating a cohesive visual identity, simplifying social media and segmenting your email lists, there are plenty of ways to bring new categories under one strong brand umbrella.

In our latest story, Ginger Knapp of Ama La Vita Boutique, Gilbert Russell of Brio Bodywear and Nathalie Velasquez of Nathalie & Co. share practical strategies for adding women’s fashion, swimwear and other categories while keeping their brand identities front and center.

📲 Read the full story on Dance Retailer News: https://danceretailernews.com/how-to-keep-your-store-branding-strong-when-you-add-more-than-dancewear/

📝 By Hannah Maria Hayes
📸 Courtesy of Ginger Knapp

20/08/2026

🩰 Popular doesn’t always mean perfect. Rob Ferguson, Bloch EU/UK market manager and London flagship store manager, takes a closer look at the pull of popular pointe shoe styles—and how fitters can help dancers decide whether those shoes are actually right for them.

📲 Read the full article on Dance Retailer News: https://danceretailernews.com/fit-tip-friday-fit-tip-friday-rob-ferguson-on-navigating-dancers-interest-in-popular-pointe-shoes/

📝 As told to Emily May
📸 Courtesy of Rob Ferguson

17/08/2026

💗 With back-to-dance season just around the corner, it’s a great time for retailers to rethink the first pointe shoe fitting.

A first pointe shoe fitting is more than a sale—it’s the beginning of a relationship that can last a dancer’s entire career.

From pre-pointe orientations and teacher partnerships to memorable fitting experiences, detailed records and follow-up reminders, retailers can turn a milestone moment into a lasting connection with dancers and their families.

In our latest story, Jessie Reid of From the Top shares fresh approaches to first-time pointe fittings—and why doing what’s best for the dancer can also be good for business.

📲 Read the full story on Dance Retailer News: https://danceretailernews.com/fresh-approaches-to-first-time-pointe-shoe-fittings-this-back-to-dance-season/

📝 By Jessie Reid
📸 Getty Images

14/08/2026

🩰 Fit Tip Friday is back—this month, Rob Ferguson, Bloch’s EU/UK market manager and London flagship store manager, shares how he helps dancers navigate the pull of popular pointe shoe styles.

👣 When a dancer walks in asking for the same shoes they’ve seen on someone at their studio or company, Ferguson encourages them to look beyond popularity. Different foot shapes call for different shoe features, and what works beautifully for one dancer may not be the right fit for another.

💡 His approach? Explain why a particular style may—or may not—suit the dancer’s individual foot, then let them experience it for themselves. Even when a popular shoe isn’t the best match, trying it can be valuable fitting research—and sometimes, it surprises you.

📲 Read the full Fit Tip Friday on Dance Retailer News: https://danceretailernews.com/fit-tip-friday-fit-tip-friday-rob-ferguson-on-navigating-dancers-interest-in-popular-pointe-shoes/

📝 As told to Emily May
📸 Courtesy of Rob Ferguson

12/08/2026

📈 Why has the pointe shoe been so resistant to change?

Pointe shoes have looked and functioned about the same since the early 20th century, despite advances in technology and sports medicine. While most innovation has involved small adjustments, new designs like act’ble’s 3D-printed and knit act’Pointe are challenging traditional materials and construction.

But innovation faces a tough crowd. Ballet is bound by tradition, while aesthetics, dancer preferences, educator influence, retail risk, and manufacturing costs can all make unconventional shoes a hard sell.

What will it take to move pointe shoe innovation forward?

📲 Read the full story on Dance Retailer News: https://danceretailernews.com/why-has-the-pointe-shoe-been-so-resistant-to-change/

📝 By Kyra Laubacher for Dance Magazine

05/08/2026

🩰 Want to find out more about how Martha Graham’s values inspired Capezio ’s first-ever modern dance collection, launching this October?

DRN’s full piece explores the inspiration behind the collection, featuring insights from Martha Graham Dance Company director Janet Eilber, dancer Lloyd Knight, and Capezio Vice President of Brand and Community Kimberlee Garris.

📲 Read the full story on Dance Retailer News: https://danceretailernews.com/capezios-first-modern-dance-collaboration-celebrates-100-years-of-the-martha-graham-dance-company/

📝 By Jen Peters

03/08/2026

💼 We've talked recently about preparing yourself for retirement. But what about preparing your business?

If selling your dance store is part of your long-term plan—whether that's for retirement, a career change, or your next adventure—the work starts much earlier than you might think.

From cleaning up your financials and documenting key processes to developing trusted staff and understanding what your business is really worth, these are the steps that can help you build a business that's ready to sell when the time comes.

DRN speaks with M&A advisor Barbara E. Taylor and retailers Victoria Lyman Guimarães and Georgia Tetradis about what they've learned from buying and selling dance businesses—and why your exit strategy should begin long before you're ready to leave.

📲 Read the full story on Dance Retailer News: https://danceretailernews.com/5-steps-to-take-now-if-you-want-to-cash-out-of-your-dance-business-later/

📝 By Basia Hellwig
📸 Getty Images

27/07/2026

🩰 In honor of the Martha Graham Dance Company’s centennial milestone, Capezio has designed its first collaboration with a modern dance company—a capsule collection inspired by iconic Graham costumes and her enduring design philosophy.

The collection translates Martha Graham’s approach to costume design, which viewed clothing as inseparable from the dancer, movement, set, and music, into contemporary dancewear made for both rehearsal and performance. Launching this October at Capezio’s NYC flagship store and on capezio.com, the limited collection celebrates the connection between two historic names in American dance.

DRN speaks with Kimberlee Garris, Capezio vice president of brand and community, Martha Graham Dance Company artistic director Janet Eilber, and Graham dancer Lloyd Knight to learn more about the inspiration behind the collaboration, the design process, and bringing Graham’s legacy into dancewear today.

📲 Read the full story on Dance Retailer News: https://danceretailernews.com/capezios-first-modern-dance-collaboration-celebrates-100-years-of-the-martha-graham-dance-company/

📝 By Jen Peters
📸 Courtesy of Capezio

22/07/2026

🩰 Five hundred attendees. A slow month turned profitable. A local dance store now known for hosting a can’t-miss event.

That’s what Jessica Fernandez-Loscalzo has built with The Dance Bag Convention. Created to boost sales during dance retail’s August lull, the event brings together dancers, teachers, and top brands for a day of workshops, shopping, and community.

Now drawing more than 500 attendees, this year’s convention takes place August 16 and has become a model other dance retailers can learn from.

📲 Read the full story on Dance Retailer News: https://danceretailernews.com/how-a-new-jersey-dance-retail-store-turned-a-slow-month-into-a-must-attend-event/

📝 By Gilbert Russell
📸 Courtesy of The Dance Bag

20/07/2026

In recent Fit Tip Friday columns, Esther Juon from Esther Juon - Master Pointe Shoe Fitter and Mary Carpenter shared their perspectives on fitting dancers with different-sized feet:

🩰 Esther Juon advocates fitting each foot individually, which may mean wearing a different shoe on each foot. 🩰 Mary Carpenter recommends fitting the larger foot and using padding adjustments, particularly for younger or growing dancers.

There isn’t always a one-size-fits-all answer. Different dancers, ages, goals, and budgets may call for different solutions.

What has worked best in your experience? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments ⬇️

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