My 30-Year Journey with Dance Costumes (Part 1)

I resolutely broke away from the warm shelter that my parents had painstakingly built for me over the years, filled with an insatiable longing for the vast world beyond. In 1992, at the young age of 18, I made the tough decision to drop out of school and bid farewell to the county town where I had grown up and where countless memories were deeply ingrained. Stepping into a bustling big city for the very first time, I felt like a lost boat adrift in the vast ocean, overwhelmed with confusion and uncertainty. I had no clue about which direction my future path should take or where I could find a place to settle down and build a life.

To make a living in this unfamiliar city, I bounced around from one job to another, constantly facing the hardships of life. It wasn't until two years later that, as if guided by fate, I found myself at a dance training institution, where I became a dormitory supervisor.

The days spent with those innocent and lively children were like a beautiful melody, with every note resounding with pure joy. In that sunlit dance studio, I would often watch, mesmerized, as their delicate little figures twirled and danced gracefully, like agile little fairies. At that moment, a strong sense of mission welled up from the depths of my heart, and I firmly decided that I must do something truly meaningful for these lovely children, adding a unique touch to their dancing dreams.

Even if an ideal is as faint as a glimmer of light, it still has the power to pierce through the darkness and illuminate the way forward. In 1998, beside a magnificent grand theater, a small storefront of only 20 square meters was like a seed of my dream, quietly sown on this land full of opportunities and challenges. This was the starting point of my journey to pursue my dreams.

In the early days of starting my business, I tirelessly shuttled between various garment wholesale markets. With a keen eye and a persistent pursuit of quality, I carefully selected dancewear that was both stylish and of high quality, supplying it to customers who brought their children to the theater. This included not only adorable children's dancewear but also professional dancewear for adult dancers.

As time went by, I gradually realized that each parent and child had their own unique aesthetic and creative ideas when it came to dancewear. The standardized patterns and color schemes simply couldn't meet their rich and diverse artistic needs. Thus, a bold and challenging idea sprouted in my mind like a spring bamboo shoot—offering customers tailor-made, one-of-a-kind dancewear. However, as wonderful as this idea was, it was fraught with practical difficulties. The most pressing issue was: which factory would be willing to undertake the production of this kind of retail custom service? For a while, I was deeply troubled and confused, and the road ahead seemed to be shrouded in thick fog, with no clear direction in sight.

If you firmly believe that there is a shining dream ahead calling out to you, then gather your courage and stride forward without hesitation, leaving all the ups and downs along the way to fate. Just when I was at my wit's end and on the verge of despair, a ray of hope from fate shone upon me. My perfect partner appeared in my life like a brilliant star. She possessed excellent professional skills, and I had a burning entrepreneurial dream. Thus, a simple yet promising workshop was established through our joint efforts.

When the first piece of custom dancewear that embodied our hard work and creativity was presented perfectly in front of us, when the first group that ordered custom dancewear happily accepted our work, and when I witnessed my creative work shining brightly on the magnificent stage for the first time, at that moment, the joy and pride in my heart surged like a powerful tide, almost overwhelming me.