REV UP BRANDS
Rev Up Brands, operating as Revolution Dancewear, is a Niles, Illinois-based wholesale manufacturer and distributor of studio-exclusive dance costumes, dancewear, footwear, and tights, selling exclusively through account-verified B2B channels to dance studios across the US and Canada, with multi-brand offerings and a proprietary Nimbly B2B2C storefront.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersNiles, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What REV UP BRANDS does
Rev Up Brands, LLC, operating as Revolution Dancewear, is a US-based wholesale manufacturer and distributor of studio-exclusive dance apparel, costumes, footwear, and tights, founded in 1996 and headquartered at 6100 W Howard St, Niles, Illinois, with 101-250 employees. The company sells exclusively to verified dance studios and dance programs through an account-based B2B model on revolutiondance.com (and a dedicated canada.revolutiondance.com), supported by phone, fax, and mail ordering, and ships across the Continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Its product portfolio spans multiple brands including Revolution, Art Stone, Tenth House, and 2-Die-4 (designer competition wear led by Bahar Carmichael), with costumes shipped all-inclusive with accessories in garment bags, plus in-house customization services (Studio Merch) for branded dancewear and recital apparel using direct-to-film heat transfer and screen printing at a 24-unit minimum order quantity.
The company's underlying technology is a BigCommerce-based B2B e-commerce platform with account-level pricing and the proprietary Nimbly online storefront, which allows studios to resell Revolution products to their students while Revolution manages fulfillment and shipping directly to consumers, creating a B2B2C distribution channel. Supporting tools include leotard sizing kits, measuring tape kits, and a Dance Studio 411 podcast and DanceStudioOwner.com content site targeted at studio operators.
Rev Up Brands generates revenue primarily through one-time wholesale purchases of costumes, dancewear, footwear, and tights by verified dance studios, supplemented by custom Studio Merch orders and a Revolution Rewards loyalty program (100 RevPoints equal $1 in RevCash, with up to 20% rebate on costume purchases). Leadership is headed by CEO Joe Sclafani with founder Scott Harris serving as Executive Chairman; Kristen Vitek leads human resources and Joshua Black directs marketing technology. The company has executed two disclosed acquisitions (Dance Direct in 2012 and International Dance Supplies in 2018) and experienced a data security incident between March 16, 2025 and April 3, 2025.
REV UP BRANDS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- REV UP BRANDS
- Legal name
- Rev Up Brands, LLC
- Website
- http://revolutiondance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Rev Up Brands, operating as Revolution Dancewear, is a Niles, Illinois-based wholesale manufacturer and distributor of studio-exclusive dance costumes, dancewear, footwear, and tights, selling exclusively through account-verified B2B channels to dance studios across the US and Canada, with multi-brand offerings and a proprietary Nimbly B2B2C storefront.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
REV UP BRANDS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dance Apparel and Costumes
- NAICS
- Shoe Retailers (45821)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Yoga, Pilates & Studio Wear Retail (CRAMACAE)
Keywords
Where REV UP BRANDS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Niles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
REV UP BRANDS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Dance Costumes and Costume Accessories: Sale of studio-exclusive dance costumes across multiple brands including Revolution, Tenth House, 2-Die-4, and Art Stone. Costumes are sold with accessories included and ship in garment bags.
- Dancewear Products: Sale of leotards, dresses, tops, bottoms, foundations, bags, and accessories for dance studios and their students.
- Footwear: Sale of ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop, and gymnastics/acro dance shoes.
- Tights: Sale of color-flow tights and performance tights for dancers.
- Studio Merch Customization: Custom branded merchandise including dancewear with studio logos (using direct-to-film heat transfer), branded apparel and custom t-shirts (screen printed), and recital t-shirts. Minimum order quantity of 24 units. Revenue stream for studios to resell to their dancers.
