Get your fit on!

There are so many great reasons to visit your local dancewear shop:

~ They are usually independently owned so you can be sure you're supporting people who live in your neighborhood and town.

~ They are often owned by people who are or were dancers themselves or who have a real passion for dance.

~They are frequently owned and managed by women - and I am a HUGE supporter of women-owned businesses (like my own!).

But the very best reason to patronize your local shop is...

...you can be fitted for dance shoes properly!

Let's be honest...from footwear to leotards and costumes to classes and performances and workshops, dance isn't cheap. You can find bargains on some items (buy a class card instead of individual classes, look for discount tickets to shows, reuse costumes, etc.) but the one area you really shouldn't skimp on is shoes.

A ballet slipper should not bag or be too tight. A pointe shoe should not be too hard or soft (or short or long and so on...). Character shoes should not squish your toes. A good shoe fitter will know how the shoe is supposed to fit - on YOU. An online store? Not so much.

The price of a pair of shoes at a local store might be a little higher than the price at an online discounter (although not always - many stores offer discounts or will price match after you've paid for a fitting) but you're missing out on a lot by not visiting someone in person. You don't get to feel the shoes or to try multiple styles or sizes. Remember that if you mess up your size with an online order and need to try again, the shipping costs add up. You also get to walk out of your local store with a brand new pair while an online store might be backed up for weeks or months!

Another reason for in-store fitting: pointe shoes are handmade so there are slight variations with every single pair. You could try on a Bloch Sonata 3B and it's not quite right but then a second pair of 3B's are perfect.

You will be wearing these shoes often - several times a week for some dancers - so you need to get the right fit. It's no fun to wear a pair of shoes that were cheap but too hard or you can't get over the box fully or you can't turn easily or your arch looks lousy. No matter how much money you've saved, you won't be happy.

I recently learned that some pointe shoe makers are not allowing some newer styles to be sold online because they want them to be properly fitted. Some of these shoes are way more high tech than the typical shoe (Capezio Kylee and Bloch Grace are examples) and need an expert opinion. P.S. I saw these 2 pairs in a store this week and was blown away!!

My rules:

~If you're a newbie, you must be fitted properly and in person.

~If you're on your second pair of pointe shoes, you need to be fitted again because your foot likely has changed, as has your strength and so on.

~If you're an experienced dancer, you should be fitted again because styles change or are discontinued or something new has come out that could benefit you.

Okay, local students...time to take a look at the stores on MY FIT LIST! We are lucky to have some wonderful shops in the Pasadena/La Canada area with skilled and caring fitters. Starting west and moving east:

Karabel Dancewear, Burbank CA

Karabel Dancewear, 3901 West Magnolia Blvd, Burbank CA

Lori Binkly owns this venerable (and spacious!) shop in the heart of the entertainment industry. She has a wide selection of Bloch pointe shoes, and some Capezio, as well as So Danca, Bloch, Capezio and other brands of slippers. Her store is filled with leotards, warm-ups, accessories, and undergarments (possibly the largest selection and diversity of colors I have ever seen in person!).

Inside Karabel

She has everything for performances, classes, competitions and auditions - kids and adults. Lori has been in the business for almost 30 years and she can probably fit you in one try but definitely see her, or her associates, to get the best shoe for you. Lori will not sell you a shoe that isn't right for you and she will not upsell you things you don't need.  The store is on Facebook and Instagram.




Priscilla's Dance & Theatre Shoppe, 3528 1/2 Ocean View Avenue, Montrose CA

Priscilla's in Montrose CA

Jennifer Ward owns this charming 3-year old shop in the cutest area of Montrose. As the mother of a dancer, Jennifer has always been around dance and is a big fan of zombie ballet, so naturally we are a fan of hers! She carries Russian Pointes and Bloch pointe shoes, plus Capezio, Bloch and Sansha slippers for men, women and kids, as well as tap and ballroom shoes. If you want something that she doesn't have, like Gaynor Mindens, she will find them for you.

Inside Priscilla's

Her leotards for girls and women are gorgeous! She also thinks outside the (pointe shoe)box with events like book signings, group outings and other fun things planned for kids, parents and adults. The store is on Facebook and Instagram.



The Red Shoes, 1018 Mission Street #1, South Pasadena CA

The Red Shoes, South Pasadena CA

Alice McIntosh opened her shop 40 years ago because the male owner of a dancewear store where she was shopping with her daughter was so incredibly patronizing that she decided she would open her own place (yay, Alice!). She has been a successful businesswoman, a "legend" in Pasadena as many people call her, ever since. Her shop on Mission Street is charming in an old-school way; it reminds me of the types of stores I would go to when I was a kid.

