Metropolitan School of the Arts

What Metropolitan School of the Arts does

Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts school headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, founded in 1998 by Melissa Dobbs (originally as Metropolitan Fine Arts Center, rebranded in 2009). The organization delivers tuition-based performing arts education in dance, music, and theater to youth (ages 3-18), homeschool students (ages 7-18), adults (fitness and dance), and pre-professional young artists across six youth companies: Metropolitan Youth Ballet (MYB), Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company (MTC), MetroiMprov, Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble (MYTE), iMpulse, and dynaMYTE.

MSA operates from a single 8-studio, 4-music-room facility with a 120-seat Black Box Theater at 5775 Barclay Drive, Suite 4, Alexandria, VA, and stages larger productions at external venues including the Schlesinger Concert Hall and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. The technology stack is operational rather than product-focused: Jackrabbit Parent Portal handles enrollment and customer management, Wellness Living handles class scheduling, and JotForm is used for inquiry capture.

Revenue is generated across eight streams: recurring tuition for youth dance and theater classes, private music lessons ($43 per half-hour / $81 per hour billed monthly), the Homeschool Program ($180/student/month with sibling discounts), MOVE adult fitness subscriptions and class passes ($125/month unlimited or $100-$360 for bundled passes), performance and recital fees, summer camps and intensives, charitable donations and fundraising, and facility rentals ($45-$170/hour depending on space). Pricing includes tiered family discounts, and trial classes are offered as a low-friction acquisition tool. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, relying on word-of-mouth, community events, performances as showcases, and the school's website for enrollment.

Name

Metropolitan School of the Arts

Legal name

Metropolitan School of the Arts

Website

https://metropolitanarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Metropolitan School of the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts school in Alexandria, Virginia, offering tuition-based instruction in dance, music, and theater to youth, homeschool families, adults, and pre-professional students across six youth companies and signature annual productions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Dance Companies (71112)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE), Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Performing arts education
• Dance instruction classes
• Private music lessons
• Youth theater programs
• Adult fitness dance

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Youth Dance and Theater Classes: Tuition-based revenue from youth performing arts instruction including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop, and theater classes. Classes are offered at various skill levels from beginner to pre-professional. Revenue is recurring on a monthly basis during the academic year.
2. Private Music Lessons: One-on-one instruction in instruments (guitar, piano, drums, voice, and more) billed at $43 per half-hour lesson or $81 per one-hour lesson, billed monthly on the second of the month.
3. Homeschool Program: Monthly tuition for the Metropolitan Homeschool Program (MHP) offering rotating classes in dance, music, and theater for home-educated students ages 7-18, meeting on Tuesdays from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
4. MOVE Adult Dance and Fitness: Monthly subscriptions and class passes for adult fitness and dance classes including yoga, barre, Pilates, Zumba, ballet, and tap. Offers unlimited monthly passes and multi-class bundles.
5. Performance and Recital Fees: Additional fees for participation in productions, showcases, and recitals including the Spring Production, Nutcracker, Metropolitan Follies, and various end-of-year performances. Includes costume fees and participation fees for ensemble roles.
6. Summer Programs: Revenue from summer camps (MSA Camp for ages 8-12, Mini-Camps for ages 4-7), summer dance intensives, Dance Lab, and summer musical theater programs.
7. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MSA receives charitable contributions through annual giving campaigns, holiday giving, Spring 2ACTion day of giving, restaurant fundraising nights, and gift cards. Donations support facility upgrades, elevated performances, and scholarship opportunities.
8. Facility Rentals: Revenue from renting studio spaces (Studios 1-8) and the Black Box Theater to external groups and individuals. Hourly rates vary by space type, time slot, and renter category (regular, nonprofit, MSA student/alumni).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Metropolitan School of the Arts is a nonprofit performing arts school that delivers recurring, tuition-based instruction in dance (ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop), music (private instrumental and vocal lessons), and theater (acting, musical theater, improv) to youth, homeschool students, and adults. It also stages signature annual productions (The Nutcracker, Spring Production/Cirque, Spring Ballet, The Metropolitan Follies), runs six pre-professional youth performing companies, and operates summer camps, intensives, and facility rentals from its Alexandria, VA campus.

