Dance teacher has a quick step to shop success

Dance schools across the region are slowly seeing students returning after lockdown.

With extra time on her hands earlier in the year, dance teacher Michelle Douglas came up with a business plan.

She has opened MD Dancewear at the former Galbraith estate agents premises in Kelso Square.

Michelle, 32, runs the M-Pulsive Dance studio in Kelso, with branches also in Melrose and Duns.

She said: “I knew there was an opening in the Borders, we don’t have a dance store and so all of our kids were going up to Edinburgh and East Lothian to purchase dance shoes and leotards and everything else they need for a dance class.

“With a little bit of extra time during lockdown I got planning as the dance school was shut from March to the beginning of September. During that period I started thinking about the new business. There has been a lot of work making it look like a shop and not an office and getting stock and designing the brand.

“We have had a really positive response and a busy first couple of weeks. I’m doing dance basics, like dance shoes, ballet shoes, leotards and have introduced our own branded dancewear which is for any dancer, warm-ups and hoodies, leggings, everything a dancer needs for the studio.

“It is mostly walk-ins right now, although we do have an online store and it gives people the option to click and collect.

“There are quite a few dance schools in the Borders and I think everybody has picked up after Covid, not back to normal and with smaller class sizes, but I don’t think there has been a problem getting kids back into dance and all the schools are thriving.”