April 29, 2025 • 23 mins
From center stage to center stage of her own business, Jessica Loscalzo brings her professional dance background to The Dance Bag, Bergen County's premier dance retail destination now located in Paramus Park Mall.
Jessica's journey began as a 14-year-old professional dancer who eventually competed on Season 2 of "So You Think You Can Dance" before touring with various artists. After 15 years teaching dance, a serendipitous opportunity led her to take over The Dance Bag, transforming her passion for dance into a thriving business serving studios and dancers nationwide.
What makes The Dance Bag special in today's retail landscape? It's the experience and expertise that simply can't be replicated online. Whether it's a 45-minute pointe shoe fitting on their in-store stage or custom-branded studio apparel, Jessica and her team go beyond merely selling products to become trusted partners in every dancer's journey. They work directly with studio owners to ensure parents and students get exactly what they need without the hassle of returns or uncertainty.
The business continues to evolve with innovations like The Dance Bag Convention, bringing together manufacturers, teachers, and dancers for master classes and shopping each August. Despite challenges from online competitors and supply chain issues, The Dance Bag thrives by focusing on community connections and memorable experiences—from a child's first tutu to a graduating senior's solo costume.
For dancers of all ages and styles—ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, or ballroom—The Dance Bag offers quality products and invaluable knowledge. Visit them at their new location in Paramus Park Mall next to Sephora, or call 201-444-6175 to discover why local expertise makes all the difference in dance attire and accessories.
The Dance Bag
Jessica Loscalzo
(201) 444-6175
700 Paramus Park
Paramus Nj 07652
suite 1455
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Doug Drohan.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of the Good
Neighbor Podcast brought to youby the Bergen Neighbors Media
Group, based out of HarringtonPark, new Jersey.
Today we are traveling far andwide about maybe 10, 15 minutes
away in Paramus, new Jersey.
We're joined today by JessicaLoscalzo.
She is the owner of the DanceBag located in Paramus.
(00:33):
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Hi, thank you for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Absolutely so.
Tdb the Dance Bag, tell usabout it.
What, what's it all about?
I mean, is it a dance store?
Do I go there?
To you know?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
put on my dancing shoes yes, of course, the dance
bag was um, originally startedin 2001 in ridgewood, new jersey
, and we've been in business forquite a long time and serving
uh the community, um, locally,along with nationally, with
dance supplies.
So, leotards, tights, shoes,custom fitting for pointe shoes
(01:12):
we're really known for ourfitting of pointe shoes and
working with studio owners nearand far to make sure that they
have what they need to equiptheir dancers and that way, when
the parents come in and say,hey, I have no idea what I need
for such and such who's startingballet today, you know we can
say oh, what studio are you with?
No problem, I have, you know,your black tap shoes and your
(01:33):
pink tights and you need purpleleotard.
Okay, so we have all of thatinformation because we work
closely with studio ownersowners.
For the most part, my job is totake some of the stress off of
the studio owners and haveeverybody in their attire that
needs.
You know what they need to doand the parents feel confident
enough that they're getting agood fit, that they're not going
(01:53):
on Amazon and having to return24, seven, you know, like, oh,
this didn't fit, this was toosmall, or whatever.
They should be confident enoughto come to us have their kids
be fitted properly and then forthem to perform and have a great
you know experience and dance.
It's just to make everyone'slife a little bit easier.
(02:14):
But on top of that we workclosely with studios and
businesses because we have acustom gear department where we
do, you know, sweatshirts, umyou know, um sweatshirts,
hoodies, um, okay, Branded witheverybody's name.
You know, and um, and that'ssomething that we also, uh, have
(02:35):
built up and you know,definitely worked with studio
owners and, uh, businesses nearand far and nationally actually,
like, some of my customers arein Vegas and they're in
California and you know, so it'sgreat.
I mean, honestly, the Dance Bagis a name in the community that
people can trust and we hope tojust further that.
We were originally on Route 17for the past 15 to 17 years and
we just recently moved into,maybe three weeks ago, into
(02:58):
Paramus Park Mall, which isexciting for us, wow, ok.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
So I am not a dance dad, although I learned that
term from a friend of mine whohas three daughters who dance in
Rivervale at a dance school youprobably know of.
But so how many dance schoolsare there in Bergen County?
Oh, gosh.
Is there like one in every town.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Maybe multiples in towns, like I know in Waldwick
there's a, you know at leastthree in a five block radius.
You know what I'm saying.
Like, um, I believe, when itcomes to picking a studio or,
you know, going to a dancestudio, all of them have are
great.
For the most part it'swhatever's best for your child
and who they connect with themost.
That is how you get a positiveexperience at a dance studio.
(03:51):
Per se Me, I'm just the personthat comes in and tells you, hey
, this is what you need, this iswhere you, you know this is the
attire that you need and youknow, keep going.
But definitely there arestudios all over.
Let's just say Bergen County,but in New Jersey, obviously all
over.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, and it's funny, like I don't think there's, I
know there there is one inharrington park or there used to
be.
I don't know if it's still open, but it's here forever.
And then altapan.
I don't know if there's one inaltapan, but rivervale.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
No, but rivervale has yeah, they're, they're close
you also.
