Dancewear on Broad

DANCEWEAR ON BROAD LLC, is a jointly conceived venture between Julia Higdon and William Robinson. As an entity, Dancewear on Broad will provide service, resources, and act as a hub for community engagement and exchange. For more than 15 years the storefront at 1129 South Broad Street, Philadelphia PA, has been a staple for dancewear and supplies in the Philadelphia area. Situated prominently on Broad Street, Philadelphia's main roadway and only feet from the Broad and Ellsworth Septa stop, the storefront is surrounded by performing arts institutions for learning and higher education, companies and theatres. Dancewear on Broad looks to move into this already well- established space and take over the historied relationship between the demand of the local dance and performance community, and the suppliers, whose products meet those high standards and demands. We look to achieve this, alongside a goal to create representation of the diversity within our community and help build space for growth and creative exchange. Funds raised will go directly to: * Restocking the most necessary inventory @ $10,000 These funds will allow us to place orders with current suppliers, helping us meet the upcoming back to school season. * Investing in the proper infrastructure for a modern point of sale system, as well as handling customer information securely, and marketing @ $3,000 These funds would mean our company would be able to better handle current clients, with the ability to quickly adapt to a larger intake. Allowing for efficient data capture, so that we can better understand the local demographics and make more informed decisions based on our client's specific needs.  * Opening new accounts with companies such as Grishko and Freed @ $4,500 each/ $9,000 total Grishko and Freed are well established shoe and dancewear makers. For years, these companies only did business with one shop in the downtown Philadelphia area. That store has recently closed, and both companies have expressed interest in doing business with us. Funds would help to ensure that we would be the exclusive carriers of these brands in the Center City area. We hope to reach our total goal of $22,000 by September 1, 2018. The Support would mean getting the store up and running immediately. We believe that by focusing on our goals, (officially opening on Sept. 4, 2018; having the inventory to meet current consumer demand; having the proper infrastructure in place to capitalize on new clients), that we will best honor the support and generosity of our community and loved ones, as well as be in immediate service to our clients. With this store we look to put ourselves in the best position to serve a community that has always held and supported us. Every donation makes a difference. Small or large, we are deeply grateful for any giving that folks can manage. If you can't donate at this time, please consider sharing our story and campaign with others. Thank you for your time and consideration, Julia Higdon & William Robinson Who we are: Julia Higdon began her formative years of dance training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet, in Washington D.C., later transferring to The Rock School for Dance Education, located in Philadelphia PA, where she graduated high school. After graduating, Julia spent several years living, dancing, and teaching in NYC, as well as back home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In 2011 Julia found herself once again in Philadelphia, after being accepted at the University of the Arts. Julia has been working professionally since relocating to the area, mainly with Brian Sanders' Junk, and Archedream for Humankind.  For over ten years, Julia has been educating new generations of dancers, most recently here in Philadelphia at the Conservatory of Music and Dance. Julia has spent the last five years working and managing the dancewear store, and is looking forward to this next chapter. William Robinson is a professional dancer and educator, who has spent the last 10 years developing his career in Philadelphia. William's early training began at Georgetown Day School, where he was guided by Jan Tievsky, and under the tutelage of  Dana Tai Soon Burgess. While attending The University of the Arts' summer program in 2002, William was guided by Wayne St. David, to study at The Dance Institute of Washington under the late Fabian Barnes. D.I.W. is the foundational institution for William's technical training in both modern, and ballet Technique. William went on to attend The University of the Arts in 2004, earning his BFA in modern dance performance in 2008. Upon graduation William received departmental honors for his high level of achievement in dance performance, and was the recipient of the prestigious 2008 Presidents Award, for The College of Performing Arts. William has maintained a professional dance career performing primarily with choreographers Silvana Cardell, Shannon Murphy, Jumatatu Poe, and Brian Sanders, and has been a persistent educator at The University of the Arts, and Georgian Court University.