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LaBrie Dance began in 1947 as a children's specialty shoe store located in the basement of a women's boutique in Greenville, RI. Inspired by demand and loyal families, within a few short years the exclusive children's store became a full-family shoe store.
In 1980, with Bob LaBrie Sr. at the helm, "LaBrie Family Shoes" moved to a larger space at the Apple Valley Mall. Again catering to the needs of loyal clientele, a small portion of the new space was designated to the outfitting of dancers, offering a few necessary objects.
The demand for dance supplies continued to grow, and in 1990, LaBrie's moved to an even larger space, our current location, to accommodate an astonishing selection of family shoes and dance supplies. At this time, Bob LaBrie Jr. took over all operations and decided to focus on developing the Dance side of the store. He worked hard and did a lot of research, forging business relations with many local dance teachers and students. Before long, LaBrie's was reputed as the premiere shopping destination for dancers of all ages and disciplines.
By 1997, the Dance department had grown so much, the Family shoe department had to go. Within six months the shoe department was liquidated to make way for what has become New England's largest selection of dance shoes and apparel. Together with store manager, Nikki Carrara, the LaBrie's have developed a thriving enterprise with a professionally trained staff and generations of loyal and satisfied customers.
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Nikki Carrara is a graduate of Rhode Island College with a BA in Dance Performance. She began dancing at the age of five and has studied ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, Pointe, modern, ballroom, and clogging.
Nikki enjoys directing site-specific improvisational works, the likes of which have been presented at the Frazier Festival and Island Moving Co.'s Open For Dancing Festival as well as more traditional choreography, which has been presented by The Theatre Expansion, Modern Jazz Dance Center, Swamp Meadow Community Theatre, Andary Dance, and Rhode Island College. With Andary Dance, she has had the opportunity to perform in New York City, Providence, Newport, Boston, and Chicago.
She studies and performs with Daniel McCusker in Cambridge, MA and often makes guest appearances at The Theatre Expansion and The Robin's Egg. Nikki worked her way through college at LaBrie Dance, and now manages the store full-time while balancing life as a professional dancer and teacher. She is an expert Pointe shoe fitter and she handles all large accounts and most of the buying for the store.
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Meet our fabulous staff of dancers! Everyone working at LaBrie Dance has some type of dance experience. Find out what our crew is doing when they aren't helping you out at the store.
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RoseMarie Giacin
Rosemarie began working at LaBrie Dance in 2002. She began taking dance classes as a teenager and has continued studying numerous dance forms throughout the state. She has an extensive background in business, but has enjoyed her experience at LaBrie's the most. She takes pride in giving each customer the individual attention they deserve to meet all their dance needs.
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Christine Lariviere
Christine began dancing at age 3. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and acrobatics. She is a psychology Major and Dance Minor at Rhode Island College, where she was recently in the production, Sweet Charity. She began working at LaBrie's in 2001.
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STEPHANIE DEQUATTRO
Stephanie has been dancing for 17 years. She received her preliminary training at Atwood Performing Arts Center, Cranston, RI and continued her dance education at Rhode Island College. Stephanie will graduate in Fall 2006 with a Bachelor of the Arts in Dance Performance. She has been working at LaBrie Dance since 1999.
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ALICIA DEANGELIS
Alicia began dancing at the age of three at Dance RI in North Scituate. She studies ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. She is attending Alfred University in the fall to study Athletic Training with a minor in dance.
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BIANCA NASTARI
Bianca is currently a dancer at Denise's Dance Studio in Johnston. She also belongs to Attitudes in Motion Dance Company. She has been dancing for 11 years, studying jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, and hip-hop. When she's not dancing or working, she enjoys spending time with friends and shopping.
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EMMA ROBINSON
Emma has been dancing for two years. She studies lyrical and jazz, jazz being her favorite. Emma plans on continuing to improve her dancing at the University of Cincinnati this fall.
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MARISSA DEANGELIS
Marissa has been dancing for 13 years and performs regularly. She studies ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and Broadway-style dance. Marissa joined the staff of LaBrie Dance in the Spring of 2006. She enjoys working with the shoes and clothing devoted to her first love, Dance.
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