You're closer to like wherepark ridge is right and you know
, there's definitely stuffaround there too.
So, yes, there is, you know,studios all over the place
Emerson Emerson yep, definitely,and you know it's not just
ballet and tap and everything.
There's Irish dance.
You know there's, you know theyhave those Right.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
What if you're an adult and you're going to Fred
Astaire?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Fred Astaire is great .
There's also an adult studio inRamsey that does absolutely
wonderful adult classes, wherethey can take a Broadway jazz.
It's not just Zumba orsomething like that.
They could take a contemporaryor a Broadway jazz class and
they're really geared towardsthat as well, which is wonderful
to take, it's not?
Just going into the city totake an adult class.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Would I come to you if I needed something, if I'm a
guy doing jazz classes.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
A hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
We carry both men and women.
So what do you sell for thatadult dance aficionado?
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Well, there's the shoes.
There's also certain types ofpants that you could wear.
Oh, okay, you know definitelyall of that, you know.
For men it's a little bit more,you know, cut and dry, opposed
to when a woman could say, hey,I want a jazz shoe, or I want a
jazz sneaker, or I'm looking fora heel or you know which.
We carry all of those optionsno-transcript.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
And then they had a little judged competition and
the men were, you know, some ofthe men were decked out, you
know they had some, yeah, I'msure.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
So I was like man, where'd you?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
get those shoes, you know the very cool.
They probably got them at thedance bag.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Nice, nice, so yeah.
So I guess now are there.
You mentioned Amazon andobviously, okay, I got to get
something for my daughter and,like you said, I mean it seems
like it has to be the right fit.
So it could be kind of annoyingcontinually trying and
returning things.
Are there a lot of competitorsto what you offer?
Yes, there are.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
There are.
But I mean we all love Amazon,don't get me wrong.
I mean, even as a businessowner, sometimes I have to use
Amazon for things.
You know what I'm saying.
But for me it's yes, it's hardto be convenient for the most
part, but for having a smallbusiness or you know people
coming to me you're getting theexperience of the dance bag and
knowledge of products thatAmazon doesn't give you.
(06:48):
You know what I'm saying Like.
And that is what we offer andthat's what sets us apart and
that's why our clientele, forthe most part, is so loyal.
You know you don't want to goon that Amazon and quickly get a
shoe, you know, or a leotard.
You don't know what fabricyou're doing, you don't know if
it's actually the correct shoeor the real shoe.
You know there's a lot of fakesout there.
(07:10):
You can know that with usyou're getting quality brands,
quality attire and you knowyou're being fit properly.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Okay, no, it makes sense.
I mean, that's, um, Ipersonally am not one who
normally buys clothes on Amazonbecause for that reason you've
got to return it all the time.
But, um, you know, I also amnot the biggest in um going to
stores and trying things on, butit depends on the experience,
and with my son it's differenttoo.
Um, so are you a danceryourself?
(07:41):
Like, how did you get into thisbusiness?
Speaker 3 (07:43):
I was a professional dancer since the age of 14.
I turned professional at 14,actually.
Um, I was homeschooled and Idid the whole thing and by the
age of 18 I was on.
So you think you can dance.
Season two and got very far andthen, after I've been on tour
for a couple of years withdifferent artists, I got offered
(08:04):
a job in Waldwick, new Jersey,with a studio that gave me my
starting point and a life prettymuch, and I was teaching for 15
years with them before I hadtwo kids, back to back during
COVID they're 12 months apartand then for me I just, you know
, it takes a certain patienceand certain person to be able to
(08:28):
juggle, I think, family homeand give all to your students.
And my students were myeverything for a really long
time until I had my own kidsmyself and I made the choice to
leave the dance studio and Iknew the previous owners of the
dance bag and they had said tome hey, if you just want to get
out for a little bit and helparound the store, I could really
(08:50):
use some help.
And I was like, yeah, after aweek or two of being there she
was like you would be perfect toown this business and I was
like, oh, really.
Okay, and it just happened soorganically.
you know like it went from andthen, three to four years later,
here we are, you know, andthat's pretty much how you know,
the dance bag well, my dancebag, I guess you could say has
(09:13):
come into play, you know, and wetried to make it as a seamless
transition from the old owner tome.
Um, I worked for about a yearjust learning the way she did
things and how I would want toimprove some things and,
honestly, half my clienteledidn't even realize that there
was a switch in ownership.
So that really made me feelgreat.
(09:33):
Right.
So, um, and that was wonderful.
And now that we've got someyoung, fresh blood, I guess you
could say in the dance bag,we've done more things.
We put on a dance bagconvention every August where I
bring not only my manufacturersout, so they'll all have booths.
I get some of the most popularand hottest teachers to come and
teach master classes for awhole day and it's broken up
(09:56):
into three levels it's, andunder nine to twelve and then
thirteen and over.
You register individually, youdon't have to be with a studio
and it's just a day for the kidsto necessarily dance, enjoy
classes, you know, not be incompetition, but truly just love
the art of dance.
And then they could shop at theexact same time.
So it was really great.
