About NZ Dance Apparel
Where kindness, generosity, and community take centre stage.
My Story
NZ Dance Apparel was born out of years spent in theatres, studios, and competition venues across New Zealand — first as a dancer, and now as a proud dance mum.
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My daughter competes nationally across multiple dance genres, and like so many families, I’ve experienced both the joy and the financial reality of raising a competitive dancer. Costuming is one of the biggest pressure points, with many costumes worn once before being packed away.
Like many dance families, I found myself with a growing wardrobe of beautiful costumes — some well-loved, others barely worn. With generous support from fellow dance mums, I began collecting pre-loved costumes and accessories to give them a second life. What started as a small idea quickly grew into something more and became the foundation of NZ Dance Apparel.
The vision truly took shape when I purchased over 300 brand-new costumes from Dance Detectives in Tauranga, a much-loved name in the New Zealand dance community. This confirmed my goal: to create an online store offering both new and pre-loved costumes, helping families and studios manage costs without compromising on quality.
NZ Dance Apparel is built on passion, practicality, and community. I’m starting small, growing intentionally, and reinvesting back into stock for both sale and future group hire.
At its heart, this business is about understanding dance life — because I live it. I’m committed to supporting dancers, studios, and families with flexibility, fairness, and care.
Welcome to NZ Dance Apparel — I’m so glad you’re here.
Tegan Mills
Dance Mum & Founder, NZ Dance Apparel
