Customer Spotlight: Smithtown West Whisperettes

MEET HEAD COACH TARA FOGLIA 

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Tara, who’s the coach for the Smithtown West Dance Team and a long-time Satin Stitches customer. 

When Tara first agreed to help coach the JV dance team at her alma mater, she thought, “That could be fun! Why not?’” 

That was twenty-eight years ago. 

If you’re a dance coach, you know how demanding the role can be, but for Tara, even after  twenty-eight years, it’s never felt like work. 

“I just love it, and it’s never felt like a job. Even on the hard days when I’m leaving work  and heading to practice and I think, ‘How am I going to get through this?’ Within a half  hour of being at practice, I forget whatever happened that day at work. I forget that I  was even tired driving there.” 

That love has fueled nearly three decades of coaching, including eighteen years with the  Smithtown West Dance Team and fifteen years as a customer of Satin Stitches. 

LAST YEARS COSTUME 

Tara’s relationship with Satin Stitches started fifteen years ago. First, like any coach making a  big investment in custom costumes, she hoped the results would live up to her expectations.  That hope quickly turned into a trusting relationship. 

“Every time I open that sample when it comes, I’m floored.” 

Last year’s costume inspiration started with the song choice: Here Comes the Rain Again. They knew it would be their final year competing at NDA, so they wanted it to be special. For Here  Comes the Rain Again, blue could have been an obvious color for the costume, but Tara didn’t  envision that. 

Instead, her inspiration came from a red-carpet photo of Zendaya in a one-shoulder dress, a  watercolor painting, and the mood of the music itself; stormy and deep. 

Mercedes, our designer and owner, took that inspiration and got to sketching. She suggested  velvet and custom-dyed mesh to echo the watercolor elements Tara had imagined.

“So many people were stopping us in the hallway at Nationals and were like, ‘Where did you get your costumes?’ And I’m like, ‘Satin Stitches!’ Even my girls know. They’re like,  ‘Satin Stitches, they’re in Minnesota!’” 

The costumes are always delivered to her mom’s house, just down the street from the school.  It’s become a tradition for them; her mom always calls the moment the box of costumes  arrives. 

“I’m always like, ‘This is the best costume ever!’ Then I get the next year’s and I’m like,  ‘This is even better!’ It’s always exactly what I want. Whether I gave broad ideas or  something more specific, it always goes above and beyond.” 

Over the years, it’s turned into a creative partnership built on years of trust. One where Tara  knows her vision will not only be understood, but elevated!

ORDERING A CUSTOM DANCE COSTUME 

Getting a custom costume for the first time can feel overwhelming and understandably so. For coaches, there’s choreography, travel, logistics, and so many new details to manage. Costumes are a major investment and an essential part of your team’s performance. But Tara reassures: 

“You’re gonna get something that lasts forever. You are going to get something that is exactly what you wanted, and it’s going to fit what you’re doing. Whether you’re on a stage at Nationals or a gym floor at local competitions, they will suit what your needs are.” 

The custom process includes everything from sketch discussions, fabric swatches, and sizing, to receiving a prototype, and finally the full set of costumes. Tara laughed as she told us how, even  after all these years, her team still uses some Satin Stitches costumes from almost 12 years ago  for some of their sports games. 

“Twelve years… TWELVE YEARS. And they’re all still in great condition. Durability and  quality-wise, nobody’s quality is as good. I’ve never had a zipper break or a mesh rip. The dancers feel secure and comfortable. Where else can you buy something like that?” 

ADVICE TO COACHES 

As a longtime coach, Tara has formed lasting friendships with her dancers and even watched  some of them become coaches themselves.

When it comes to her coaching philosophy, Tara lives by two principles: 

1. Anybody can be more talented than us, but no one is going to put in more effort than  we do. 

2. What is the next mountain? She’s always looking for the next challenge; for both her and her team. 

“You should never ask your dancers to work harder than you’re working. If you’re asking  them to give 100%, you need to give that, too. The work may look different…they’re  sweating in the gym, you’re doing choreography, but always make sure your kids know  you care and that your effort is there.” 

It’s that mindset that has led the Smithtown West Dance Team to many national  championships, but also created lifelong bonds and helped shape the next generation of  coaches.  

At Smithtown West, the sense of community never fades for a Whisperette. Tara’s favorite  song is Don’t Stop Believn’ by Journey….and yes, she’s passed that love on to her dancers. Now,  every time one of her alumni hears the song, they send her a video. Tara has built an incredible  community for her dancers, one that extends far beyond the gym. For her and the Smithtown  West Dance Team, #alwaysawhisperette is more than a motto, it’s a sense of community for  their current and former dancers.  

Smithtown West is headed to compete this season! If you get the chance to see them perform, be sure to cheer them on.