Many small businesses are family-run, with knowledge and expertise passed down through multiple generations. This is especially true in dance retail, where many mothers establish stores or train as fitters to connect with the dance world their children enter from a young age. In some cases, this is also to serve dance communities where no other specialist provision exists.
At DRN, we’ve come across numerous examples of mothers and daughters working side by side in-store—learning from one another and, in time, passing on the reins. So, ahead of Mother’s Day (celebrated this year on May 10 in many countries), we spoke to two such pairs to find out what it means to build and sustain a dance retail business together across generations.
A Family Business in Transition
In 2008, Rebecca Whitehead opened the Dancer’s Closet in Eugene, OR, in the same building as the studio her daughter, Sarah, was taking dance classes at. Age 12 at the time, Sarah would go back and forth between the studio and store, helping her mother and getting a glimpse into the dance retail world in the process.
Even when Sarah went on to dance with Oregon Ballet Theatre’s second company, OBT2, City Ballet of San Diego, and Ballet Tucson, she worked at her mother’s stores—Rebecca opened a second location, Portland Dancewear, in 2011—during her time off, and even helped as much as she could from afar.
Now retired from dance, Sarah is preparing to take over ownership and operations of both Dancer’s Closet and Portland Dancewear in the next few years. It’s a decision that did not come lightly—she decided two years ago to retire from her stage career—but one she is now committed to. “I think people either love retail or they don’t,” Rebecca says. “I think that’s what [Sarah] had to discover. ‘Is this really in me that I want to do this all the time or not?’ ”
Since deciding her future, Sarah has begun to take on more responsibilities at the stores. She’s started hiring employees and, for the past two years, has made solo trips to the MODE Market dance-retail trade show. The latter has helped her build her own relationships with dance manufacturers, independent of her mother. “[It’s about] looking at the new product, picking out what I like, and what I think is going to do well in our store,” Sarah says.
Though she’s learning how to run the business alone, for now Sarah still works very closely with Rebecca. They are a successful duo because their working relationship is rooted in friendship. “My mom…has always been one of my best friends since I was very little,” says Sarah. “I don’t think a lot of people necessarily get to keep that as an adult.”
Perhaps one of the most important lessons Sarah has learned from her mother is about the power of relationships in business. Rebecca worked hard to form strong relationships with customers from the very beginning of her dance retail journey. She recognizes the importance of gaining trust through attentive pointe shoe fittings and never overselling customers. For example, she’d never push a dancer to buy shoes more expensive than necessary.
“We offer customers a choice,” says Rebecca, “but I believe in providing educated opinions and letting the customer choose the correct products for their individual needs.” Sarah continues her mother’s relationship-focused philosophy by showing support for the local dance community, regularly attending customers’ performances.
For Rebecca and Sarah, one of the best things about working together is how easily they relate to their mother-and-daughter customers. When conversation turns to summer intensives, for example, each can speak from their own experiences. “Being able to have those conversations is very special,” says Sarah. “I can talk to the kid about it, but it’s also nice seeing my mom get involved in a conversation with the mom at the checkout too.”
There is no set timetable for when Sarah will take over the stores, but for now, both are enjoying working and learning from each other. “I think it’s one of the most amazing things about my life right now…that I get to work with my daughter and that we enjoy doing it,” Rebecca says.
A Business Built in Homage
Like Sarah, Josephine Lee was first exposed to dance retail during her teenage years. In 2003, when she was 15, her mother, Grace Lee, opened Dancer’s Choice in Aliso Viejo, CA—a store selling pointe shoes, ballet shoes, and dancewear that she still has today.
Josephine refers to herself as a pointe shoe “nepo baby,” having learned how to fit from her mother as a teenager. That early experience eventually led her to open her own store in 2011. Named The Pointe Shop, it now has four locations across Southern California and the Bay Area. “[My mom] gave me all of the connections to the industry,” Josephine says. “She taught me the trade…so everything, my full business, is basically an homage to my mom.”
Rather than stocking a wide variety of dancewear and accessories, The Pointe Shop focuses solely on selling pointe shoes. This decision was directly influenced by Grace. “My mom always taught me to think differently or to do things that other people were not doing well,” Josephine says. “[Online retailers] can sell ballet slippers for $8, but they can’t do pointe fittings. They don’t have the history and the brick and mortar to be able to execute that,” she adds, pointing to how her specialized service model sets her apart.
Grace writes to DRN by email that she didn’t consciously set out to teach Josephine about the dance retail business—rather, she learned organically by growing up around it. “Perhaps the most important thing I showed her was what a privilege it is to help customers find exactly what they need for their performances and events,” Grace comments.
Nowadays, the mother and daughter don’t live near each other. Yet, according to Josephine, they still talk “all day, every day” about their stores and the dance retail business at large. “Almost every large decision I make is made after consulting with my mother,” says Josephine.
According to Grace, “we both love what we do and support each other constantly. We enjoy discussing our customer experiences, new products, and the various shows and events we attend. It is a joy to see [Josephine] succeed and establish her own unique, smart approach to the industry.”
Josephine, too, has tremendous respect for her mother. “I’ve always idolized my mom because she is just incredible,” she says. “It’s so amazing being in the same field as her.”
Erica Iacono is a writer living in New York City who often writes about marketing and small businesses.