About Us (and DanceStore.com)

Run by swing dancers for swing dancers, DanceStore.com features the best in shoes, clothes and accessories for Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Balboa, Charleston, Boogie Woogie, Collegiate and Varsity Shag, 6-count, 4-count (you name it), any and all Swing Dancing addicts like yourself!!

We've been doing this since 1997 and strive to provide you with a wonderful experience every time you shop online as well as when you stop by our retail outlet near Baltimore, Maryland.

OUR STORY:

Andrew & Gay - and the Dancestore.com team - ship dance shoes and apparel all over the world from their warehouse near Baltimore, Maryland.

... has been Lindy Hopping since 1996 and started Dancestore.com in 1997 (its name back then was "Hell's Lindy Hoppers" and it was renamed Dancestore in February of 1998)...

... she teamed up with Andrew Kontola (who has been Lindy Hopping since 1997) in 2003. They spend their days designing new cool stuff for other incurable swing addicts like themselves. They are on the hardwood in the DC/Baltimore area 3-4 nights a week and sporadically teach. They got married in June of 2008.

Their design team - some of whom are pictured at left - is a core group of swing dancers who are tapped for their knowledge, asthetics and love of the dance and are a huge part of the decision making process when new items are introduced to our line.

In addition to the design team, hundreds of dancers in the DC/Baltimore area are consulted at dances where they test our shoes under precise laboratory conditions (they grab a partner and head to the dance floor).

ZIPPER:

Pictured bottom left, has been with the team from the start and can barely Charleston on a beginner level (we don't even know why we keep him on staff). He's the source of all the barking you hear if you call at the same time the UPS man shows up.