I have a confession to make, I am not a professionally trained dancer. I guess with all the time I spent training in goldsmithing, it didn't leave a lot of extra time for other things. To be perfectly honest with you, creating a line of jewelry inspired for dancers was not even on my radar.
Rhythm Jewellery was an idea that started as a casual conversation between a dance professional friend and myself. My friend Margaret has taught ballet for many years. Every Christmas she would call and order some jewelry from me to gift to her teaching assistants, her fellow teachers and the studio owner. Every year she would say to me, "You know Tasha, you really should consider making a line of jewelry for dancers."
A line of jewelry for dancers? What does that even look like? So I started asking around and Margaret was right. So many dancers felt exactly the same way that she did. Dance is a lifestyle, a passion, a way of being. You train for years spending more time at the studio than you do at home. No matter where you are or what you are doing dance is there, it creeps into every aspect of your life. So why was it that every piece of jewelry I could find in a google search was designed for five year old ballerinas? Where was the beautiful jewelry that represented the hard work, creativity and dedication it takes to become a dancer? Where was the jewelry for the tap dancers, the jazz dancers and the male dancers? I searched and searched and came up with very little.
Over the next two years, we starting designing the best dang line of jewelry for dancers we could. We asked ballerinas, tappers and hip hoppers what styles they liked and what inspired them creatively. We created samples of our first collection and had dancers, look them over to make changes. Point the toe, life the leg a bit, maybe that necklace needs to be a bit smaller. Each piece was thoughtfully constructed, cast with premium Canadian metal and then hand finished right here in our Canadian studio. Through a lot of trial and error and a tonne of perseverance, we launched our first signature collection just four years ago and the Rhythm Jewellery roller coaster began.
From the moment we launched, the dance community embraced us. Dancers have reached out thanking us for representing them. Studios have asked us to design custom pieces of jewelry for their dance families. Other small businesses in the dance community have partnered with us on collaborations so that we can all work and grow together to build our businesses. Joining the dance community was something I never thought would be part of my life in my thirties, but it has been an absolutely amazing experience that has changed my life forever.
So the answer to the question...why make jewellery for dancers? Well the answer is pretty simple. Because you deserve it.
This hand finished white gold pointe shoe necklace represents your love for ballet, creativity and the expression of your creative soul through the art of ballet.