Getting to Know DWC Shift Lead Natalie Smith
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Natalie Smith is a dancer, local to the greater Seattle area and one of the newest shift leads at Dancewear Center. From her experience dancing in a variety of genres to her aspirations of dancing en pointe, Natalie is a dynamic and seasoned employee that we’re grateful to have on the team.
Natalie started dancing at The British Dancing Academy around age three, focusing on ballet, jazz, and modern. She later transitioned from dancing in a studio atmosphere to participating in her high school’s dance team, where the focus was mostly on drill and hip hop styles. Recently, Natalie has returned to taking adult ballet classes with a goal of eventually dancing en pointe. While she enjoys dancing hip hop, Natalie shares that “ballet was always [her] special, precious thing that [she’s] loved.”
Natalie first learned about Dancewear Center a little over a year ago, when she stumbled upon it online. She explains being enticed by all the beautiful dance photography the store contained. Since dance is such an important part of Natalie’s life, she thought it would be great to have a job where she gets to support the dance community. “I thought ‘what would be more fun than having a job that deals with dance,’” Natalie says. She shares how much she admires Samantha’s leadership, saying that she’s “wonderful and amazing” and is careful about carrying out tasks properly, particularly with pointe shoe fittings. Natalie appreciates the care Samantha puts into making sure customers receive safe and informative pointe shoe fittings.
Natalie’s favorite part of working at Dancewear Center so far has been the people. “I’m such a people person,” she says. She loves getting to know new customers and helping them find exactly what they’re looking for. As a shift lead, she gets the chance to make some great relationships with members of the local dance community and provide them with the tools they need to be successful. “The [other] retail associates are all amazing and so sweet and wonderful. Meeting all of them and getting to know all of them has been so fun,” Natalie shares. She says that it’s also been a fun challenge to learn tasks hands-on at Dancewear Center and even surprise herself by picking things up quicker than she often expects. It’s quite a rewarding experience!
Outside of work, Natalie enjoys spending time with her friends and family. In the future, she looks forward to dancing en pointe and eventually starting a family of her own down the line. However, as excited as she is about the future, Natalie shares that she’s enjoying appreciating the present and living in the moment.
A change that Natalie hopes to see happen in the future is dancewear brands creating a more inclusive size range of leotards. She shares that she’s struggled finding leotards that fit her body the way that she wants them to, so brands offering a wider array of size options would be ideal for herself and others.
Natalie is a positive and spirited addition to our Dancewear Center family. Be sure to say hi the next time you stop through the store!