And also it's good for studioowners to come and see what the
(10:19):
manufacturers are offering forthe next year, whether it's
Block or Capizio or Eurotard orWermois, so Danza, they can see
what is offered and say, hey, Iwant that shoe to be for my kids
this coming year and I canstock it.
And I know that if you'recoming from Sally's School of
(10:41):
Dance, that you need and you'rerequired this year, you know.
So it's just a way foreverybody to get on the same
page, which is really nice.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
So where does the convention take place?
Speaker 3 (10:51):
It's at the Park Ridge Marriott on August 17th,
on a Sunday, Sunday, August 17th.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Okay, so people can go to your website to to
register.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Sign up, yeah, and listen, we take all ages and
honestly we're just, it's just afun, fun day of dance.
Really that's it.
It's, it's wonderful.
So we started putting that onlast year and it was a big hit
and we're doing it again thisyear, so we're excited.
That's great.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
And when I think of dance, of course you think of
dancing with the stars, and so Ithink I could dance and uh.
But then I also think of silverlinings playbook with, uh,
jennifer lawrence and yes rallycooper and, you know, training
the dance right yeah, that was agreat movie, great movie but
when you mentioned, like, what'sthe latest in you know, attire
(11:39):
and things from manufacturers,has the technology changed much
over the last 50 years when itcomes to shoes?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Yes, I mean they're more aware of.
You know flooring and how it.
You know and how you can.
You know injury preventionright.
All of those things come intoplay now with the technology,
with what shoes are offered.
Or you know, like, hey, I wantit to look like you don't have
shoes on when you're on stage.
(12:09):
You know that like there arethings that they have come, or a
lot of people are dancing, moreso in socks.
So how is that, you know, forcontemporary, had you know?
it's not just a regular shotsock.
It has to have something thathas a grip on the bottom to make
sure that they don't slip Like.
These are all things thattechnology based has definitely
you know, done for for myindustry.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yes, and it's funny, you mentioned Capizio's.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I remember in the 80s wearing Capizios.
I'm sure Listen.
They're one of the most belovedcompanies and they do what they
do well.
So 100% I mean we offer qualityand brands that we can stand
behind and we know are going towithstand the test of time.
That's with the dance bag.
You're not going to just haveany type of manufacturer in here
(12:58):
, you're gonna have the majorones.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I mean I wore white capizios with orange pants.
Oh wow, I want to talk aboutthe 80s.
I wore that work one day.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I mean, I was in Manhattan, I was in the music
industry, but still I was, I waspretty bold.
Oh, that was bold, definitely,but you could get away with it,
you know, capizio that was thething that and the hairspray?
Yeah, so I mean.
So you trained to be a dancerand um, who trained you to be an
entrepreneur and a businessowner?
(13:31):
Like, how did you learn how tohandle all the different skill
sets that go into being abusiness owner?
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Well, the old studio that I was working at, I will
say that I give most of mycredit to that owner Her name
was Kelly Larkin who she taughtme how to, for the most part,
run a dance studio.
I didn't really want to run adance studio.
(13:58):
I worked closely in the officeand saw the way that she would
handle her customers and herclientele and you know, I mean
she was, I would say, my mentorfor the most part, you know,
along with my father, who hasrun a business, you know, for
his whole life, you know, and mymother-in-law, who you know is
(14:20):
a strong, independent woman, whoyou know, definitely you know,
and my mother-in-law, who youknow is a strong, independent
woman who, who you know,definitely you know, does her
thing.
So I mean I can give my creditto those people, um, but when it
came to the dance industry Iguess I could say that, um, you
know it's, it's hard being I'mnot going to lie, it's hard
being a business owner,especially in this day and age
and also with the competitionthat's out there.
(14:42):
You have those, you knowfortune 500 companies.
You know like those Amazons,and you know those, those other
companies.
But you know, when you giveyour business to a small
business, you know you're justhelping not only them but the
community you know thrive.
So I love for people to reallythink about that when they're
going to shop for smallbusinesses.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah, no, that's true .
I mean, that's what my show andmy magazines are all about.
It's about promoting communityand the business community and
local businesses.
But a lot of people I spoke toor have spoken to on this show
they followed a passion or theyused to be something else and
then decided to own the business.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And it's interesting because no one trains you to be
an entrepreneur.
You don't go to school to learnno, I will say I've learned the
hard way in the last, you know,a couple of years, right yeah,
I didn't know anything aboutowning a retail store.
I know that I'm passionate aboutkids and wearing the correct
fit and knowing that they'resafe and that they feel, you
know, know, comfortable andconfident, and that's the most
(15:41):
important thing to me.
Um, I want a dancer to makesure that she is.
Um, she's so ready that shedoesn't have to worry about.
Oh, my God, I have a rip in mytights, or oh my.
God, there's something wrongwith my shoes right now.
They're not the correct coloror I don't have those Bobby pins
or those hair nets.
You know what I'm saying.
And I have flyaways and now Ihave to.
(16:01):
You know what I'm saying.
The stress of that I don't needand I and I, and that they can
perform the best that theypossibly can.
And then also for studio owners, you know they want everyone to
look uniformed and they wanteverybody to look their best on
stage.
So if they call me and say, hey, jess, I need 40 pairs of a
caramel tight, you know, andthis brand, I say no problem,
(16:25):
let me get those sizes for youand I'll get it for you.
