“Sustainability,” “eco-friendly,” “recycling,” “upcycling”… They may sound like buzzwords, and they may not instantly make you think of dance. Yet dancers tend to be very aware that their leotards, tights, and shoes contain synthetic fabrics and materials derived from fossil fuels and that, once discarded, they can take hundreds of years to break down.
By showcasing sustainable products with a dedicated endcap or window display, you can educate and inspire the buying habits of your customers. “Sustainability in dance retail should be about making it easy for dancers to make eco-conscious choices,” says Marissa Rowles, founder and president of Second Stage Dancewear, a Canadian nonprofit that promotes eco-friendly dance initiatives and facilitates a costume-reuse program internationally. “One of the best ways [for retailers] to start is by creating a dedicated ‘Better for the Planet’ section. [Using] natural materials like wood, bamboo, or recycled elements [helps to] reinforce the sustainable theme,” she adds. Signage sharing the “why” behind each item also reinforces product value. “Customers love knowing the story behind what they’re buying, and this can help them connect emotionally with the product.”
If it’s been a minute since you reviewed the list of sustainable products in your inventory, or if you haven’t yet offered eco-friendly merchandise, now is the time to place an order: Arbor Day (April 25) and Earth Day (April 22) are both timely opportunities for setting up a full-fledged display. (And if you include resale as part of your business strategy, be sure to market that, too!)
Need a starting point on eco-conscious dancewear options? Here are a few to consider:
Sustainable Ballet Tights
UK-based Imperfect Pointes began selling the world’s first sustainable ballet tights in 2022 in partnership with Swedish Stockings. They are made with ECONYL yarn, a regenerated nylon fiber made from nylon waste found in the ocean, including fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet flooring, and industrial plastic.
Manufactured at an Italian factory that uses renewable energy sources, like solar and wind, the tights currently come in four shades. Designed to last four times longer than traditional ballet tights, they are color-fast and have already been selected as the tights of choice by English National Ballet.
Imperfect Pointes also uses ECONYL in its leotards and unitards, which are made at a family-run factory in England. All packaging is compostable, a tree is planted with each order, and the company has a tights recycling program; mail in three or more pairs from any brand to get a discount code for 10 percent off. (The tights are then eventually recycled into furniture or industrial items!)
Helen Banks, founder and CEO, started Imperfect Pointes in 2020. After being laid off from her sportswear job at the start of the pandemic, she saw it as the perfect opportunity to create more sustainable dancewear options for her daughter. “Most dancewear is made from virgin nylon, which is having an enormous negative impact on our environment,” says Banks, who previously worked on the corporate side of the fashion industry. “I’m on a mission to bring about a dancewear revolution.”
Vegan Ballet Slippers
When Cynthia King launched her Vegan Ballet Slippers in 2002, they were a groundbreaking option. Since then, the shoes have earned a nod from PETA for being cruelty-free, with no animal byproducts, including glues, dyes, and solvents. The slippers feature a lightweight stretch canvas, pre-sewn elastics, vegan synthetic split sole, and enclosed stretch binding that eliminates the need for a drawstring. The current design, called Rebelle, comes in four shades.
“Vegan dancewear should be easy to purchase wherever mainstream dance supplies are sold to accommodate the growing number of compassionate dancers worldwide,” says King, who ships her shoes in compostable mailers. “It’s a form of activism to wear my shoes. The packaging has messages on it and the shoes also have ‘cruelty-free’ printed on the sole. It’s an opportunity for conversation, and it helps dancers think about what effect their dancewear has on the environment.”
Vegan Pointe Shoes
Did you know the first Gaynor Minden pointe shoe, introduced in 1993, was completely vegan? “It was created in large part as a reaction against the wastefulness inherent in traditionally made shoes,” says Eliza Gaynor Minden, co-founder and head of design. Most conventional pointe shoes last long enough for a performance, and, if they contain synthetic glue, are not considered biodegradable. “We are proud that Gaynor Mindens last about five times longer than traditional pointe shoes,” she says, noting that the Lyra line, released in 2023, can be 100 percent vegan when special-ordered with satin tips instead of the standard suede tips.
“We are constantly on the lookout for environmentally friendly materials that will give dancers the performance they need,” Eliza Gaynor Minden adds. The company also offers leotards from recycled polyamide and bags from recycled nylon, and has been making an overall effort to reduce the number of single-use materials and the amount of plastic used in its packaging.
Organic Dancewear
SteelCore Studio, a multifaceted dance business in Bethlehem, PA, was founded by former New York City Ballet dancer Marisa Cerveris after she retired in 2001. In addition to teaching ballet and Pilates, Cerveris designs dancewear, activewear, and streetwear, with a strong focus on sustainability. SteelCore Studio’s trademarked SkinSilk fabric is produced at a Blue Sign–certified mill in Italy, adhering to global sustainability standards, while the company’s organic fabrics are custom-knit in North Carolina. Some pieces are crafted from first-run fabric sourced from the same mills that supply Lululemon and Beyond Yoga.
SteelCore Studio’s newest collection, Sustainable Planet, features unitards, unishorts, shorts, and leggings made with organic cotton, and tops and dresses made with organic bamboo. “I worked with a textile chemist to develop my own exclusive organic cotton, four-way-stretch blend,” Cerveris says. The yarn is knitted in North Carolina and all her clothing is manufactured in Pennsylvania. “Your skin is your largest organ. If you think about how most activewear is petroleum-based, that’s an issue when those fabrics are lying on your skin. People in general are interested in a healthier lifestyle, and this organic fabric is very versatile and feels good.”
Hannah Maria Hayes has an MA in dance education from New York University and has been writing for Dance Media publications since 2008.