For The Dance Floor

On The Dance Floor, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

It took me forever to find the purrfect dance shoes. And it wasn't sweat free either.

One thing you need to know about shopping for dance shoes (in Vancouver, anyways), is that dance apparel sales people are quite snobby, stuffy, and have no time for you. They are also very fussy about their merchandise getting ruined (probably by aristocratic brats that their parents force them to dance ballet). And finally, they don't let you try anything without nylons on, as their shoes are going to get STD or something. And how would you be able to tell if an open toe sandal is too slippery or not unless you try it with no socks first? Well, according to our dance specialists, you just have to buy them first. And oh, if you tried them on without socks, they won't let you return them. The bottom line is, if you haven't found the right shoes - you are screwed for your entire dancing duration.

First, I found the right shoes, yet 1/2 size too big, at Avalon Dance Shop (on Main street). The matron who owns the shop, Reneta, seemed knowledgeable and looked as if must have been dancing Viennese Waltz with Christopher Plumber in her youth. She was quite nice, actually and gave me more attention than I'd ever get in my future visits to dance shops across Vancouver. Heck, she even explaied minute details to my teenage niece who asked her stupid questions about toe socks and foot panties (?!?) all the time. Renata took my information and said she'd ordere them and they'll probably take about 2 weeks to arrive.

After 3 weeks no hearing back from her I decided to give Avalon a call. Renata answered, and not only did she have no clue who I am - she had no idea which shoes I've ordered, size, model or brand. In fact, she seemed to have mixed up my name and/or order with another lady!

Being a downtown snob, I did not want to go all the way to Main just to figure out what model it was. I was so furious, I thought that Avalon just doesn't deserve my business at all!

I decided to go somewhere else. This time a store on West Boulevard. I don't even want to remember their name. Not only did they not have a pair of shoes for me (either wrong size, or wrong fit altogether; and the ones that would have worked - they wouldn't order them as they stopped importing from Europe!) - the service was just horrendous! Truly awful. Even though I begged for help, and shoe sizes, and so on - they preferred to give their attention to a little girl and her mom who were looking for tights (which were readily avaiable on the shelves, within grab's reach!). Apparently I wasn't worth their attention even though I got there first! I left furious again, and swore to wear only my Fluevog Lately's to the dance floor from now on, as a protest to the awful practices in dance apparel retailer in town...

When I have finally and officially given up (about three months later after my first visit to Avalon), I get a call from an unknown number, who happens to be Renata from Avalon, telling me matter-of-factly that my shoes has arrived. I thank her as if three months never happened. I show up a week later in the store, and the same lady who has forgot who I am and which shoes I'm ordering, tells me bossily to not come in with my matcha-chillo and stay at the counter. She vanishes to the back of the store and comes back with what I thought would 100% positively could not be the right shoes. She's has messed up and disappointed me so much until now, that only a miracle would make me add money to her cashflow that day. But they were the right ones. And the size was perfect too, for a change. I had to give my money to this store and hope I will never need to come back there again and now that I have my model information - order it online next time.

These beauties are by Star Dance brand, and although they are said to be 2-1/2 inch they feel (and look to me) more of 1 inchers. Comfortable yet sexy with that open toe and soft satin they are fun to dance with and make going out dancing even something to look forward to even more... Although they look simple, they get not only compliments for their apearance, but also envious glances from the ladies who are convinced I've scored some real-comfy pair that looks like high heels but feel *almost* like ballet slippers... Yay for me. Now all I need is a nice dancing parter that won't creep me out. Wish me luck, please...