No problem, it'll be labeled.
You know it goes the extra mile.
I guess you can say I know whatit takes to run a dance studio
and to be a dance teacher and asa business owner, and how I'm
running the dance bag, my mainfocus is to make sure that
everyone feels that they'regetting the product that they
need and in a timely fashion,and that we go above and beyond
(16:50):
for you all right that thatstuff's probably easier for you,
but what is it like ordering,inventory and accounting and
employees and payroll andmarketing?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I have been.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
I've been blessed with some really great people on
my side Payroll, listen.
I think that we're learningabout.
I'm learning about business inthis economy.
That's just been up and downand it's been rough.
A lot of my products come fromoverseas, so shipping delays and
(17:25):
tariffs and all that thataffects my business 100%.
Products, quality of stuff,things that should be in stock
that's so basic sometimes areout of stock for an extended
period of time, or it shouldtake four weeks and then all of
a sudden it's taking eight weeks, or pointe shoes that I get
exclusively from Russia can take10 to 12 weeks.
(17:45):
You know, once I put it in order, you know.
So, yes, those are the type ofthings that I've definitely have
encountered.
As far as finding goodemployees, I have a wonderful
girl that runs, uh, the customgear department, who is
literally like my right hand.
My husband, although he hasanother job during the day,
comes and helps me in theafternoon.
(18:06):
I you know, my father, mymother-in-law.
It's very much a business andsince we've been in the mall now
, we've hired some really greatemployees that are knowledgeable
about dance, who understand ourpassion and what we want to
deliver about dance, whounderstand our passion and what
(18:26):
we want to deliver, and it's,you know, just taking one step
at a time.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I guess you can say yeah, yeah, and I guess you know
you have to be able to pivot,like who would have thought
there'd be a supply chainshortage during COVID and now
with tariffs?
I mean, you couldn't plan forthat?
Speaker 3 (18:41):
No, but you have to deal with it and I bought the
business right out of COVID.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yeah.
So that's probably why they'relike, oh, you'd be perfect for
this business, because we wantout man, I hope that wasn't
their MO.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
But I mean honestly, I feel like we are doing the
best that we can.
A lot of people can be like oh,I can get that on Amazon
cheaper.
Well, unfortunately that'sgreat, yeah, and that is a
challenge with retail, andthat's why a?
Speaker 2 (19:09):
lot of retail is going out of business, but I
think it helps having a nichelike you do and when your
daughter and mostly daughters,I'd imagine are in dance school
most parents want what's bestfor them, and part of the
experience of being in in danceschool, you know most parents
want what's best for them andpart of the experience of being
in a dance uh school is wearingthe outfits and shopping for the
outfits, right?
(19:29):
So going to a store with yourdaughter and if you're a mother
and you remember that experiencewith your mother, then you know
you can't recreate that with aclick on a button.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
listen we do.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Uh, it's a 45 minute leverage that yeah you know um
work, lean into the experience,tap into the emotion and the
nostalgia that that mothers have, or when they were dancers and
what it was like going withtheir mother to shop right and
performing and being on stageand what it feels like.
It's almost like the firststage of you know, that moment
(20:05):
when the girl gets to try on awedding dress.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Right, right, right, you're trying on your dance
outfit.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Maybe, if you celebrate communion, you're
trying on your communion dress.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Yes, right.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
And then the next step is maybe your graduation
gown, your prom dress.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
I will say, like having your first pair of pointe
shoes is like a major,monumental thing, you know and
go above and beyond to make surethat you have all of the
educational process with it.
The parents ask questions.
It's like a 45-minute processof talking about how to take
care of the shoe.
What you should expect, what youshouldn't expect.
How does it feel?
What do you think?
You know we even have a stagein our, in our store.
(20:43):
You know that they have theirmirror and they're on the stage
with marley floor, so that waythey can get a full experience
as to what it should feel likeon their shoes.
And that's why the teachers andstudio owners trust us and the
parents trust us, right?
So that way they're getting allof the information how to take
care of it, how to prolong thelife of the shoe, when to expect
for it to die down, like all ofthese things.
(21:05):
So you know, we pride ourselvesin taking those first steps.
And you know, first tutus,whether it be your first tutu,
your first pair of pointe shoesor your graduating senior solo
costume, you know we're with youfor the ride.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah, and I think by doing the, the, the the bag
dance convention is a great kindof brand extension because,
again, it's an experience andyou bring people in and and
trying to create a um, a loyalcustomer base by having
competition.
So it's smart.
I don't know if you started it,um that I did.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
That's great yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
So is there anything else we, you want our listeners
to know, your listeners to know,before we sign off?
I mean, you mentioned you're inParamus.
You're in the mall.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Yes, Right next to Sephora.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
You know what?
Come come in and get you knowat the dance.
But trust us, I guarantee youwon't be let down or
disappointed.
And then, for any reason, I'malways up for, you know,
critiques and comments andconstructive criticisms, to
always make my business better.
You know what I'm saying Withoutthat, then you know I can't
progress and I can't get better.
But we're here and we go aboveand beyond for our clients and
(22:16):
that's what I want everybody toknow.