- Revolution Rewards / RevCash: Loyalty points program where studios earn RevPoints on qualifying purchases (100 points = $1 in RevCash). Points have 9-month expiration. RevCash codes valid for 30 days. Can be redeemed on any Revolution purchase including costumes, dancewear, and accessories.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Account-based pricing for verified dance studios |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
REV UP BRANDS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
REV UP BRANDS, doing business as Revolution Dancewear, manufactures and wholesales studio-exclusive dance costumes, dancewear, footwear, and tights to verified dance studios and dance programs across North America. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio (Revolution, Tenth House, 2-Die-4, Art Stone) covering ballet, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop, character, holiday, and competition genres. Additional offerings include Studio Merch custom branded merchandise services and the Nimbly online storefront platform that enables studios to sell Revolution products directly to their students online.
Product overview
Revolution Dancewear is a studio-exclusive dancewear and costume company operating as a multi-brand platform. The core offering includes Revolution dancewear (costumes, dancewear, footwear, tights) and sub-brands: 2-Die-4 (designer competition performance wear, now in Season 5 as standalone brand), Tenth House (elite performance collection), and Art Stone (performance wear). The Nimbly platform enables studios to sell studio-exclusive dancewear online through their own storefront. Studio Merch service provides customized branded merchandise (dancewear, apparel, t-shirts) using direct-to-film heat transfer and screen printing with 24-unit minimums. Additional offerings include RevRack clearance, Revolution Rewards loyalty program, and sizing tools (leotard sizing kits, measuring tape kits).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Art Stone: Premium performance dancewear brand under the Revolution portfolio
- Tenth House
- 2-Die-4
- Nimbly
- Studio Essentials
- RevRack
Products and services
- Revolution Dancewear Studio-exclusive dance costumes, dancewear, footwear, and tights available exclusively to verified dance studios. Includes costumes across ballet, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop, character, holiday, competition, and acro genres, along with leotards, dresses, tops, bottoms, foundations, bags, and dance footwear.
- 2-Die-4 Designer competition performance wear brand designed by Bahar Carmichael, offering bold, elevated designs with intricate craftsmanship, embellishments, and statement-making silhouettes for competitive dance studios and dancers expecting premium competition costuming.
- Tenth House Elite performance collection sub-brand featuring premium dance costumes with high-end craftsmanship designed for competitive dance studios and dancers.
- Art Stone Premium performance dancewear sub-brand offering quality dance costumes and apparel under the Revolution Dancewear umbrella.
- Nimbly Proprietary online storefront platform that allows dance studios to sell Revolution studio-exclusive dancewear products to their students online. Studios set their own pricing and customize their storefront, while Revolution handles inventory, fulfillment, and shipping directly to students.
- Studio Merch Custom branded merchandise service for dance studios to create branded dancewear, branded apparel, and custom recital t-shirts featuring studio logos. Uses direct-to-film heat transfer and screen printing decoration methods with a 24-unit minimum order quantity.
- Classic Leotard Sizing Kit Physical sizing kit with sample microfiber leotards in 8 sizes (SC, MC, LC, XLC, SA, MA, LA, XLA) featuring princess seam lines, shelf bra in adult sizes, and front-lined construction in child sizes, designed to help studios ensure accurate fit for Classic series leotards.
- Measuring Tape Kit Double-sided measuring tape featuring Revolution sizing increments printed on the face, covering female and male/unisex sizing from XSC to XXXLA. Includes a size chart postcard with tips and tricks and a drawstring bag for storage.
Quantifiable outcome
- Orders ship within 1-2 business days for in-stock items
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use REV UP BRANDS
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
REV UP BRANDS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
REV UP BRANDS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NimblycoreNimbly is Revolution's proprietary online storefront platform that enables dance studios to sell Revolution products to their students through a dedicated e-commerce store. Studios can customize their storefront and Revolution handles fulfillment. This creates a seamless B2B2C distribution model where studios act as retailers while Revolution manages inventory and shipping.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
REV UP BRANDS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bloch: Globally recognized dancewear and pointe shoe manufacturer with strong studio and dancer brand affinity. Competes with Revolution on footwear (ballet, jazz, tap), apparel, and accessories, and serves overlapping B2B studio and DTC channels.
