Hidden Gems: Meet Patrice Powell of Bellissimo Boutique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrice Powell.

Hi Patrice, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Bellissimo first opened its doors in June 2016 in a small, 900 sqft space in Cool Springs. Our racks held approximately a mere $20,000 worth of inventory and what we thought would be a “soft launch” opening was actually a hard launch as we were overwhelmed with the community’s positive response. Within one week, our racks were almost empty and we were scrambling to get orders placed and items re-stocked ASAP. In addition, we were in a frenzied search for even more brands and merchandise to provide for our fast growing customer base. We operated 3 years in that first (tiny!) location. In 2019, with our lease up on Mission Court, we were able to make the jump just down the road to Jordan Road, a space twice as large as our original storefront.

This new, larger location finally allowed us to bring in pointe shoes – something studios and customers had been asking of us since before we even opened in 2016. We took this pointe venture very seriously as we were fully aware of how crucial a proper pointe fitting is. We took time to search for just the right person to lead our pointe fittings and once we found her, made a financial investment in her by sending her to multiple brands and dance stores to be fully trained. These steps ensured we were ready to serve our ballet community at the highest level and because of it, the response was again overwhelming. Over the years, Kaitlyn has slowly added to her fitting team, always making sure they are fully trained before launching them as solo fitters. Our pointe fitting team is, in our opinion, the best in the state of Tennessee and one of the best in the country.

By 2024, we were once again bursting at the seams and decided to take another leap by moving next door to a space more than twice as big as our 2nd location. More than a year in our latest space, we truly feel at home. We have room to organize, display, play, and BREATHE. We now have one area designated just for pointe fittings and another area for all other shoe fittings. And because we have so much area to display merchandise, our customers are more easily able to find what their looking for – and often times find the perfect thing they didn’t even know they were looking for! Our back of store gives us a large storeroom, offices, a shipping area & break room, and even “Studio B” – a space for photo shoots, private dance sessions and educational classes.

We absolutely love serving the Nashville dance community. Our Bellissimo Team features a store manager and a pointe manager, 4 pointe fitters, and the most amazing sales team around. Simply put, we feel our team is the best around! Every single one of our team members sincerely loves working with our customers and takes pride in their work. Our goal from day one has been to provide high quality, fashionable dance and fitness wear. And while we believe we continue to reach that goal every single day, what is most important to us is the belief that beauty is more than what you wear—it’s how you move, how you express yourself, and how you shine from within. That’s why we are committed to creating an uplifting and supportive space where every dancer feels seen, valued, and inspired.

Here’s a link to a blog post we made on our website about our first 8 years: https://shop.bellissimodanceboutique.com/blogs/bellissimo-buzz/eight-years-of-bellissimo-our-story-of-navigating/

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For the most part, yes, it has been a smooth road these past 8, almost 9 years. One of the struggles we have had has to do with the lack of space. Operating a dance store that is adequately stocked to serve a dance & fitness community as large, vibrant, and eclectic as Middle Tennessee, requires a rather expansive inventory. So space will always be a challenge for us, but we are up to that challenge!

The biggest struggle, however, is the increasing competition we have with online conglomerates like Amazon. From a business perspective, it’s hard to compete. But Kelley and I, along with our staff, work tirelessly to make sure we are providing for and serving well OUR COMMUNITY. Small, local businesses know their customers. We prepare for them. We work for them. We fight for them. Big conglomerates will never do that.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Bellissimo is a dance and fitnesswear boutique. We are a destination where fashion, movement, and confidence come together. As Middle Tennessee’s premiere dancewear store, we specialize in high-quality dance apparel, shoes, and accessories for dancers of all ages. From classic essentials to cutting-edge styles, we bring the latest trends in dancewear, activewear, and athleisure to help you look and feel your best.

At Bellissimo, we believe beauty is more than what you wear—it’s how you move, how you express yourself, and how you shine from within. That’s why we are committed to creating an uplifting and supportive space where every dancer feels seen, valued, and inspired.

What sets us apart from others? Three things:
1. The vast array of dance apparel, shoes, products and accessories we offer is unparalleled in Tennessee. We are continuously researching the dance and fitness industries to ensure we have the best brands and styles!
2. Our pointe fitting team is outstanding. To make sure they stay “on top of their game,” they participate in continuing education for pointe fitters 1-2 times per year. Their dedication to the art of fitting is inspiring, and because of it, we have customers regularly come from all over Tennessee, as well as Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, and Illinois (and other states) to be fitted by our team.
3. CUSTOMER SERVICE. Team Bellissimo absolutely loves helping each and every customer find their perfect outfit, shoes, and/or products. They are always smiling and always serving with joyful, kind and patient hearts. Kelley and I are extremely grateful for our entire team.

We sincerely value every single one of our brands. They each speak to different cultures, personalties, needs, and age demographics, and we take pride in carrying such an eclectic variety of brand and product offerings. Some of our most popular brands, however, are: FREE PEOPLE MOVEMENT, TIGER FRIDAY, HONEYCUT, YUMIKO and ELEVE. In 2023, we finally secured a YUMIKO account (after years of trying!) and are proud to say we are one of only 25 dance store nationwide to have been approved for one of their exclusive accounts. We are also excited to have recently secured accounts with RUBIAWEAR and BARRE TRASH, both very popular brands in the ballet community and sold exclusively at Bellissimo for all of Tennessee.

Step into Bellissimo and experience a boutique that celebrates the art of dance, the joy of movement, and, most importantly, the beauty of YOU.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Our community wide fashion shows have always been a popular and favorite event for the greater Nashville community. Each dance studio is given the opportunity to submit two dancers as models and each high school dance team is invited to submit one dancer. With dancers representing approximately 30-40 dance programs each year, it really is a COMMUNITY WIDE event. Our last show featured over 180 outfits, representing 25 brands from around the world.

When we started this event in 2016, our vision was to use it as a vessel to unite our entire dance community in a non-competitive setting to celebrate a shared love of dance, fashion, and friendship. A “Dance Fashion Show” is a little different from what most people are familiar with. Our shows obviously contain DANCING and because the models are all dancers as well, they really know how to shine on stage. The productions are high energy and so much fun! With models ranging from 7 to 18 years, and all levels of dance experience, you can imagine the challenges of choreographing and producing a show that highlights every person’s style, body type, and dance experience but we have a very talented team and love seeing it all come together! In 2022, we were honored to have Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman in the audience!

Bellissimo’s Back to Dance Fashion Show is an event unique to the Nashville and we are proud to produce it. What a privilege it is to unite and serve the Middle Tennessee dance community!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shop.bellissimodanceboutique.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellissimoboutiquetn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bellissimodanceboutique
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/bellissimodanceboutique/