Perkasie Owner of En Arabesque Dancewear Stretched into Retail Owing to Phila. Shops’ Slow Tempos
Kelli Yandolino, dance instructor and business owner of En Arabesque in Perkasie, found herself with an unfulfilled need for local supplies for her dance students. Vittoria Woodill twirled through her solution to the problem for CBS3 Philly.
Yandolino cannot overstress the importance of equipment — and specifically costumes — to dance.
“Dancers, their bodies are their tools that they need to perform. And then when you get onstage and you get to wear that costume, it completes what you’ve been working for,” she described. “Putting in that last stitch, that last rhinestone on, it just makes it real. It makes it come alive.”
Therefore her commitment to equipping her students in a timely fashion led her to a new business: En Arabesque. Opened 17 years ago, the shop is named for one of ballet’s signature poses.
The retail portion of her studio carries costume rentals, tights, and shoes — including over 50 styles of point shoes.
“We have products from all over the world,” Yandolino said.
Her affinity for the accoutrements of dance has also brought out something of a sentimental side to this neighborhood businesswoman: She still displays her first tutu, in which she studied the art as a child.
More on En Arabesque is at CBS3 Philly.
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