Tom Prete, Owner of The Dancers Shop

Tom Prete, owner of The Dancers Shop in Hamden, said his shop might be the first store, and almost certainly the oldest, devoted to dancers’ clothing and accessories in the United States.

The store was established in 1953 and has moved to various locations in New Haven, East Haven and Hamden before landing at its current home at 1935 State Street about a year ago.

"The Dancers Shop is as old as I am because I was established in 1953," he said.

Prete also is the executive director of the Miss Connecticut Scholarship Corporation, which runs the Miss Connecticut and Connecticut Outstanding Teen competitions.

He said he was working in a men’s store just after graduating from East Haven High School when he was passed over for a promotion he thought he deserved, so he quit and toured with the East Coast road company of "Jesus Christ Superstar," playing the part of Caiaphas, the high priest.

At the time, he was dating a dancer, Donna Cirmo, who told him there was a job opening at The Dancers Shop.

"By the way, that girl I was dating eventually became my wife," he said. They have been married 34 years and live in North Haven.

The original owner of the shop, Herb Howard, started in 1951 by selling dancing shoes and costumes out of his car, making stops at small dance studios. After two years, he opened the store on Washington Avenue in New Haven, later moving it to the College Plaza downtown.

Howard’s daughters didn’t want the business, so he sold it to Prete in 1981. The shop lost his lease at the College Plaza and moved for awhile to Frontage Road in East Haven before ending up sharing space at the Costume Bazaar, at 1593 State Street, Hamden.

Costume Bazaar moved recently, so Prete relocated up the street at his present location at 1935 State Street.

He has been associated with the Miss Connecticut competition almost as long, beginning 30 years ago as a costume designer for the Miss Connecticut Dancers, then as the head of the Miss New Haven competition.

Prete said it is difficult to find girls and young women who qualify to compete, because Connecticut Outstanding Teen and Miss Connecticut are scholarship competitions, not beauty pageants. Although they include gown and swimsuit presentations, the contestants must also have a performance talent, academic qualifications and involvement in a social or community cause.

Miss Connecticut Morgan Amarone, who coincidentally is also from Hamden, is a published author and involved with the American Cancer Society. Prete said she makes numerous personal appearances on behalf of the American Cancer Society, and visits schools to read to children from her book, "Madison’s Journey," which is about a girl who gets cancer.

And one of Prete’s own daughters, Marla, was crowned Miss Connecticut in 2003.