What It’s Like Being a Part of the DWC Team
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Contributor
Samantha Weissbach, Owner & Director of Operations
Since Samantha Weissbach took ownership of Dancewear Center in 2018, our vision as a staff has been geared towards empowering local dancers through “continuous support and product education.” Whether it’s through knowledgeable pointe shoe fittings or spotlighting artists on the DWC Blog, the DWC team utilizes integrity, laughter, and grit to serve our local dance community. Being a member of the DWC staff involves much more than conducting simple retail tasks. Our staff of dancers and dance educators gains invaluable product knowledge, fundamental life skills, and joins a warm community, all while advancing the local dance realm that we know and love.
Store Manager and Pointe Shoe Fitter Melissa Koh Krienke shares that what drew her to Dancewear Center was the fact that the employees all share a “common goal” to “support the dance community in this area.” She shares that through spotlighting “social justice and [physical] and mental health,” particularly on the blog and social media, Dancewear Center aims to “cultivate a dance world that is always getting better and looking forward.”
Pointe Shoe Fitter and DWC Blog Contributor Anna Peters points out that a unique aspect of the DWC staff is that we all have “pre-made connections and ties to the dance world,” which allows us to have a “connection with our customers.”
“There is a common language among the employees here, as it’s a store run by dancers, for dancers, making work a personable experience”
Melissa Krienke, Store Manager
Melissa stresses that Dancewear Center is a place where employees can learn to work through their mistakes, in part due to the support of Owner and Director of Operations Samantha Weissbach. Samantha explains that open and honest communication, grace, and empathy are values that she holds important when managing and collaborating with the DWC staff. “I am nothing without my team and vice versa, that’s how we work best,” Samantha shares.
“Sam is really supportive and helps people learn,” Melissa says. “She helps cultivate the best qualities [in you].” Staff members can hold themselves to a high standard of professionalism, yet not take themselves too seriously.
“I love Samantha,” Store Manager and Pointe Shoe Fitter Riley Hendrickson says. She appreciates how her “mental health” and “well-being” are always at the forefront of Samantha’s mind. “She’s always there for us… she’s a listening ear, even if it’s not work-related… she really just wants to help us grow,” Riley adds.
“We have the freedom to do [things] the best ways for us,” Operations Manager and Pointe Shoe Fitter Olivia Floyd says about working under Samantha. She shares that Samantha is “very fun” and “very appreciative all of the time,” and often allows the staff to “pick what [they’re] most interested in” to do.
“We’re all a family, all the staff and a lot of the customers,” Olivia says about the dynamic among DWC employees. She explains that at Dancewear Center “the work still gets done and it gets done well, but we can also...listen to a song and have a dance party in the store.” There is a great deal of comfortability among the team, like a “warm embrace.”
“We have a good balance where we can hold each other accountable in our work but still know we’re not being harsh on each other,” Riley says. “We still have lots of fun and laughter with each other.”
“There is still a lot of room to explore different interests that arise”
Anna Peters, Pointe Shoe Fitter & DWC Blog Contributor
The list of tools employees learn while working at Dancewear Center is countless. Melissa shares that getting advanced product education, particularly about pointe shoes, as a dance teacher is incredibly helpful.
“As a team, we’ve had to learn communication, which has gotten really good. We’re like a machine now,” Olivia points out. She cites time management, managing expectations, and asking for help as skills she’s developed during her time at Dancewear Center.
Riley shares that she has learned how to be a part of a team which has gotten her out of her comfort zone. In terms of technical skills, learning to work with customers, manage inventory, and utilize retail software has been incredibly useful.
Anna shares that pointe shoe fitting is “her favorite part of working at Dancewear Center.” Since she’s studying to become a physical therapist that specializes in dancers, learning how to
“properly fit pointe shoes, so that a dancer’s body stays healthy and can dance without pain for as long as possible” has been useful. She’s also grateful that she’s learned how to balance accommodation with assertiveness when interacting with customers. “Being kind and courteous and always making customers feel welcome...that’s going to be a skill I will absolutely take with me...anywhere in life,” she shares.
Riley Hendrickson, Store Manager
“Everyone has had their unique wins and growth,” Samantha says. She notes how the staff has “grown exponentially in confidence and is more comfortable making mistakes and being honest... because of the way [DWC] operates.” Samantha argues that “you don’t grow and you don’t take risks if you’re afraid of making mistakes,” so she seeks to give employees agency and compassion when it comes to decision-making. Employees become creative and curious because of the freedom they’re given to try new things and falter along the way. “People are...thinking much more outside of the box within [our] environment,” Samantha says.
All in all, Samantha strives for DWC employees to obtain skill sets that they can take anywhere with them in life. “I’m here to support every individual person’s growth,” Samantha states. She doesn’t just direct her energy on workplace goals, but assists employees in achieving their personal goals. “It’s important to me that each individual team member gets what they need out of the job,” she emphasizes.
When you join the team at DWC, you’re not just taking on a job, but becoming a part of a supportive community that can last a lifetime. “The family will stay forever,” Olivia says. “Not everything has to be serious, you can come to work and laugh. You should go to work and laugh.”
“Not everything has to be serious, you can come to work and laugh. You should go to work and laugh.”
Olivia Floyd, Operations Manager
Madison Huizinga has been dancing for 13 years, and her favorite styles are ballet and contemporary. Currently, she attends the University of Washington and is studying Communications, Business, and Dance. Madison is presently a company member with Seattle-based dance company Intrepidus Dance. She loves working at Dancewear Center because it allows her to help local dancers find the best shoes, apparel, and equipment possible to further their dance goals and careers. Dance has always been a positive creative outlet for her to express her emotions—so it’s always nice to meet members of the local dance community that relate!
Outside of dance and work, you will find Madison exploring new cafés and restaurants around Seattle, hiking, reading, and traveling.