Dance gear. Where to get it on the Peninsula.

Our Dance & Performance classes both at the studio, and at the preschools rotate through different curriculum each month. In a broader picture they also rotate dance styles every 6 months in preparation for our performances in June, and December. December 2015 was the end of our Ballet rotation. We have now moved the focus of the choreography portion of class to Tap. You will see them start to build a dance from now through June. Below are some of the more frequently asked questions when we rotate from ballet to tap. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact our studio directly. 

Q: Do I need to get Tap Shoes?
A: No, tap shoes are not required for the weekly classes unless you plan to participate in the June Performance. In which case you will want to pick up a pair sooner rather than later to break them in. 

Q: If we don’t get Tap Shoes, how will they learn tap?
A: Our Dance & Performance classes are more about learning movement, basics, and motor skills. You do not need to have the tap shoes in order to perform the steps they will be learning. You can wear regular shoes that will still help them make noise and learn the steps. The tap shoes will also only be worn for the portion of class where they are focused on the Tap Basics, and the Choreography. After that the teacher will ask them to remove the shoes and either go barefoot or switch to ballet slippers. Remember there is NO required dress code for the Small Fry classes.

Q: I heard you have a shoe exchange program, how do I request shoes?
A: Yes, we do have a shoe exchange program. Families that are enrolled are eligible to request FREE shoes from our inventory of gently worn shoes that other families have donated. We carry ballet slippers, and tap shoes mostly. And we do run out quickly when we rotate styles. To request shoes in the future you can email shoes@smallfrydanceclub.com and ask for a style and size. While we do not actually require you to “exchange” shoes to get a free pair, we would encourage you to donate any dance shoes that you may have our grown.

Q: Where can I go to get new shoes or dance wear?
A: We recommend Dance Theatre Shop, which has two locations. One near our studio in downtown San Mateo, and one in Mountain View for our South Bay families. Online you can find shoes and dance wear at www.DiscountDance.com. We use them regularly and they make it easy to exchange or return items if they don’t fit right. You can also try Ivivva in Burlingame, but they are suited for our older dancers in our Principal Arts program.

Other local dance stores:

• Dancer Dejour – 1283 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025
• Payless Shoesource – Multiple locations (may only carry ballet slippers)
• San Francisco Dancewear – 659 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105

Know of a dance store we may have missed? Please add it to the comment section below!