An Inside Look at Dancewear Center Mobile
A Glance At DWC’s Mobile Service
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Dancewear Center is known for offering high-quality pointe shoe fittings and products at its locations in Kirkland and Renton, Washington. Dancers have traveled to DWC from all over the Pacific Northwest to receive fittings and explore our large pointe shoe inventory, but through Dancewear Center Mobile, we bring our fitters and merchandise to the dancers themselves!
Dancewear Center Mobile provides private pointe shoe fittings that individualize and streamline the fitting process for dancers, allowing them to receive professional, one on one attention in the comfort of their home studio. At private pointe shoe fittings, fitters appreciate getting the knowledge and input of dance teachers and providing ease and convenience for community members. Our mobile service also arranges pop-up shops that help alleviate back-to-school dance shopping stress and allow studios to build their brand and bring their community together in a fun way. Dancewear Center Mobile will bring dress code apparel, shoes, and the latest seasonal items for dancers in the form of a private shopping experience.
Maluhia Vander Griend is the artistic director and co-owner of Dancing For Joy in Bellingham and Lynden, Washington. Dancing For Joy had two Dancewear Center Mobile visits, both of which occurred in early 2022. “I was there the whole time and it was lovely,” Maluhia shares. She says that due to the expertise and convenience of the service she would love to have four to six mobile fittings a year to keep dancers dancing in pointe shoes that safely fit them. Maluhia also shares that she was adamant about having other community members take part in the mobile fitting service, so she invited other studios in the area to join at their last event.
“What you can expect is amazing, one-on-one service customized to each individual dancer,” Maluhia says of the Dancewear Center Mobile private pointe shoe fittings. She shares that there was nothing hurried about the fitting process and that the staff took the time and care needed to evaluate each dancer. At fittings, dancers are asked questions about their previous injuries, what their current pointe shoes are like, what their dancing load is like, how their pointe shoes typically break-in, and more. DWC Owner & General Manager Samantha Weissbach often provides advice and informed strategies for students experiencing different issues dancing en pointe.
“As a studio owner, I was like ‘this is awesome!’” Maluhia says, of the individualized care DWC fitters offer during mobile fittings. She also appreciates how the DWC fitters take detailed notes about the dancers’ conditions and pointe shoe history for future fittings, commenting that the customer service is “outstanding.” Maluhia also says that Samantha made the experience fun and entertaining for all involved, sharing that the last session was full of laughter. The DWC fitters make an effort to make the pointe shoe fitting experience a memorable one, particularly for dancers receiving their first pairs, as it can be a huge milestone in a dancer’s career.
“The mobile unit comes in, they take over one of your studios and they turn it into a retail shop,” says Linda Johnston, school director and dance instructor at Fidalgo DanceWorks. Linda shares that the mobile fitting process was incredibly convenient for her studio based in Anacortes, Washington. “We’re kind of remote up here in Anacortes, so it’s fabulous that [Dancewear Center] came to bring all of their shoes,” Linda says. At Fidalgo DanceWorks’ second mobile fitting with DWC in November 2021, about fourteen dancers received fittings and Linda shares that the experience was an excellent time for bonding among students.
“What you can expect is amazing, one-on-one service customized to each individual dancer.”
“For us, just having the convenience of having someone bring all their stock and know what they’re talking about…[is] just a huge blessing,” Linda says, also pointing to the value of having students try on pointe shoes in the comfort of their own studio. Linda says that rehearsals could continue running at the studio during the mobile fitting session, causing little interruption in the flow of the usual work day.
Linda recommends the Dancewear Center Mobile service to other studios, particularly those that are located in more remote areas. “I’ve just been really grateful for the service, it’s amazing. I would absolutely recommend it to anybody,” she says.
Karlenn Smith owns and teaches at High Desert Dance in Prineville, Oregon, located far from many dancewear stores. When she learned about Dancewear Center Mobile, her interest was immediately piqued, as it meant her students could save time and money on traveling to get fitted for pointe shoes. Like Maluhia, Karlenn also invited other dance studios in the community to join their mobile fitting session in March 2022 and has discussed having quarterly mobile fittings. She shares that Samantha traveled down to the studio the night before the mobile fitting and set up the fitting room. Karlenn also shares that scheduling the fitting appointments was extremely easy, as Samantha simply passed along her digital calendar and allowed dancers to sign up for slots that worked for them.
“I was so impressed with her knowledge,” Karlenn says, also pointing out how effective it was to have an outside voice share pointe shoe care information with her students. She says that Samantha even sent along websites and videos after the fitting for students to get more information about foot exercises and injury prevention. Samantha even conducted a virtual fitting with one of Karlenn’s students a couple of months after the mobile fitting and mailed pointe shoes down to High Desert Dance. “She got it right on without even being here!” Karlenn exclaims about the virtual fitting.
Be sure to book your Dancewear Center Mobile visit for an unforgettable pointe shoe fitting and shopping experience! Click here to get more information and book today.
Interviewee name pronunciations and pronouns:
Maluhia Vander Griend (Mah-loo-hee-ah Van-der Gree-end), she/her, Artistic Director and Co-Owner of Dancing For Joy in Bellingham and Lynden, WA
Linda Johnston (Linn-da Jons-ton), she/her, School Director and Dance Instructor at Fidalgo DanceWorks in Anacortes, WA
Karlenn Smith (Car-len Smith), she/her, Owner and Teacher at High Desert Dance in Prineville, OR
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