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Six years ago, David Lee's knee injury got the best of him. So he did what other retiring ballet dancers have done: He opened a dancewear company.
Originally begun in California as a sideline, the operation was quickly moved by Mr. Lee and his partner to New York, "the dance capital of the world."
Two years ago, when midtown Manhattan rents rose sharply, Mr. Lee, who is black, took advantage of city incentives for manufacturers and minority-owned businesses by relocating to the South Bronx.
Today, K.D. Dids Inc. is the sole supplier of handloom knitwear favored by professional dancers. Now, Mr. Lee and his partner, Tricia Kaye, are embarking on a major expansion. Armed with $100,000 in city and state loans, they hope to shepherd their company beyond specialty dancewear shops to select mass merchants.
With the same handloom process used to create leg warmers, tights and bodysuits, K.D. Dids hopes to put out a line of high-quality gymwear that would appeal to more customers than just dancers warming their muscles.
A loan from...