It is always exciting to follow dancers in their professional journey. From pre-professional student to principal dancer, watching artists grow and evolve is every ballet enthusiast’s joy. It is even more so to follow a ballet duo like founders of Orza Brand, Seth and Sarah Orza.
Orza Brand is a new patented ballet shoe with the motto, “loyal to tradition, built for disruption.” Since its introduction last summer, it is taking the dance world by storm. Its design is with the wellness of every dancer in mind. In their own words, “our mission at Orza is to promote every dancer’s well-being by reducing the chance of injury and enhancing dance performance.”
From rising to the highest ranks in two incredible ballet companies, to creating a legacy for future generations, their story is the stuff of a ballet fairy tale. In our latest “sit-down” we meet Sarah Orza, retired principal ballerina, wife, mama, and to this postpartum nurse & doula’s delight, a postpartum doula.
Orza Brand is a team of two incredible dancers that happen to be married. How did you two meet?
Seth and I first met at a summer course at The School of American Ballet in NYC, when we were young teens. We were both invited to attend the year-round program and began dating the fall of our first year there. 2 years later, we were both awarded apprenticeships with New York City Ballet (NYCB). We’ve been together since we were babies!
When did the idea of a new shoe come to be?
A few years into company life at NYCB, Seth developed debilitating plantar fasciitis. He received treatment, but when that failed to work, his doctor suggested he try putting drugstore padding (designed for street shoes) inside his ballet shoes. This alleviated his pain and he continued to use those pads for years, until the company announced they were discontinuing them! He totally panicked and bought as many as he could get his hands on. He even went so far as to reach out to the company and offer to buy any stock they had left! Throughout his career he always kind of wondered, “how is there not a ballet shoe out there that has shock-absorption built into the design?” “How come none of these big ballet brands are making a shoe that supports my needs as an athlete?!” Then one day our physical therapist at Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) kind of jokingly said to Seth, “why don’t you just make one?” And the rest is, as they say, history.
How long did it take from the very first prototype to sales?
Roughly 13 years.
It seems Orza Pro Ones are taking the ballet world by storm. How does it feel to be the first innovative shoe in over a hundred years? I literally was waiting for them to hit the market.
Aw, thank you for saying that! It’s an honor being able to innovate for dancers in this way. We’ve literally been in their (sub-par) shoes and believe they deserve so much better than what’s been available for so many years. At the same time, we still pinch ourselves with every order that comes in!
Orza Brand is backed by an incredible medical advisory team. The nurse in me wonders if there are any studies in the works?
We are so lucky to have so many incredible medical professionals that support and believe in our mission and Orza Pro One. Yes! A team of grad students led by Karin Steere DPT, MTC, CSCS at The University of Puget Sound are conducting a research study on OP1. It is super exciting and we can’t wait to share findings, likely in early 2025.
Any plans for a pointe shoe????
We are LASER focused on ballet shoes right now; we have additional widths and updates in the works for OP1, due out this summer. But sure, if we could do it right, we’d consider making a pointe shoe! And a jazz, tap, sneaker, ballroom shoe, etc. Sky’s the limit!
You are one of the first major ballet brands to recognize and embrace the adult ballet world, even choosing two adult ballet dancers to represent your brand as some of the first ever Orza Artists in 2024. Thank you for this. What about our community encouraged you to be so inclusive?
We love our adult ballet community so much. I think we came to market at a time when, globally, the adult ballet community was growing exponentially, and it never crossed our minds to not be inclusive of this facet of dancers. I grew up dancing at a small local studio in Amherst, MA and we always had one or two adults taking class with us. I imagine they would have loved to have the option of taking a class that wasn’t with kids! I am so glad our art form is moving away from some of the elitist mentality that has surrounded it for so long. We like to say Orza Pro One, for every dancer, everywhere. And we mean it!
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat, Sarah. Wishing Orza Brand all the success in the world. Learn more about the Orza Brand story and see them at the height of the careers below. In addition, check out their shoes (what are you waiting for?) and other merchandise, here.
Until Our Next Plié <3
