Store aims to make dancing more affordable - Gaston Gazette

Angie Waters believes in recycling. The Gastonia woman has made it her business, but not in the traditional sense. Waters opened Dance Plus Consignments on Wilkinson Boulevard four years ago.

The Lowell shop specializes in dance wear and has expanded to include pageant and formal gowns. Waters said she came up with the business plan after seeing firsthand how expensive it can be having a dancer in the family. Her daughter, Lindsey Waters, is now a student at Harvard. But in her 16 years of dance, she regularly needed new shoes and costumes for competitions.

“My daughter did competitive dance, and it was a struggle,” Waters said.

Once her daughter went off to college, Waters opened the business – starting with her daughter’s and her daughter’s friends’ leftovers. The business now has nearly 500 consigners, Waters said. She said she gets referrals from area dance studios, and she will send her customers to new dancewear suppliers if need be.

“We funnel people there if we can’t help them here,” she said. “We try to support each other.” Tutus, tap shoes and gowns line the walls of the modest shop. While it may look filled to the brim, Waters said she thinks the space is just perfect.

Waters recently opened up a back room to display formal gowns. In the spring she’ll create a special sale rack of prom gowns for girls who may not be able to afford a high-priced dress.Waters works an office job during the day, and then she comes to the shop in the evenings and on Saturdays. She has one part-time employee.

Individual and team competitive dancers often weed through the stock at Dance Plus to find what they need, Waters said. Rachelle Anger has her own little dance team at home. The Mount Holly woman has three daughters who all dance.

Anger’s oldest daughter is a competitive dancer and requires individual costumes. While they searched through costume candidates last week, Anger’s two younger daughters looked at other dance supplies. “It’s my favorite place to go shopping for dance stuff,” she said.

Being able to try on the costumes instead of guess sizes from a catalog is a benefit, she said. For those who want to browse from home, all of the items are catalogued online, Waters said. Waters said she wants to find good deals for her shoppers and consigners.

She’ll let items stay in the store for a year. If they age out, Waters gives the consigner the opportunity to take back the item or donate it. Donated materials are given to school drama programs and theater groups. “It’s very rewarding to us because nobody here is making a huge income,” Waters said. “We are serious about recycling. That’s the premise behind the store.”

Waters said she’s happy with the direction her store is headed. She’s not looking to relocate. But if the opportunity to expand arises, Waters said she’d like to add sportswear to her collection.

You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.