- Leo's Dancewear: Dancewear retailer with broad assortment across leotards, shoes, and costumes. Comparable target customer base (studio owners and dance families) and serves as a multi-brand alternative to Revolution's studio channel.
- Capezio: One of the most established dancewear and costume brands in the U.S., offering leotards, tights, shoes, and performance costumes to studios and consumers. Competes directly with Revolution across apparel, footwear, and studio-exclusive costumes, with comparable multi-tier product strategy.
- Body Wrappers: Dance apparel brand specializing in leotards, tights, and warm-ups sold through dance retailers and studios. Comparable product mix and channel approach to Revolution's Studio Essentials line.
- Discount Dance Supply: Large online dancewear retailer carrying multiple brands across leotards, tights, shoes, and costumes. Comparable to Revolution on breadth of assortment and target buyer (studio purchasers and parents), though operates primarily DTC rather than B2B-gated.
- Grishko: Dancewear manufacturer with strong presence in ballet apparel, footwear, and performance costumes. Overlaps with Revolution on studio-exclusive design philosophy and B2B distribution through dance schools.
- SoDanca: Dance apparel and costume manufacturer with international distribution, offering leotards, tights, shoes, and performance costumes. Competes directly with Revolution's multi-brand portfolio, particularly in studio and competition costume segments.
- Dancewear Solutions: Dancewear retailer offering apparel, footwear, and accessories from multiple brands. Competes with Revolution on assortment and pricing for studio and parent customers, though primarily DTC rather than B2B-gated.
Broad incumbents
- Danskin: Long-established dancewear and activewear brand offering apparel across dance, gymnastics, and lifestyle categories. Operates at broader scale and broader channels than Revolution, overlapping on studio-adjacent apparel but without Revolution's B2B studio gating.
- Nike: Global athletic apparel giant whose dance and training apparel lines compete with Revolution on basics, footwear (hip hop/sneakers), and studio-adjacent athleisure. Does not specialize in studio-exclusive costumes but represents pricing pressure on commoditized dancewear categories.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
REV UP BRANDS social profiles
Digital presenceREV UP BRANDS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
REV UP BRANDS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
REV UP BRANDS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
REV UP BRANDS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
REV UP BRANDS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about REV UP BRANDS
What does REV UP BRANDS do?
REV UP BRANDS, doing business as Revolution Dancewear, manufactures and wholesales studio-exclusive dance costumes, dancewear, footwear, and tights to verified dance studios and dance programs across North America. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio (Revolution, Tenth House, 2-Die-4, Art Stone) covering ballet, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop, character, holiday, and competition genres. Additional offerings include Studio Merch custom branded merchandise services and the Nimbly online storefront platform that enables studios to sell Revolution products directly to their students online.
Is REV UP BRANDS a public or private company?
REV UP BRANDS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was REV UP BRANDS founded?
REV UP BRANDS was founded in 1996. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is REV UP BRANDS based?
REV UP BRANDS is headquartered in Niles, United States, in the North America region.
How does REV UP BRANDS make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Dance Costumes and Costume Accessories are the primary driver. The others are dancewear Products, footwear, tights, studio Merch Customization and revolution Rewards / RevCash.
Who are REV UP BRANDS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bloch, Leo's Dancewear, Capezio, Body Wrappers, Discount Dance Supply, Grishko, SoDanca and Dancewear Solutions. Broad incumbents are Danskin and Nike.
Does REV UP BRANDS have an API?
No public API is recorded for REV UP BRANDS.
What industry is REV UP BRANDS in?
REV UP BRANDS's product category is Dance Apparel and Costumes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMACAE, Yoga, Pilates & Studio Wear Retail. Its NAICS code is 45821 and its SIC code is 5600.