KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A small, mother-and-daughter–owned dance and music studio in downtown Kissimmee is facing growing financial strain as changing U.S. tariffs and international shipping decisions push up the cost of imported supplies and disrupt long-standing vendor relationships.
Jacklyn Dougherty, who began ballet lessons at age three and now co-owns the studio with her mother, said they have relied for years on a particular line of ballet slippers and pointe shoes manufactured in Russia.
The shoes — which Dougherty estimates cost about $180 a pair — have become harder to obtain and more expensive as tariffs and other trade factors shift.
“I get these ones from Russia. I actually like the way they are made from there,” Dougherty said, adding that the prices continue to climb because of tariffs. Her mother, Joni, said the company they have used for more than a decade recently stopped shipping to the United States altogether.
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“They now stopped, and they are no longer sending to the United States,” Joni said, describing the sudden end to a long supplier relationship. The studio also sources supplies from the United Kingdom and Japan, but Joni said those options have not insulated them from rising costs.
Joni described how the constant changes in tariffs are creating financial pressure that affects both the business and families of students.
“I’ve seen violin prices go up, I’ve seen pointe shoes prices go up,” she said, noting that some parents are finding it increasingly difficult to afford lessons.
The studio has also encountered uncertainty at the point of purchase. Joni said suppliers sometimes require the buyer to sign a form acknowledging responsibility for any price increases that occur after an order is placed if tariffs change.
“I don’t know if it’s an extra five dollar fee or a fifty dollar extra fee,” she said, highlighting the unpredictability that complicates budgeting for a small business.
Despite the economic uncertainty, the Dougherty’s said their commitment to teaching music and dance keeps them operating.
They are working with parents when possible to manage costs, but Joni expressed concern about how long the studio will efficiently sustain the continuing fluctuations in prices and supply availability.