State Street Business for Sale

Donna White believes she may have easily fitted anywhere from 500 to 1,000 Portsmouth area women with their first pair of pointed ballet shoes inside her Danstuff store on State Street.

She had to fight back tears when she described the emotion she feels whenever she meets a young woman who came to her store as a little girl and got fitted for her first pair of ballet shoes.

For 24 years, Danstuff has been the local store for parents who needed to buy their kids their first dance shoes, dance wear, and also for adults who are interested in learning about salsa and ballroom dancing.

Now, White is selling her business with the hope that the new owner will continue to offer her loyal customer base the same products and service she has provided since she first opened her store in 1989.

"I'm looking for someone with has a dance background and can continue the same business," White said.

The reason she is selling her business is that White, who has been a dancer for 40 years, has to have another hip surgery after she had her first hip replaced a few years ago and the recovery time has been longer than she expected.

Currently, Danstuff is open four days a week on Monday and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. She has had her business up for sale for more than four months.

"I have a few people interested that have a dance background and I'm really screening them to make sure I get the right person," White said.

The new owner will have the option of purchasing the store's inventory separately and they can also decide if they want to purchase the store's name, White said.