And also Paramus Park Mall.
You know they're starting to dosome new and fun and exciting.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, I kind of lost you, so I might use this moment
to say goodbye and let's justfinish with the dance bag dot
com.
Ok, it's in the Paramus ParkMall.
Okay, it's in the Paramus ParkMall.
You can call Jessica andcontact her at 201-444-6175.
(22:47):
Or let me say that in my NewYork accent 444-6175.
Jessica, thank you very muchfor joining us today.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
I just gave everybody your phone number and website.
Of course, you mentioned thatyou're in the Paramus Park Mall.
Yes, thank you very much, andbear with me for a few seconds
while Chuck takes us out.
You and I will be right back.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to gnpbergen.
com.
That's gnpbergen.
com, or call 201-298-8325.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Doug Drohan.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of the Good
Neighbor Podcast brought to youby the Bergen Neighbors Media
Group, based out of HarringtonPark, new Jersey.
Today we are traveling far andwide about maybe 10, 15 minutes
away in Paramus, new Jersey.
We're joined today by JessicaLoscalzo.
She is the owner of the DanceBag located in Paramus.
(00:33):
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Hi, thank you for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Absolutely so.
Tdb the Dance Bag, tell usabout it.
What, what's it all about?
I mean, is it a dance store?
Do I go there?
To you know?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
put on my dancing shoes yes, of course, the dance
bag was um, originally startedin 2001 in ridgewood, new jersey
, and we've been in business forquite a long time and serving
uh the community, um, locally,along with nationally, with
dance supplies.
So, leotards, tights, shoes,custom fitting for pointe shoes
(01:12):
we're really known for ourfitting of pointe shoes and
working with studio owners nearand far to make sure that they
have what they need to equiptheir dancers and that way, when
the parents come in and say,hey, I have no idea what I need
for such and such who's startingballet today, you know we can
say oh, what studio are you with?
No problem, I have, you know,your black tap shoes and your
(01:33):
pink tights and you need purpleleotard.
Okay, so we have all of thatinformation because we work
closely with studio ownersowners.
For the most part, my job is totake some of the stress off of
the studio owners and haveeverybody in their attire that
needs.
You know what they need to doand the parents feel confident
enough that they're getting agood fit, that they're not going
(01:53):
on Amazon and having to return24, seven, you know, like, oh,
this didn't fit, this was toosmall, or whatever.
They should be confident enoughto come to us have their kids
be fitted properly and then forthem to perform and have a great
you know experience and dance.
It's just to make everyone'slife a little bit easier.
(02:14):
But on top of that we workclosely with studios and
businesses because we have acustom gear department where we
do, you know, sweatshirts, umyou know, um sweatshirts,
hoodies, um, okay, Branded witheverybody's name.
You know, and um, and that'ssomething that we also, uh, have
(02:35):
built up and you know,definitely worked with studio
owners and, uh, businesses nearand far and nationally actually,
like, some of my customers arein Vegas and they're in
California and you know, so it'sgreat.
I mean, honestly, the Dance Bagis a name in the community that
people can trust and we hope tojust further that.
We were originally on Route 17for the past 15 to 17 years and
we just recently moved into,maybe three weeks ago, into
(02:58):
Paramus Park Mall, which isexciting for us, wow, ok.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
So I am not a dance dad, although I learned that
term from a friend of mine whohas three daughters who dance in
Rivervale at a dance school youprobably know of.
But so how many dance schoolsare there in Bergen County?
Oh, gosh.
Is there like one in every town.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Maybe multiples in towns, like I know in Waldwick
there's a, you know at leastthree in a five block radius.
You know what I'm saying.
Like, um, I believe, when itcomes to picking a studio or,
you know, going to a dancestudio, all of them have are
great.
For the most part it'swhatever's best for your child
and who they connect with themost.
That is how you get a positiveexperience at a dance studio.
(03:51):
Per se Me, I'm just the personthat comes in and tells you, hey
, this is what you need, this iswhere you, you know this is the
attire that you need and youknow, keep going.
But definitely there arestudios all over.
Let's just say Bergen County,but in New Jersey, obviously all
over.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, and it's funny, like I don't think there's, I
know there there is one inharrington park or there used to
be.
I don't know if it's still open, but it's here forever.
And then altapan.
I don't know if there's one inaltapan, but rivervale.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
No, but rivervale has yeah, they're, they're close
you also.
You're closer to like wherepark ridge is right and you know
, there's definitely stuffaround there too.
So, yes, there is, you know,studios all over the place
Emerson Emerson yep, definitely,and you know it's not just
ballet and tap and everything.
There's Irish dance.
You know there's, you know theyhave those Right.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
What if you're an adult and you're going to Fred
Astaire?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Fred Astaire is great .
There's also an adult studio inRamsey that does absolutely
wonderful adult classes, wherethey can take a Broadway jazz.
It's not just Zumba orsomething like that.
They could take a contemporaryor a Broadway jazz class and
they're really geared towardsthat as well, which is wonderful
to take, it's not?
Just going into the city totake an adult class.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Would I come to you if I needed something, if I'm a
guy doing jazz classes.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
A hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
We carry both men and women.
