Growing Through Arts® retailer: Backstage Dancewear

Young dancers are the bread and butter at Backstage Dancewear in Dublin, Ohio.

Owned by the same people who run the Columbus DanceArts Academy next door, Backstage Dancewear caters to young dancers, especially pre-schoolers.

So when Backstage’s manager, Doreen Bretz, learned about the new Growing Through Arts® line of educational ballet books and toys, she knew they would be a perfect fit for her store.

“I think it’s a really exciting series, and I haven’t seen anything else like it in the marketplace,” she says.

Doreen displays the Growing Through Arts® Ballet Series storybooks and Practice & Play books on shelves as well as inside a glass case that holds other gift items.

“We have them out where the children can see them,” Doreen says. “Children are really, really curious and are just drawn to it.”

Doreen says parents usually come into the store on a mission to buy something specific—new shoes, a leotard, etc.—and their children fall in love with the books and beg their parents to buy them.

So far, she says the Practice & Play books have been popular purchases. “They’re the least expensive, and they’re easy to say yes to,” she says.

And once the items catch the kids’ attention, Doreen says the parents start thinking about buying the books and toys later for special occasions, such as Easter.

In addition to the Ballet Series books and Alphabet Set, Doreen is also carrying the Growing Through Arts® leotards in her store. “I’ve been really impressed by the quality,” she says.