Brand Spotlight: SoDanca

This Brazilian brand came to be in the 1980s.  In order to better meet dancers’ needs, the Teixeira Araujo family opened two So Danca locations in Sao Palo.  Over the years, they have kept on creating items that meet dancers’ needs of affordability, style, and function.

pronunciation	So-dance-uh
website	sodanca.com (browse only)
styles of dance included	ballet, pointe, tap, character, jazz, ballroom, modern/lyrical/contemporary, flamenco, acrobatic/gymnastics
types of items	shoes, bodywear
country of origin	Brazil
price point	generally low-moderate
quality	decent, but nothing special
availability	Pretty broad availability in the US.  Easy to find most items in local dancewear stores and online (discountdance.com, etc.).  Some items can be special ordered in additional colors and widths; this has to be done through a dancewear store.  Individuals cannot order from official website.
Sizing	Shoes: ballet shoes (including pointe): 1.5-2 sizes down from US street size hard shoes (character, ballroom, tap): street size to up 1 size (US sizing) leotards/bodywear: true to size warm-ups: true to size, but waistbands can be tight
Jillian’s top pick	D-340 tank “ladder back” leotard.  Comfy and flattering.
Jillian’s item to avoid	SD-55 children’s ballet shoes and BA-13 adult ballet shoes.  Both have a clunky fit and are not very comfortable.  While not terrible items, there are many better options out there.  Pointe shoes also fit very wide and are just “ok” quality.