Local Seamstress Is Hidden Gem For Sartell Dance Team

SARTELL (WJON News) -- The Sartell-St. Stephen High School Dance Team's uniforms have been getting that personal touch for almost a quarter century. Local seamstress Barb Fleck has been designing the team's uniforms for 23 years.

Fleck says she has been doing dance costumes, prom dresses, alterations, and more since 1992. She says she enjoys working with the team to bring their vision to life:

"I'll actually hand them a marker and they draw right on the costume and well let's change this and let's change this and it's actually kind of fun because the idea's in them and I just help to pull it out so it's actually probably the best part for me."

PHOTO courtesy of Kelly McCarney/Sartell Dance Team

Head Coach Kelly McCarney says Fleck is their hidden gem and her costumes alway bring a big wow factor to their shows:

"We go to her and she helps us to make it a reality and she's always been so flexible to what we want to do and she always jumps on board with our crazy ideas and we're just super grateful."

PHOTO courtesy of Kelly McCarney/Sartell Dance Team

McCarney says one of the most exciting times of the year is when they get to see the first sneak peek from Fleck of the new season's uniforms. She says while Fleck's uniforms don't get noticed on the scorecard they give the team an edge and it will be hard to see Fleck go whenever she decides to retire:

"It will be a sad day whenever it happens and but you know understandably, she's a very talented lady and there's not a lot of people that have the ability or experience to work with the unique fabrics."

McCarney says the team often gets comments about how great their uniforms are and other teams wanting to know where they get them done.

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PHOTO courtesy of Kelly McCarney/Sartell Dance Team

Fleck has done uniforms for other schools like St. Cloud Tech and Holdingford over the years but Sartell is the only one she still makes them for. She says the transition costumes are some of her favorites:

"They do this movement with the costume and a second costume reveals itself so they start out looking one way and then they change into another costume in a middle of a dance and those stand out because they're a lot of work and they're pretty dramatic when you see them."

Fleck says she has enjoyed working with all the dance teams over the years and loves seeing the reactions when she unveils a dance team uniform, prom, or wedding dress for the first time. She says she has had to pull back on the amount of work she does but working with the Sartell Dance Team kids helps her stay young at heart.