Having the right apparel for workouts and rehearsals is so important for dancers. While many purchase items from independent retailers and dance-specific manufacturers, others opt for apparel from more mainstream activewear brands like lululemon. Recently, however, dancers have felt shut out by the mega retailer: Over the past month, many professional dancers have claimed that they’ve been rejected from the Sweat Collective, lululemon’s program that offers a 25 percent discount to professional athletes, studio/gym owners, and fitness instructors. Our friends at Dance Spirit highlighted the issue in an Instagram post on July 23, prompting a flood of comments from affected dancers sharing their experiences.
Dancers Speak Out
Zoe Harrel (@zoe.harrel), a dancer with Carolina Ballet, for example, wrote on Instagram that she was rejected from the program even though she is a professional ballet dancer with a ballet company. Elsewhere, dancer Max Isaacson (@_maxisaacson) posted that he would be dancing outside of a lululemon store every day until the company changed its policy.
A spokesperson for lululemon wrote in an email to DRN that Sweat Collective’s eligibility criteria had not changed and that professional-level dancers fall under the athlete category—there is no option for “dancer” in the site’s dropdown menu. (The company also explains this on its FAQ page.) In a comment on Dance Spirit’s original post, the brand also stated that “dancers are part of our Sweat Collective, so if you are a dancer, please apply. We know there might be some confusion out there, we’re sorry about that. But we love dancers.”
An Opportunity for Dance Retail
People aren’t fully convinced: One IG user replied to lululemon’s comment by requesting a formal statement and apology. Dancer Michelle Hepp also told DRN that the confusion surrounding lululemon has made her second-guess her decision to purchase from the brand in the future. “I want dancers to feel valued in the same way as other professional athletes that also qualify for the discount—especially since lululemon uses dancers for their advertisements and has ‘dancer-inspired’ clothing,” she says.
While Hepp isn’t saying she’ll never buy from lululemon again, “it does sting now. Something would really have to stand out and grab my attention for me to get it.” She adds that since the whole affair started, she has been trying dance-specific retail brands like Elevé and Capezio and really likes their clothing. “I would love to support more dance retail businesses going forward.”
Hepp’s comments highlight that even if lululemon is still welcoming dancers to its discount program, dancers’ growing frustration offers a unique opportunity for dance retailers and manufacturers to promote their own expertise and support of the dance community, especially to those who have previously favored more mainstream activewear brands.
At least that’s what Jessica Loscalzo, the owner of The Dance Bag in Paramus, NJ, hopes. “Maybe now people will come back into the small businesses of dance retail…see how we support dancers and give other brands the opportunity to show they have just as good quality as lulu,” she wrote on Dance Spirit’s Instagram post, a comment that received 283 likes. Like many other retailers, she’s lost business to companies like lululemon, Alo, and even Amazon, she told DRN in a phone interview. Despite this competition, she remains fully committed to stocking and selling brands like Bloch, Every Turn, and Honeycut, which she describes as “by dancers, for dancers.”
Advocates for Dance-Specific Brands
Loscalzo’s approach echoes a widespread sentiment in the dance retail industry, including Pamela Levy, the director of the ABT/NYU master’s degree program in ballet pedagogy. In a recent DRN article about the rise of balletcore-inspired sneakers made by mainstream brands, she said that “the people who understand dance and dancers’ needs are the experts who should be creating footwear for us”—a perspective that could just as easily apply to dancewear and broader accessories. “Well said,” commented Mary Carpenter, star of the Dancewithmary NYC YouTube channel, fitter, and consultant to stores in New York City and Poughkeepsie, NY, when Levy’s quote was shared on Instagram.
One brand that touts its understanding of dance and dancers’ needs is Barre Trash, which was founded in November 2023 by ballet dancers Louis DeFelice and Lucas Labrador after they met on a tour of Swan Lake. Through their website, they currently manufacture and sell items, including hoodies, legwarmers, and rompers, that they would “actually wear themselves.” Barre Trash dancewear is also available in 70 stores around the U.S. and a few across Europe. “Our stuff is inspired by streetwear and by the ballerinas that we work with all day every day,” the team wrote in an email to DRN. “We wanted to design stuff that you could wear in rehearsal but also on a run, in a yoga class, or on a quick trip to the grocery store for snacks before a show.”
Leveraging the Moment
In response to dancers’ rising frustration with lululemon, Barre Trash posted a carousel on Instagram promoting the return of the beloved Barre Trash oversized hoodie—leveraging the moment to highlight how the company does things differently. “When lululemon removed dancers from their discount program… we didn’t cry, we got petty,” the slides say, “and we restocked the hoodie that everyone actually wants to wear after rehearsal. Soft like a port de bras. Oversized like our dreams. And still not $150 like some brands.”
The brand elaborated to DRN that “when you buy from Barre Trash, you’re buying something with a reasonable markup… from dancers who have built a brand for their fellow artists. You save money buying from us, while still supporting an ethical company… and you get items that are designed for exactly what you need.”
Can Dance Retailers Do Something Similar?
While DRN hasn’t heard of any specific marketing campaigns launched in response to the lululemon frustration yet, there are many things retailers could highlight to demonstrate how they’re different—namely, the expertise many have thanks to their backgrounds as professional dancers.
“When you go into a store like mine…you’re getting the knowledge of what it would feel like when you dance in this outfit,” The Dance Bag’s Loscalzo says. “We understand how trying it on and how it looks can affect how you feel as a dancer when you’re in the mirror. When you look a certain way or you like the way that you look, you’re going to dance better.”
Another important aspect to highlight is that many independent dance retailers aren’t in the business just to make money—most truly start from a love of dance. “We like the idea of going through the process with you, of how you feel and you coming back and saying, ‘Hey, that worked perfectly. I want another 10 pairs of that,’” Loscalzo adds. “That, for us, is the most satisfying thing, and we’re going to give you our honest opinion. We’re not just trying to make a sale. We’re trying to build a long-lasting relationship.”
The Bottom Line
A commitment to genuine care and connection is what sets dance retailers apart. If communicated effectively, this could encourage dancers to rediscover the value of specialized dance stores amid growing questions about whether mainstream activewear brands value and understand their unique needs.
Erica Iacono is a writer living in New York City who often writes about marketing and small businesses.