So what do you sell for thatadult dance aficionado?
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Well, there's the shoes.
There's also certain types ofpants that you could wear.
Oh, okay, you know definitelyall of that, you know.
For men it's a little bit more,you know, cut and dry, opposed
to when a woman could say, hey,I want a jazz shoe, or I want a
jazz sneaker, or I'm looking fora heel or you know which.
We carry all of those optionsno-transcript.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
And then they had a little judged competition and
the men were, you know, some ofthe men were decked out, you
know they had some, yeah, I'msure.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
So I was like man, where'd you?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
get those shoes, you know the very cool.
They probably got them at thedance bag.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Nice, nice, so yeah.
So I guess now are there.
You mentioned Amazon andobviously, okay, I got to get
something for my daughter and,like you said, I mean it seems
like it has to be the right fit.
So it could be kind of annoyingcontinually trying and
returning things.
Are there a lot of competitorsto what you offer?
Yes, there are.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
There are.
But I mean we all love Amazon,don't get me wrong.
I mean, even as a businessowner, sometimes I have to use
Amazon for things.
You know what I'm saying.
But for me it's yes, it's hardto be convenient for the most
part, but for having a smallbusiness or you know people
coming to me you're getting theexperience of the dance bag and
knowledge of products thatAmazon doesn't give you.
(06:48):
You know what I'm saying Like.
And that is what we offer andthat's what sets us apart and
that's why our clientele, forthe most part, is so loyal.
You know you don't want to goon that Amazon and quickly get a
shoe, you know, or a leotard.
You don't know what fabricyou're doing, you don't know if
it's actually the correct shoeor the real shoe.
You know there's a lot of fakesout there.
(07:10):
You can know that with usyou're getting quality brands,
quality attire and you knowyou're being fit properly.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Okay, no, it makes sense.
I mean, that's, um, Ipersonally am not one who
normally buys clothes on Amazonbecause for that reason you've
got to return it all the time.
But, um, you know, I also amnot the biggest in um going to
stores and trying things on, butit depends on the experience,
and with my son it's differenttoo.
Um, so are you a danceryourself?
(07:41):
Like, how did you get into thisbusiness?
Speaker 3 (07:43):
I was a professional dancer since the age of 14.
I turned professional at 14,actually.
Um, I was homeschooled and Idid the whole thing and by the
age of 18 I was on.
So you think you can dance.
Season two and got very far andthen, after I've been on tour
for a couple of years withdifferent artists, I got offered
(08:04):
a job in Waldwick, new Jersey,with a studio that gave me my
starting point and a life prettymuch, and I was teaching for 15
years with them before I hadtwo kids, back to back during
COVID they're 12 months apartand then for me I just, you know
, it takes a certain patienceand certain person to be able to
(08:28):
juggle, I think, family homeand give all to your students.
And my students were myeverything for a really long
time until I had my own kidsmyself and I made the choice to
leave the dance studio and Iknew the previous owners of the
dance bag and they had said tome hey, if you just want to get
out for a little bit and helparound the store, I could really
(08:50):
use some help.
And I was like, yeah, after aweek or two of being there she
was like you would be perfect toown this business and I was
like, oh, really.
Okay, and it just happened soorganically.
you know like it went from andthen, three to four years later,
here we are, you know, andthat's pretty much how you know,
the dance bag well, my dancebag, I guess you could say has
(09:13):
come into play, you know, and wetried to make it as a seamless
transition from the old owner tome.
Um, I worked for about a yearjust learning the way she did
things and how I would want toimprove some things and,
honestly, half my clienteledidn't even realize that there
was a switch in ownership.
So that really made me feelgreat.
(09:33):
Right.
So, um, and that was wonderful.
And now that we've got someyoung, fresh blood, I guess you
could say in the dance bag,we've done more things.
We put on a dance bagconvention every August where I
bring not only my manufacturersout, so they'll all have booths.
I get some of the most popularand hottest teachers to come and
teach master classes for awhole day and it's broken up
(09:56):
into three levels it's, andunder nine to twelve and then
thirteen and over.
You register individually, youdon't have to be with a studio
and it's just a day for the kidsto necessarily dance, enjoy
classes, you know, not be incompetition, but truly just love
the art of dance.
And then they could shop at theexact same time.
So it was really great.
And also it's good for studioowners to come and see what the
(10:19):
manufacturers are offering forthe next year, whether it's
Block or Capizio or Eurotard orWermois, so Danza, they can see
what is offered and say, hey, Iwant that shoe to be for my kids
this coming year and I canstock it.
And I know that if you'recoming from Sally's School of
(10:41):
Dance, that you need and you'rerequired this year, you know.
So it's just a way foreverybody to get on the same
page, which is really nice.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
So where does the convention take place?
Speaker 3 (10:51):
It's at the Park Ridge Marriott on August 17th,
on a Sunday, Sunday, August 17th.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Okay, so people can go to your website to to
register.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Sign up, yeah, and listen, we take all ages and
honestly we're just, it's just afun, fun day of dance.
Really that's it.
It's, it's wonderful.
So we started putting that onlast year and it was a big hit
and we're doing it again thisyear, so we're excited.
