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| Carlinghow Mills
Author: Betty Longbottom
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Just as Monsieur Jourdain in Moliere's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme spoke prose all his life without knowing it I have been patronizing Planet Dance ever since I started classes at Northern Ballet (see Jane Lambert Realizing a Dream 12 Sept 2013 Terpsichore). The area to the right of the reception desk with items of dancewear on display at Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre's building at Quarry Hill is actually a branch of Planet Dance. Over the years I have bought shoes and tights from the lady who runs the concession without knowing that it was part of a larger business.
Planet Dance is a wholesaler and retailer of dance clothing, footwear and accessories. It supplies dance schools and other retailers online and through a showroom and retail premises at Carlinghow Mills in Batley. I visited Caringhow Mills for the first time on 13 Aug 2016 as I was kitting up for a three day intensive workshop with Jane Tucker at The Dancehouse Theatre in Manchester (see Jane Lambert La Bayadère Intensive Day 1: There's Life in the Old Girl Yet 16 Aug 2016 Terpsichore).
The showroom at Carlinghow Mills is very easy to miss even if you know your way around Batley. It occupies one of a number of units in a converted mill on the Bradford Road. The full postal address is
Planet Dance
2nd Floor
Middle Mill
Carlinghow Mills
501 Bradford Road
Batley
WF17 8LL
it is towards the back of the complex and I had to wall around for a few minutes before I found it.
The showroom is up a flight of stairs and quite airy and spacious. I had asked for an extra large leotard and several pairs of tights to be put to one side and these were waiting for me when I arrived. There seemed to be a wide variety of footwear for most types of dance including lots of pointe shoes. The staff seemed well informed and efficient and I was on my way within minutes.
The leotard was comfortable even though I had to dance in it for nearly 6 hours on one of the hottest days of the year. Since my visit I have looked round Planet Dance's website and note that it has some useful information on the pianist, David Plumpton and a comprehensive directory of dance schools. It appears that they will add pages on dancewear size guide, pointe shoes and ballet shoes but those pages are empty at present.
The Batley store stocks all the usual brands such as Bloch, Carpezio and Freed. It is not far from my home. It is quite likely that I shall come again.
