Supplies for Good.
Supply Closet
Formally established in 2017, the Brown Girls Do Ballet® Supply Closet was created in response to natural disasters affecting both Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, displacing several dancers. Wanting to provide a sense of normalcy to young girls that were displaced as a result of flooding and hurricanes, the closet was purchased and stocked to gift items to those young dancers.
With amazing donations from dance brands like Gaynor Minden, Bloch, and Nia Ballerina, the closet, as well as our Amazon Disaster Relief wishlist, gained national attention, and our goals for it increased.
Our mission is to serve young dancers in need by providing free supplies through donations from businesses and individuals.
If you are a dancer in need of supplies, please complete the request using the link below.
*Based on availability, ages 10-24 only for pointe shoe support.
Dear Brown Girls Do Ballet Community,
This is a message we hoped we wouldn’t have to write.
Since 2017, our Supply Closet has been one of the most meaningful ways we’ve supported dancers. What started as a simple idea grew into a resource that has helped hundreds of dancers access the essentials they need to stay in class, from leotards and tights to ballet slippers and pointe shoes. For many families, this program removed a barrier that might have otherwise ended a dancer’s journey.
Over the past few months, we’ve experienced some unexpected shifts. The major retailer we relied on to fulfill many of our Supply Closet requests shifted operations, making it increasingly difficult to source key items. At the same time, like many organizations, we are navigating a budget deficit due to the broader economic climate.
Because of these changes, we have made the difficult decision to sunset the Brown Girls Do Ballet Supply Closet, effective April 15, 2026.
This decision was not made lightly.
We are incredibly grateful to the donors and partners who helped us build this resource over the years, including Bloch and Gaynor Minden, whose generosity made it possible for many dancers to continue training with confidence and dignity. We also want to thank every individual who contributed, shared, and supported this program. Your impact is woven into the stories of every dancer who received a pair of shoes, a leotard, or the encouragement to keep going.
While we will no longer have the capacity to purchase gift cards for dancewear and supplies as we have in the past, this is not the end of our commitment to access.
We will continue to accept physical donations of new dancewear, which will be distributed directly through our community classes and public school dance programs across the country. This allows us to stay connected to dancers in a more localized and immediate way, even as we shift away from the broader Supply Closet model. We will also continue to operate our Pointe Shoe Program through trusted network referrals, ensuring dancers with the greatest need can still access their shoes with proper support and care.
For more information about the Supply Closet and its impact over the years, please visit: https://www.browngirlsdoballet.com/supplies
To every dancer who trusted us, every parent who reached out, and every donor who made this possible, thank you. This program meant something real, and we are proud of what we built together.
With gratitude,
TaKiyah Wallace-McMillian
Founder, Brown Girls Do Ballet
Pointe Shoe Program
Piloted in 2017, the Brown Girls Do Ballet Pointe Shoe Program helps offset one of the significant costs associated with ballet: pointe shoes. The average pair of pointe shoes costs between $65 and $120 and lasts anywhere from a few hours to 12 hours of dancing. For example, if a dancer attends an hour-long pointe class once per week, pointe shoes may last approximately three months. A pre-professional dancer can go through four pairs a year, while professionals might go through several pairs each week!
Given the wide range of pointe shoe brands, styles, and the specific needs dancers have for their unique feet—or even for particular roles or performances—gift cards to major shoe retailers and direct donations sent to Brown Girls Do Ballet are the most effective ways to facilitate proper fittings and the purchase of pointe shoes for dancers in need.
We are proud to partner with major pointe shoe retailers, including Gaynor Minden and Bloch, who have generously supported the Brown Girls Do Ballet Pointe Shoe Initiative.
*Based on availability, ages 10-24 only for pointe shoe support.