OLEAN, N.Y. — What’s one of the biggest pain points for most dancers? Is it getting nervous before a recital? Remembering the choreography? Building strength and coordination for tough moves?
Nope. Simply enough, it’s tights. They go so fast. Even the most durable can rip with repeated use. But dancers always need more to practice and perform what they love.
Neighborhood School of Dance (NSD) has the solution: a dance wear website that regularly ships tights to members for convenience and affordability. NSD has unveiled its Neighborhood Dance wear site — www.ndwshop.com — which was built with support from a Cattaraugus County Microenterprise Grant and the Laine Business Accelerator.
The site’s Grand Opening will be Saturday, April 1.
“We’re so excited to see all this coming together,” said NSD owner and CEO Brittany Thierman, who is now in her 10th season as owner and lead instructor at Olean’s longest-running dance studio, which has been in continuous operation since 1976. “Every dancer knows the struggle. Tights are expensive. No one wants to keep going back to buy more when they inevitably rip — least of all parents of our dance kids on tight budgets — especially right before a class or performance.”
Tights memberships will allow consumers to pay a nominal yearly fee for tights to be shipped automatically every three months. The site will also offer other dance apparel and studio needs including shorts, leotards, specialized shoes for all dance genres and stylish swag items. Most items are eligible for free 2-3 day shipping.
But it’s not just for the benefit of NSD students at the Olean and Port Allegany (Pa.) studios.
“That’s why we built and tested this online model at the Laine Business Accelerator,” said Kyleigh Peterson, NSD Director and another lead instructor at both studios. “We wanted something to serve dancers’ needs quickly and cost-effectively. This is for dancers everywhere, and we aim to partner with other dance studios here and around the country to provide the things dancers need to pursue their passion.”
To which Thierman added, “Because our mission is to spread the joy of dancing as an art form. It doesn’t matter if they’re developing that passion here in Olean or in California. Dancers and dance families will never have to worry again about having the dance apparel they need.”
Last year, NSD was selected for the Laine Business Accelerator. Thierman and Peterson for months developed a strategy for the e-commerce site, with assistance from business and marketing mentors. Upon completion, NSD received $5,000 from the Accelerator to stock the site with dance inventory.
Additionally, NSD won a Cattaraugus County Microenterprise Grant of nearly $11,000 for website development and promotion with Southern Tier Communications Strategies, LLC, a local strat-comm agency that specializes in digital marketing.
“This grant is so helpful for small businesses like ours,” Thierman said. “It goes so far to allow us to provide a resource supporting arts and culture everywhere.”
