One day about two years ago, we simultaneously asked our mom for new tap and jazz shoes. Our feet had grown and it was time for a quick stop at Capezio, which happens to be right down the block from where we live on the Upper West Side in NYC.
“Didn’t I just buy you shoes a month ago?” she said as she walked into our room and emptied out our closets, drawers and suitcases in search of footwear. And guess what she found? Piles of leotards, bags of old dance shoes, tutus, leotards, and over 100 costumes from years of performances. We sat in our room, in the midst of gigantic piles of gently worn dance items, and we both decided that we needed to find homes for each and every shoe, leotard and costume. It was that day that Donate2Dance was born. Our mission: Collect and donate gently worn dancewear, shoes and costumes to dancers around the world.
Why? Because we believe that every child deserves the chance to dance. And we should know: We're lucky to have spent the past 10 years dancing. We are also very aware that not every dancer has the resources to always buy a new pair of tap shoes simply because their feet have grown. It is the best feeling in the world knowing that a box of leotards or tap shoes or costumes can make a difference in a dancer’s life.
To date, we have helped over 4,500 dancers around the world from New York to Florida to Cuba to Malawi! We ship donations to over 65 dance programs and schools in need. And we're not the only ones paying it forward. We've received donations from brands like Capezio, Bloch, Prima Soft, Moret, Le Sport Sac, Norwegian Cruiseline and more. Even Principal New York City Ballet dancer Tiler Peck and Tony Award-winning actress and dancer Sutton Foster have contributed!
Every day, we come home to boxes of donations (stacked up to our ceiling!) from dancers who ship us their donations. They include notes saying how happy they are to donate their treasured dance items so that others in need can share in the love of dance. What can we say? #DancersHelpingDancers
It's also been so rewarding to watch our Donate2Dance Ambassador Program take off. Dancers around the country reach out to us to partner for either their local community service hours or a Mitzvah project with their synagogue. We work closely with our ambassadors to research a local program in their town where they can donate to directly. Dance stores and dance schools around the country have also caught on and have joined in the Donate2Dance mission. You can spot our bright pink heart logo on donation bins in New Jersey, Texas, North Carolina, parts of New York and many other locations.
It is amazing to see the dance community come together to support one another. We truly can’t believe what a success Donate2Dance has become and the impact it has made on so many dancers. The best part of having our own charity is receiving the pictures and thank you letters from dancers who finally have tap shoes or a glittery, sequined costume. It is the greatest feeling knowing that, every day, we are helping others.
Ava, 15, and Sophia, 13, live in New York City and are dancers at Shuffles Broadway Tap and Musical Theater School. You can follow Donate2Dance on Instagram here.