That's great.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
And when I think of dance, of course you think of
dancing with the stars, and so Ithink I could dance and uh.
But then I also think of silverlinings playbook with, uh,
jennifer lawrence and yes rallycooper and, you know, training
the dance right yeah, that was agreat movie, great movie but
when you mentioned, like, what'sthe latest in you know, attire
(11:39):
and things from manufacturers,has the technology changed much
over the last 50 years when itcomes to shoes?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Yes, I mean they're more aware of.
You know flooring and how it.
You know and how you can.
You know injury preventionright.
All of those things come intoplay now with the technology,
with what shoes are offered.
Or you know, like, hey, I wantit to look like you don't have
shoes on when you're on stage.
(12:09):
You know that like there arethings that they have come, or a
lot of people are dancing, moreso in socks.
So how is that, you know, forcontemporary, had you know?
it's not just a regular shotsock.
It has to have something thathas a grip on the bottom to make
sure that they don't slip Like.
These are all things thattechnology based has definitely
you know, done for for myindustry.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yes, and it's funny, you mentioned Capizio's.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I remember in the 80s wearing Capizios.
I'm sure Listen.
They're one of the most belovedcompanies and they do what they
do well.
So 100% I mean we offer qualityand brands that we can stand
behind and we know are going towithstand the test of time.
That's with the dance bag.
You're not going to just haveany type of manufacturer in here
(12:58):
, you're gonna have the majorones.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I mean I wore white capizios with orange pants.
Oh wow, I want to talk aboutthe 80s.
I wore that work one day.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I mean, I was in Manhattan, I was in the music
industry, but still I was, I waspretty bold.
Oh, that was bold, definitely,but you could get away with it,
you know, capizio that was thething that and the hairspray?
Yeah, so I mean.
So you trained to be a dancerand um, who trained you to be an
entrepreneur and a businessowner?
(13:31):
Like, how did you learn how tohandle all the different skill
sets that go into being abusiness owner?
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Well, the old studio that I was working at, I will
say that I give most of mycredit to that owner Her name
was Kelly Larkin who she taughtme how to, for the most part,
run a dance studio.
I didn't really want to run adance studio.
(13:58):
I worked closely in the officeand saw the way that she would
handle her customers and herclientele and you know, I mean
she was, I would say, my mentorfor the most part, you know,
along with my father, who hasrun a business, you know, for
his whole life, you know, and mymother-in-law, who you know is
(14:20):
a strong, independent woman, whoyou know, definitely you know,
and my mother-in-law, who youknow is a strong, independent
woman who, who you know,definitely you know, does her
thing.
So I mean I can give my creditto those people, um, but when it
came to the dance industry Iguess I could say that, um, you
know it's, it's hard being I'mnot going to lie, it's hard
being a business owner,especially in this day and age
and also with the competitionthat's out there.
(14:42):
You have those, you knowfortune 500 companies.
You know like those Amazons,and you know those, those other
companies.
But you know, when you giveyour business to a small
business, you know you're justhelping not only them but the
community you know thrive.
So I love for people to reallythink about that when they're
going to shop for smallbusinesses.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah, no, that's true .
I mean, that's what my show andmy magazines are all about.
It's about promoting communityand the business community and
local businesses.
But a lot of people I spoke toor have spoken to on this show
they followed a passion or theyused to be something else and
then decided to own the business.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And it's interesting because no one trains you to be
an entrepreneur.
You don't go to school to learnno, I will say I've learned the
hard way in the last, you know,a couple of years, right yeah,
I didn't know anything aboutowning a retail store.
I know that I'm passionate aboutkids and wearing the correct
fit and knowing that they'resafe and that they feel, you
know, know, comfortable andconfident, and that's the most
(15:41):
important thing to me.
Um, I want a dancer to makesure that she is.
Um, she's so ready that shedoesn't have to worry about.
Oh, my God, I have a rip in mytights, or oh my.
God, there's something wrongwith my shoes right now.
They're not the correct coloror I don't have those Bobby pins
or those hair nets.
You know what I'm saying.
And I have flyaways and now Ihave to.
(16:01):
You know what I'm saying.
The stress of that I don't needand I and I, and that they can
perform the best that theypossibly can.
And then also for studio owners, you know they want everyone to
look uniformed and they wanteverybody to look their best on
stage.
So if they call me and say, hey, jess, I need 40 pairs of a
caramel tight, you know, andthis brand, I say no problem,
(16:25):
let me get those sizes for youand I'll get it for you.
No problem, it'll be labeled.
You know it goes the extra mile.
I guess you can say I know whatit takes to run a dance studio
and to be a dance teacher and asa business owner, and how I'm
running the dance bag, my mainfocus is to make sure that
everyone feels that they'regetting the product that they
need and in a timely fashion,and that we go above and beyond
(16:50):
for you all right that thatstuff's probably easier for you,
but what is it like ordering,inventory and accounting and
employees and payroll andmarketing?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I have been.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
I've been blessed with some really great people on
my side Payroll, listen.
I think that we're learningabout.
I'm learning about business inthis economy.
That's just been up and downand it's been rough.
A lot of my products come fromoverseas, so shipping delays and
(17:25):
tariffs and all that thataffects my business 100%.
