Sep 4, 2009
Bossy’s Favorite Things
This store.
It’s located in center city Philadelphia, and it’s the oldest dance supply store in the country. Actually, Bossy just made that part up about oldest, but the store has been around since 1887, owned by the same family for four generations.
Bossy was never much of a dancer, or much of anything, but she always enjoyed this store, where beginning at a young age she accompanied her mother as her mom purchased all manner of black leotards and other aesthetic looking stuff she would then wear as street clothes.
Later Bossy frequented this store for things like polyester disco wrap-around skirts and purple jazz shoes, which is the unfortunate side effect of growing up in the 70s and 80s.
Sequins, feathers, taps, pointe shoes, and now booty shorts — this store has it all and is the sort of hushed quiet made possible by too much inventory and a staff of lithe ballerinas.
Turns out their nineteenth century asses are also online. Click here for Baum’s.
My daughter danced for 13 years. I don’t want to think about how much money I spent at The Dancer’s Place.
12 kinds of Tights, 5 kinds of shoes, leotards, swingy little dance skirts, sparkly dance dresses
It probably would have financed her first year of college.
Back in the 70’s I wore leotards with bell bottoms to go roller skating every weekend of 7th grade.
Best place in the area to buy character shoes, too!
Ooh! I bookmarked it! Thanks, Bossy!
I can only dance on a table while intoxicated. But I love the look of dancers attire. That building is awesome. Step, ball chain. swing your partner to the left…annnnd dip!
Baums best for little black tank swimsuit. No structure, no weight, no anything except some black and some straps.
Bye those days…
Baums! Bossy brings back memories for me with this photo of Baums! For years, we made our fall trek to that dancing mecca for yet another pair of uncomfortable, painful, god for saken toe shoes that needed to be broken in. Oy! My feet hurt just thinking about those years. It’s time to pass on that tradition to my daughter. I will be taking her there for her own lovely, graceful, beautiful torture shoes in no time. Maybe even pick me up some of those snazzy jazz shoes while I’m at it. Long live the 70’s!
In 1980, I owned a pair of purple fabric jazz character shoes which I lovedlovedloved. As far as I was concerned, they looked great with everything…and that’s exactly how I wore them.
The store is so venerably old that it remains in daguerreotype coloration even though the rest of the world went technicolor.
At my kids’ arts high school they have to take a year of modern dance before graduation and this is our dance year. I spent $$$ on leotard, tights and said booty shorts at the dance store in Portland yesterday for my daughter and then 1/3 as much at Target for shorts and a t-shirt for my son. Thanking my financial stars the girl is a writer, not a dancer, athlete, thespian, etc.