Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabelle Haas
Hi Isabelle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I always had an interest in pointe fitting as a classical ballet dancer in training. I had just graduated from the BFA Ballet program at CCM with Qi Jiang, and a position became available to fit at Diana’s Dancewear with the original store owner while I auditioned for professional company positions. I signed a contract in Miami FL the fall before Covid, and was one of the fortunate dancers to keep their contracts through the height of the pandemic. My husband, Lance, was completing his MBA at the time. While I continued dancing, my interest in pointe fitting continued so I participated in as many trainings as I could specializing in Pointe fitting and anatomy.
A few years of being a professional dancer had brought me countless interesting and exciting experiences, but I was ready to start my next chapter. Lance and I returned to Cincinnati with intentions of trying to live a calmer life than we were able to while I was dancing. I returned to my part time position at Diana’s Dancewear and was excited to start fitting again. The original owner had opened the business in 1993, and was getting ready to retire after 30 years, giving me the opportunity to turn my interest into a career. With mine and my husband’s combined degrees and previous work experience in retail, restaurants, and child education, it was a project we were both excited to work on. Having our own retail store was an idea we had always discussed for down the road. With the support of Diana, the whole Diana’s Dancewear team, my husband and family, the process moved quick and as April of 2023 we were proud to announce the new ownership of Diana’s Dancewear of Cincinnati.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was not a smooth road getting here, and there were many challenges during the process. At several points we were unsure if we would be able to pull it off. There is so much history behind the business that we as a community wanted the store to continue as it was but with a new direction. As a newly retired young dancer, and recent MBA graduate, the financial aspect of purchasing a 30 year old business with a high volume of inventory was a daunting task challenging us until the morning we closed on the deal.
Although, there are many challenges that come with being a retailer and small business owner we have fun and love helping dancers find exactly what they’re looking for.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a team of dancers and family of dancers with personal experience in the dance community. As a dance retailer we offer a wide variety of things for your dancer and performer needs including praise wear, tap, jazz, contemporary, theater, children’s wear, performance undergarments and class basics, but we specialize in classical ballet and pointe fitting. Our pointe fitters are all former or current classically trained ballet dancers who use their personal experiences in training, and are all versed in our inventory, applicable anatomy and current philosophies that align with supporting healthy and strong dancers.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Being able to use all my life experiences in one project and helping dancers have a healthy relationship to dance. I spent so many years training in classical ballet that when I left performing professionally, I wanted to be able to use my experience to better prepare the next generation of professional dancers. While I was in school I had a variety of jobs that included the restaurant service industry and retail management, and with my husband’s MBA and finance background, that provided the confidence that we could handle small business ownership.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dianasdancewear.com/
- Instagram: @dianas_dancewear
