About Us
Established in 2003 by Linda Ghastin, and currently owned by Linda and daughter, Alena (Ghastin) Landers, Dance This Way has become an integral part of the West Concord community. Warmth can be felt by the customers who enter this mother-daughter run business. It is in here that one can always expect that the "extra mile" will be journeyed through for them. While the largest draw to DTW at this stage of the business are pointe shoes and pointe shoe fittings, the staff is knowledgeable in all types on dance and the appropriate apparel and the inventory is diverse, well stocked, and ever-evolving.
The staff is an eclectic mix of local high-school & college students (who have a background in dance and many of whom have grown up coming to the store). Linda and Alena are joined by their incredible store manager, Jamie Medeiros and additional pointe shoe fitter, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Aldrich. They are incredible additions to the DTW family. Seldom, do owners find a group of people, even just one person, that works as though the business is their own. It is uniquely special and the growth DTW continues to experience has much to do with Jamie and Lizzy. it is incredibly easy to comment on the display tremendous motivation, ownership of their work, and consistent positive and environment- enriching attitudes. Alena & Linda.
Linda Ghastin has built this business from the ground up, using her background in sales and her knowledge of what it is like to be the mom of a dancer. She is known for getting down on the ground to make sure shoes are fit properly, with the growing room a mother wants. Linda is a current member and former President and Vice President of the NorthEast Dance Retailers. Linda has also served on the board of the Commonwealth Ballet Company. On a more lighthearted note, she is known for her slightly obsessive love of Mr. Potato Head... She is funny, friendly, and enjoys watching the children who come into her store grow up over the years.
Alena Landers entered into the business with her mother full-time in 2016, becoming a co-owner in 2017. At 16, she was helping paint the store walls and pull nails out of the floor, so she has truly seen the business evolve through the years. After her dream of becoming a ballet dancer ended with a serious back injury, she turned her sights on entering into the medical field. Alena worked as a nurse before running into her own health issues. As she healed, she began teaching ballet and in doing so, realized her love for ballet and knowledge of anatomy gave her a special eye and talent for spotting issues with pointe shoe fittings. As she worked in the store, she dove into the pointe shoe fitting world head first, absorbing everything she could, practicing and honing her skills as a fitter, and working with some of the best fitters in the industry to really learn the craft. Her thirst for knowledge and humbleness about how much more there is always available to learn has caused her to be a force in the "fitting" world. As Alena has brought the pointe shoe department of Dance This Way to new levels, she is now sought after by many teachers to fit their students.
Above all else, she enjoys deeply the relationships formed between herself and customers (dancers and families), studio owners/directors, teachers, and all vendors too. To Alena, working with people each day is at the heart of why she loves coming to work each day. She also was the President of the NorthEast Dance Retailers in 2019, a group of independently owned stores fighting to keep small business alive in the dance industry! She is humbled by the opportunities that have come-- Invited to YAGP Finals 2024 & 2025 as a top fitter for Nikolay, entrusted with the advanced levels & Pre-Pro at Walnut Hill for Boston Ballet's students, currently working directly with the company dancers of Ballet RI, and sought after to do Zoom fittings for dancers in Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Atlanta, Barcelona, and Canada. Alena is proud to have grown the inventory of pointe shoes at DTW tremendously. Boasting 8,000 shoes in the stock room, she is still not done!
Above all else, she enjoys deeply the relationships formed between herself and customers (dancers and families), studio owners/directors, teachers, and all vendors too. To Alena, working with people each day is at the heart of why she loves coming to work each day. She also was the President of the NorthEast Dance Retailers in 2019, a group of independently owned stores fighting to keep small business alive in the dance industry! She is humbled by the opportunities that have come-- Invited to YAGP Finals 2024 & 2025 as a top fitter for Nikolay, entrusted with the advanced levels & Pre-Pro at Walnut Hill for Boston Ballet's students, currently working directly with the company dancers of Ballet RI, and sought after to do Zoom fittings for dancers in Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Atlanta, Barcelona, and Canada. Alena is proud to have grown the inventory of pointe shoes at DTW tremendously. Boasting 8,000 shoes in the stock room, she is still not done!
And finally, Richard Ghastin is the man who keeps things running behind the scenes. Husband of Linda and father to Alena, he is why Dance This Way has a rolling shoe storage unit, computers that function, and slat wall that doesn't fall out of the wall. He has dog-sat, put floors in, played "banker" when there wasn't money for rent at the beginning, and been the constant source of "pep talks" on the roughest of days. Without Richard, Dance This Way wouldn't be the beautiful and functional place it is and Linda and Alena wouldn't be the women they are.
With much thanks to you Bird Dad... we love you, L & A
With much thanks to you Bird Dad... we love you, L & A