AYDN was founded by Sara Rivera and Ryan Shaer after spending years around dance, wellness, and product development.

Sara has spent more than 23 years in dance and holds a Master’s in Dance Education from Rutgers University. Through that experience, she saw firsthand how much time dancers spend in leotards and how important fit, comfort, and movement are in class.

Ryan’s background is in entrepreneurship, brand building, and product development, with a strong focus on health, quality, and attention to detail.

To build AYDN, we partnered with industry-leading experts, including a designer whose work spans Project Runway, American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Royal Opera House, with collaborations alongside renowned choreographers Jessica Lang, Pam Tanowitz, and Stephen Petronio. We also worked with an organic apparel consultant who helped build one of America's largest organic cotton clothing brands and a dancewear specialist with over 20 years of experience in fit, quality, and product development.

Our goal is simple: better materials, better comfort, and dancewear designed with real dancers in mind.