Creative Stages of San Diego

What Creative Stages of San Diego does

Creative Stages of San Diego (CSSD) is a 501c3 non-profit corporation (EIN 27-2343430) founded in 2011 by Barbara Rinaldo, who also serves as Artistic Director and Director of partner facility San Diego Danceworks. The organization delivers adapted dance education and performance programming primarily for students with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities, with curriculum spanning ballet, modern, yoga, hip hop, tap, jazz, and improvisation. Its core products include Hip Hop For Kids group classes (ages 5-8, $56/month), private lessons across multiple styles ($90/hour), and the Feel the Beat program—a six-week movement curriculum for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students piloted in Spring 2022 at Madison High School—and Inclusion Training Workshops for teaching artists.

Programming is delivered through two channels: in-studio classes at San Diego Danceworks' 2653 Ariane Drive facility in North Clairemont, San Diego, and on-site school partnerships such as the Madison High School DHH collaboration. Class sizes are capped at 15 participants including aides under COVID protocols, with trained inclusion aids paired with students who request support. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on referrals through partner organizations, the organization's Wix-hosted website, and organic social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Revenue is generated through two streams: recurring program tuition under an honor-based multi-tier financial aid structure (Tier I full cost, Tier II 25% discount, Tier III 50% discount, with formal Financial Aid applications as a backstop), and tax-deductible charitable donations. Scholarship recipients must maintain minimum 80% attendance and complete at least three volunteer hours per academic year. The organization is governed by a volunteer board chaired by Arielle King (special education professional) with Fiona Chatwin (Villa Musica Founder) as Treasurer, Rebecca Ordas as Secretary, and Alejandra Warner (Office of ADA Compliance accessibility specialist) as a member.

Name

Creative Stages of San Diego

Legal name

Creative Stages of San Diego

Website

https://creativestagessd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Creative Stages of San Diego is a 501c3 non-profit founded in 2011 that provides adapted dance education, private lessons, and inclusion training workshops for students with autism, developmental disabilities, and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in San Diego, California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adaptive and Inclusive Dance Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Dance Companies (711120), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB), Urban/Street Dance Performances (Hip-Hop, Breaking) (MPAGADAF), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI), Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD)

Keywords

• Adaptive dance education
• Inclusive performing arts
• Special needs dance classes
• Deaf and hard of hearing programs
• Arts inclusion training

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Monthly tuition and hourly rates for dance classes and private lessons
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations to support needs-based scholarships for students. Organization is a 501c3 non-profit corporation (EIN: 27-2343430)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Creative Stages of San Diego delivers adapted dance education and performance opportunities for dancers of all abilities, with a primary focus on students on the autism spectrum, those with developmental disabilities, and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Offerings include the Feel the Beat six-week movement program, Hip Hop For Kids classes, private lessons in multiple dance styles, and inclusion training workshops for teaching artists, supported by needs-based financial aid scholarships.

Product overview

Creative Stages of San Diego offers a unified suite of dance education programs designed specifically for students with special needs and diverse abilities. The core offerings include: the Feel the Beat program (a six-week movement curriculum for Deaf/Hard of Hearing students), Hip Hop For Kids classes, Private Lessons in various dance styles, and Inclusion Training Workshops for teachers. The organization provides needs-based financial aid scholarships across all programs to ensure accessibility. Programs are delivered at San Diego Danceworks studios with trained inclusion aids supporting participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Feel the Beat: A six-week curriculum-based movement program for students of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community, designed to build body awareness, confidence, trust, and social emotional skills through creative movement and play.

Products and services

• Feel the Beat A six-week curriculum-based movement program for students of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community, designed to build body awareness, confidence, trust, and social emotional skills through creative movement and play. Delivered in partnership with schools.
• Hip Hop For Kids Creative movement and hip hop classes for children ages 5-8, held on Thursdays from 1pm-2pm at San Diego Danceworks studios, taught by Lead Teaching Artist Bex Walker at $56 per month.
• Private Lessons One-on-one dance instruction by appointment, available for all ages, covering Jazz/HipHop/Tap with Bex Walker and Ballet/Modern with Barbara Rinaldo at $90 per hour.
• Inclusion Training Workshops Specialized 2-hour workshops for teaching artists and high school mentors providing training on inclusive arts instruction for students with disabilities and/or complex needs.
• Needs-Based Financial Aid Scholarships Multi-tier tuition assistance program offering Tier I (full cost), Tier II (25% discount), and Tier III (50% discount), with a full Financial Aid application option available when Tier III remains prohibitive.

Quantifiable outcome

• Feel the Beat program served 20+ students in first pilot

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• San Diego DanceworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Diego Danceworks is the host facility for Creative Stages programming. Classes are held at San Diego Danceworks studios at 2653 Ariane Drive. San Diego Danceworks has been providing dance education in San Diego since 1990. Founder Barbara Rinaldo previously served as Director of San Diego Danceworks.
• Madison High School DHH ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner educational institution hosting the Feel the Beat six-week movement program pilot in Spring 2022. Program served more than 20 Deaf and Hard of Hearing students at the school.
• VAPA Dance FacultyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVAPA (Visual and Performing Arts) dance faculty collaborated with CSSD Founder Barbara Rinaldo and Lead Teaching Artist Bex Walker to design the Feel the Beat program curriculum.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• National Dance Education Organization: U.S. membership organization supporting dance education across settings, including adapted and inclusive dance. Relevant as an ecosystem/membership body that CSSD could partner with for standards, training, and inclusion-related programming rather than as a competitor.
• San Diego Danceworks: San Diego dance school founded in 1990 where CSSD's founder is also Director and which hosts CSSD's in-studio programming. Functions as CSSD's strategic facility partner rather than a direct competitor, providing infrastructure access.

Direct peers

• AXIS Dance Company: Oakland-based integrated dance company creating and performing work with disabled and non-disabled dancers, and offering accessible dance education programs. Highly comparable to CSSD's adapted dance instruction for students with special needs and its performance-driven model.
• Heidi Latsky Dance: New York-based integrated dance company whose mission centers on dance for dancers of all bodies and abilities, including outreach and education programming. Directly comparable to CSSD's inclusive, ability-diverse dance education and performance philosophy.
• Full Radius Dance: Atlanta-based integrated modern dance company employing dancers with and without physical disabilities and running community education and outreach. Comparable to CSSD as a similarly mission-driven, small-scale integrated dance organization producing performances for diverse-ability audiences.
• Infinity Dance Theater: New York-based integrated dance company for dancers with and without disabilities, offering classes and performances. Closely mirrors CSSD's combination of dance instruction and performance opportunities for dancers of all abilities.
• DanceAbility International: Organization founded by Alito Alessi that teaches improvisational dance to people with and without disabilities through workshops and teacher trainings globally. Directly comparable to CSSD's adapted dance pedagogy and its Inclusion Training Workshops for teaching artists.

Broad incumbents

• Mark Morris Dance Group: Established Brooklyn-based dance company with the well-known Dance for PD program offering dance classes for people with Parkinson's and broader community education. Comparable to CSSD as a larger incumbent running specialized dance programs for specific populations, though at much greater scale and broader scope.

Regional players

• StopGap Dance Company: UK-based integrated dance company creating performances with disabled and non-disabled dancers and running participation programs. Comparable to CSSD in integrated-dance mission and education-plus-performance model, though operating in a different geography.
• Candoco Dance Company: Leading UK-based integrated dance company working with disabled and non-disabled dancers and delivering education and outreach. Comparable to CSSD in mission and integrated-dance approach but based outside the U.S. market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wix
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Wix
• Facebookfacebook.com/creativestagessd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Creative Stages of San Diego