Product overview

Metropolitan School of the Arts is a performing arts education organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs for youth and adults in dance, music, theater, and fitness. The core offerings include Youth Dance & Theater (after-school instruction in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and theater), Private Music Lessons (instrumental and vocal instruction), and the Homeschool Program. Pre-professional development is delivered through six youth companies (Metropolitan Youth Ballet, Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company, MetroiMprov, Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble, Impulse, and iMpulse) and the invitation-only Ballet Conservatory Program. Signature performances include The Nutcracker, Spring Production (Cirque), Spring Ballet, and The Metropolitan Follies. Summer programming includes camps, intensives, and the Summer Musical. The organization also operates a MOVE adult fitness program and provides facility rentals including a 120-seat Black Box Theater.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Dance & Theater After-school and weekend performing arts instruction for youth in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, musical theater, and acting, with performance opportunities in annual productions and showcases. Targeted at children and teens ages 3-18, including both recreational and pre-professional tracks.
• Private Music Lessons One-on-one instruction in guitar, piano, drums, voice, and other instruments taught by professional musicians, billed monthly at $43 per half-hour lesson or $81 per hour lesson. Open to students of all ages.
• Homeschool Program (MHP) Three-hour rotating block of dance, music, and theater classes held Tuesdays 11:30 AM-2:30 PM (September-May) for home-educated students ages 7-18, culminating in an annual Homeschool Showcase. Tuition is $180/student/month with sibling discounts.
• Move: Adult Dance & Fitness Adult fitness and dance program offering 20 weekly classes across yoga, barre, Pilates, core conditioning, ballet, tap, Zumba, and jazz with 10 instructors. Pricing includes per-class ($25), 5/10/15/20 class passes, and MOVE Fit Unlimited at $125/month.
• Pre-Professional Companies Six elite youth performing ensembles for advanced students: Metropolitan Youth Ballet (MYB, founded 2000), Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company (MTC), MetroiMprov, Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble (MYTE), iMpulse jazz company, and dynaMYTE. Includes pre-professional training, YAGP competition participation, and public performances.
• The Nutcracker Annual holiday ballet production featuring MSA ballet students performing the classic Tchaikovsky score, directed by Jacqueline Doherty and presented at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall. Ticketed public performance.
• Spring Production (Cirque) End-of-year production featuring all youth dance students (600+ performers ages 3-18) across all disciplines including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, musical theater, voice, and hip hop. The only MSA production that includes all disciplines in one event.
• Spring Ballet Annual spring ballet performance by Metropolitan Youth Ballet showcasing pre-professional ballet dancers in original and classical-inspired choreography, staged at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.
• The Metropolitan Follies: A Holiday Revue Broadway-style holiday show featuring dancers and performers of all ages performing festive routines with holiday characters, co-directed by Claire Percoco and Chelsea Shocknesse.
• Ballet Conservatory Program Invitation-only intensive ballet training program for students with the technical ability to pursue high-level study, based on the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) vocational syllabus. MSA students regularly rank in the top 20% of RAD schools worldwide for examination results.
• Summer Programs Summer offerings including MSA Camp (full-day for ages 8-12 with dance, theater, and vocal instruction), Mini-Camps (half-day for ages 4-7), Dance Lab (pre-professional intensive), FLY Intensive (commercial dance), and Summer Musical.
• YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) International student ballet competition in which Metropolitan Youth Ballet competes annually, achieving top placements, providing pre-professional competition exposure for advanced dancers.
• Black Box Theater Rental Hourly rental of the on-site 120-seat Black Box Theater with wood sprung floor, lighting, sound system, and wireless microphones for performances and events. Regular rate $170/hour (4-hour minimum), nonprofit rate $140/hour, MSA student/alumni rate $100/hour.
• Studio Rental Hourly rental of MSA's eight dance studios and four music rooms. Regular rates: Studios 1-2 $60/hour, Studios 3-8 $45/hour, Music Rooms $25/hour. Nonprofit and MSA student/alumni rates available at reduced pricing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ performers participate annually in the Spring Production
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CityDance: DC-metro dance education organization with youth programs, pre-professional company, and adult classes. Directly comparable to MSA's youth-through-pre-professional pipeline and DMV focus.
• The Washington School of Ballet: DC-metro ballet and performing arts school offering youth, pre-professional, and adult divisions. Directly comparable to MSA in geography, age range served, classical ballet curriculum, and pre-professional company structure (TWYB).
• Joy of Motion Dance Center: DC-area dance and fitness school offering youth and adult programs across multiple styles. Comparable to MSA on multi-discipline youth/adult dance portfolio and DMV geography, with overlapping tuition and class-pass pricing models.
• Maryland Youth Ballet: Regional ballet school in Silver Spring/Glen Burnie, MD with youth and pre-professional divisions. Comparable to MSA's Metropolitan Youth Ballet in mission, age range, and YAGP participation within the broader DMV region.

Broad incumbents

• Steps on Broadway: Iconic NYC dance studio offering youth and adult classes across many styles with notable faculty. Comparable to MSA on multi-discipline dance instruction and family/sibling enrollment structures.
• Kirov Academy of Ballet: DC-based ballet training academy with pre-professional program. Directly comparable to MSA's Metropolitan Youth Ballet on classical ballet pedagogy, RAD-style examination preparation, and YAGP competition participation in the DMV region.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Ailey Extension / Ailey School): Nationally recognized dance education and company in NYC with extensive youth and adult class programs. Comparable to MSA's multi-style youth dance portfolio and pre-professional track at a larger, more established scale.
• Interlochen Arts Academy: Residential performing arts high school and summer camp in Michigan. Comparable to MSA's pre-professional Conservatory and summer intensives in mission and conservatory-prep curriculum, though operating as a boarding school.
• Boston Conservatory at Berklee (Pre-College Programs): Pre-college performing arts programs at a major US conservatory. Comparable to MSA's Conservatory Program in targeting serious youth preparing for conservatory admissions, including the schools (Boston Conservatory, NYU) where MSA alumni have placed.

Regional players

• Duke Ellington School of the Arts: DC public magnet high school for the performing arts. Comparable to MSA on Conservatory/Academy-style pre-professional arts training and DMV geography, though structured as a credentialed high school rather than an after-school school.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MetroSchoolOfTheArts
• Instagraminstagram.com/metropolitan_school_of_the_arts
• Xx.com/metroschoolarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metropolitan-school-of-the-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metropolitan School of the Arts