30/05/2026
When the Dance Shop Is Gone…
A dancer needs tights for the show tomorrow,
A forgotten shoe brings panic and sorrow.
A tap shoe’s too small, a ribbon’s come loose,
A pointe shoe is dead and needs replacing with haste, not excuse.
For years there were shops just down the road,
With experts to help and stock to unload.
But one by one many have faded away,
As fewer customers walk through each day.
“Surely they’ll always be there,” people say,
Yet many of our friends have closed along the way.
The lights switched off, the doors locked tight,
Gone are the fittings from morning till night.
Some teachers keep stock and do all that they can,
Helping their dancers with a well-thought-out plan.
But no one can carry each size, style and shoe,
Every width, every colour, every brand for you.
So when size 11 tap shoes are needed fast,
Or a competition entry comes round at last,
What happens when teacher has run out too?
Where is the next place to turn to?
A click online may seem the easiest way,
But parcels arrive and then go back the next day.
One size, then another, then maybe size three,
Still hoping they’ll fit as they ought to be.
And what of pointe shoes, so special, so precise?
A fitting done properly is worth every advice.
Yet some dancers now travel for hours on end,
A journey repeated if changes are recommended.
Dance shops don’t survive on goodwill alone,
Or the odd pair of tights when a costume has grown.
Rent must be paid, staff must be there,
To offer the knowledge and service and care.
Not every shop costs more than online can be,
And if sometimes they do, there’s a reason you’ll see.
A fitting, a service, an expert’s trained eye,
Helping dancers stay safe as they leap, turn and fly.
So next time you need something, however small,
Remember the dance shops supporting us all.
For if we don’t use them while they’re still around,
One day we’ll miss them when none can be found.
Because once local dance shops have faded from sight,
A last-minute problem becomes an all-day plight.
And the question won’t be, “Which shop shall I choose?”
But, “Why did we let them all disappear and lose?”
