About Us

Mark’s Dancewear was founded in 2002 by Mark Chelsen, in the lower level of his wife’s dance studio. Before opening the store, Mark was the manager of a trucking company and a father to two boys. The dance world was completely new to him, but his wife’s experience as a lifelong dancer opened his eyes to a vital need in the industry.

After his wife underwent multiple surgeries due to improper pointe shoe fittings, Mark was inspired to take action. Following a conversation with her surgeon, Mark made it his mission to ensure that no dancer would experience the same kind of pain and injury. From that moment on, Mark dedicated himself to learning everything he could about properly fitting dance shoes—especially pointe shoes. Today, Mark’s Dancewear is recognized as a trusted name in the dance community, providing expert shoe fittings and top-notch customer service.

In April 2024, after 22 years of serving the dance community, Mark passed the torch to Ashley Clifton, a longtime staff member who worked alongside him for over 11 years. Ashley has been an integral part of the store’s success, bringing a wealth of expertise in fitting shoes for all dance styles, from ballet to jazz, tap, ballroom, and beyond. Now, as the new owner, Ashley is continuing Mark’s legacy of ensuring every dancer finds the perfect fit, while expanding the store’s offerings and maintaining the personalized service that customers have come to know and love.

Mark’s Dancewear is a full-service dancewear shop offering shoes, apparel, and accessories for all forms of dance, including jazz, tap, ballroom, show choir, and, of course, pointe shoes. Whether you're new to dance or a seasoned performer involved in studio dance, competition, school dance teams, or show choir, we are your one-stop shop. Our inventory includes everything you need—from tights and leotards to rhinestones and last-minute costume fixes.

If we don’t have what you’re looking for in store, we’ll go the extra mile to track it down for you. We proudly carry products from top dancewear brands like Bloch, Mirella, Capezio, Body Wrappers, Virtisse, R Class, Sansha, So Danca, Suffolk, Motionwear, Eurotard, Bunheads, Pillows for Pointe, Dasha Designs, Horizon Bags, Five Dancewear, XO Dancewear, Dream Duffel, Rac 'n Roll, and many more.

We look forward to welcoming you to the store soon!

Mark Chelsen early days of the store!

Ashley Clifton, new owner helping customers.