I spoke to Hilary, one of the fitters at the store, about their shoes and the time and commitment they take with each customer. Alice stocks Bloch primarily but a few Capezio and Mirella too. Slippers from So Danca, Bloch, Sansha, and lots of pretty warmups. Styles of everything for men, women and children. The store is on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Gigi's Dance Closet , 468 S. Sierra Madre Boulevard, Pasadena CA

Ruth Veerman opened this unassuming yet well-stocked shop on the San Marino/Pasadena border when her children were dancing. She loves to talk about pointe shoes! I learned so much from her and got to see some of the latest styles from Capezio and Bloch (the aforementioned Kylee and Grace) as well as Grishko. She's got a LOT of slippers, including loads of sizes and styles from Bloch, Capezio, and So Danca, among others. Leotards and warm-ups, she's got those too. Plus she mentioned she would give discounts for pointe shoes (whatever the manufacturer allows, she will match online prices) after fitting or if you're picking up.

Enchanted Dancewear, 403 South Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia CA

Enchanted Dancewear in Monrovia CA

Sarah Gallegos recently took over this lovely shop in Old Town Monrovia. She's got a large selection of leotards and tights for both adults and kids. A former ballet dancer herself, Sarah now teaches a Mexico folklorico group that was inspired by her daughter. Her shop often hosts monthly "Mom Nights" in the small studio she and her husband built in the back half of the store: a night for "moms" to come in and learn things like line dancing.

Inside Enchanted Dancewear

Sarah fits Russian, Grishkos, and Bloch and has a selection of slippers for kids and adult as well as bags and gift items. See me for a 10% discount card! The store is Facebook and Instagram.

Hope this helps you all when you're looking for shoes and clothes for your classes. If there are questions you have about any of these shops that I haven't addressed, just shoot me an email or catch me in class. Happy dancing~

Holiday event & book launch for Nutcracked by Susan Adrian

For my local students and their families!

On Sunday, November 12th, Jennifer Ward, the owner of my favorite dance shop, Priscilla's Dancewear in Montrose, will host a delightful holiday party for kids and their parents which will include an appearance by Susan Adrian, the author of NUTCRACKED, a charming book for kids. She'll be on hand to talk about her life as a dancer, to offer some advice to young dancers and to sign copies of her book (makes a great gift!).

The Montrose area is a lovely little town with coffee shops and bookstores and lots of locally-owned businesses. It's a great place to do a pre-holiday shopping trip, before or after the fun event at Priscilla's. 

To give you a taste of what's to come at the party, I asked Susan Adrian to share a bit about herself and what her book is all about. Thanks so much, Susan!

Nutcracker Life

By Susan Adrian

I first saw The Nutcracker when I was 7 years old. I watched the big tree grow and grow on stage, lit by Clara's single candle, to Tchaikovsky's haunting score, and I was absolutely entranced. I wanted to be part of that magic so badly. I told my mother after the show that I wanted to be Clara.

I got ballet lessons for Christmas that year.

I worked hard at the small local studio. When I was 10 I auditioned for The Nutcracker with the Sacramento Ballet, the same company I'd seen. I got the part of a second-cast Marshmallow Child. That Christmas I got lessons at the Sacramento Ballet Company, 45 minutes each way.

The next year I got Party Child, second cast. The third year I got Party Child first cast, and a lamb in the Shepherdess dance. The next year, when I was 13, I got to be Clara, in the same theater I'd watched it.

I have a vivid memory of being in a performance, in my nightgown with my single candle, with mice lurking behind me around the stage. A little kid in the audience called out clearly, "Watch out, Clara!" That was the dream come true. I was making the magic real for others now.

Years later, I don't dance anymore, but I found another way to make Nutcracker magic real for kids. I wrote a book about being Clara in The Nutcracker, being 12 or 13, and having to balance that with the rest of your life, your family and friendships…but now there's real, more tangible magic too. This Clara—Georgie—gets drawn into the Nutcracker's world every time she dances with her company's antique Nutcracker. The Nutcracker is in real danger, and now it's trickling through to her real life too. Georgie has to save everyone while still keeping up with rehearsals.

NUTCRACKED has magic, ballet, family, and friendship struggles and successes. For me, it's a full circle. I'm just living my Nutcracker dream in a different way now.