Products, quality of stuff,things that should be in stock
that's so basic sometimes areout of stock for an extended
period of time, or it shouldtake four weeks and then all of
a sudden it's taking eight weeks, or pointe shoes that I get
exclusively from Russia can take10 to 12 weeks.
(17:45):
You know, once I put it in order, you know.
So, yes, those are the type ofthings that I've definitely have
encountered.
As far as finding goodemployees, I have a wonderful
girl that runs, uh, the customgear department, who is
literally like my right hand.
My husband, although he hasanother job during the day,
comes and helps me in theafternoon.
(18:06):
I you know, my father, mymother-in-law.
It's very much a business andsince we've been in the mall now
, we've hired some really greatemployees that are knowledgeable
about dance, who understand ourpassion and what we want to
deliver about dance, whounderstand our passion and what
(18:26):
we want to deliver, and it's,you know, just taking one step
at a time.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I guess you can say yeah, yeah, and I guess you know
you have to be able to pivot,like who would have thought
there'd be a supply chainshortage during COVID and now
with tariffs?
I mean, you couldn't plan forthat?
Speaker 3 (18:41):
No, but you have to deal with it and I bought the
business right out of COVID.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yeah.
So that's probably why they'relike, oh, you'd be perfect for
this business, because we wantout man, I hope that wasn't
their MO.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
But I mean honestly, I feel like we are doing the
best that we can.
A lot of people can be like oh,I can get that on Amazon
cheaper.
Well, unfortunately that'sgreat, yeah, and that is a
challenge with retail, andthat's why a?
Speaker 2 (19:09):
lot of retail is going out of business, but I
think it helps having a nichelike you do and when your
daughter and mostly daughters,I'd imagine are in dance school
most parents want what's bestfor them, and part of the
experience of being in in danceschool, you know most parents
want what's best for them andpart of the experience of being
in a dance uh school is wearingthe outfits and shopping for the
outfits, right?
(19:29):
So going to a store with yourdaughter and if you're a mother
and you remember that experiencewith your mother, then you know
you can't recreate that with aclick on a button.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
listen we do.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Uh, it's a 45 minute leverage that yeah you know um
work, lean into the experience,tap into the emotion and the
nostalgia that that mothers have, or when they were dancers and
what it was like going withtheir mother to shop right and
performing and being on stageand what it feels like.
It's almost like the firststage of you know, that moment
(20:05):
when the girl gets to try on awedding dress.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Right, right, right, you're trying on your dance
outfit.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Maybe, if you celebrate communion, you're
trying on your communion dress.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Yes, right.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
And then the next step is maybe your graduation
gown, your prom dress.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
I will say, like having your first pair of pointe
shoes is like a major,monumental thing, you know and
go above and beyond to make surethat you have all of the
educational process with it.
The parents ask questions.
It's like a 45-minute processof talking about how to take
care of the shoe.
What you should expect, what youshouldn't expect.
How does it feel?
What do you think?
You know we even have a stagein our, in our store.
(20:43):
You know that they have theirmirror and they're on the stage
with marley floor, so that waythey can get a full experience
as to what it should feel likeon their shoes.
And that's why the teachers andstudio owners trust us and the
parents trust us, right?
So that way they're getting allof the information how to take
care of it, how to prolong thelife of the shoe, when to expect
for it to die down, like all ofthese things.
(21:05):
So you know, we pride ourselvesin taking those first steps.
And you know, first tutus,whether it be your first tutu,
your first pair of pointe shoesor your graduating senior solo
costume, you know we're with youfor the ride.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah, and I think by doing the, the, the the bag
dance convention is a great kindof brand extension because,
again, it's an experience andyou bring people in and and
trying to create a um, a loyalcustomer base by having
competition.
So it's smart.
I don't know if you started it,um that I did.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
That's great yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
So is there anything else we, you want our listeners
to know, your listeners to know,before we sign off?
I mean, you mentioned you're inParamus.
You're in the mall.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Yes, Right next to Sephora.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
You know what?
Come come in and get you knowat the dance.
But trust us, I guarantee youwon't be let down or
disappointed.
And then, for any reason, I'malways up for, you know,
critiques and comments andconstructive criticisms, to
always make my business better.
You know what I'm saying Withoutthat, then you know I can't
progress and I can't get better.
But we're here and we go aboveand beyond for our clients and
(22:16):
that's what I want everybody toknow.
And also Paramus Park Mall.
You know they're starting to dosome new and fun and exciting.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, I kind of lost you, so I might use this moment
to say goodbye and let's justfinish with the dance bag dot
com.
Ok, it's in the Paramus ParkMall.
Okay, it's in the Paramus ParkMall.
You can call Jessica andcontact her at 201-444-6175.
(22:47):
Or let me say that in my NewYork accent 444-6175.
Jessica, thank you very muchfor joining us today.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
I just gave everybody your phone number and website.
Of course, you mentioned thatyou're in the Paramus Park Mall.
Yes, thank you very much, andbear with me for a few seconds
while Chuck takes us out.
You and I will be right back.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Bye.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to gnpbergen.
com.
That's gnpbergen.
com, or call 201-298-8325.
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