Tippi Toes

What Tippi Toes does

Tippi Toes, Inc. is a U.S. children's dance education franchise founded in 1999 by Sarah Nuse, headquartered in Tulsa, OK with a corporate office reachable at an Arizona (602) area code. The company delivers mobile, recreational dance classes to children aged 18 months to 12 years at partner schools, daycares, churches, gyms, preschools, and community centers across more than 40 franchise locations spanning at least 27 U.S. states. Its core product is a curriculum of weekly, on-site classes (Toddler & Me, Baby Ballet, Ballet Tap & Jazz, Tippi Pro, Hip Hop/Jazz) backed by a proprietary content library of ten original music albums distributed on Spotify and Apple Music, two published children's books including 'Tippi's Land of Sweets', branded characters and a Tippiville universe, plus original choreography, lesson plans, and a 'Dance on Demand' virtual class extension.

Tippi Toes operates as a franchisor under a $50,000 minimum-investment model: local entrepreneurs purchase territorial franchise rights, deploy the proprietary curriculum and content, and enroll families through studio management platforms such as DanceStudio-Pro and GoStudioPro. The franchisor earns initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties (a recurring, performance-linked revenue stream), while franchisees collect monthly parent tuition, annual non-refundable registration fees, and event revenue from recitals, summer dance camps, and birthday parties. The mobile delivery model is the central distribution architecture: classes are brought to where children already are, eliminating the need for brick-and-mortar studios and providing franchisees access to captive school and daycare audiences. Corporate support includes a $20,000 marketing fund, an annual training conference, a 'Behind the Curtain' podcast, and a defined management team led by Founder/CEO Sarah Nuse and COO Maria Fesler.

The business targets three primary segments: end-user children and their paying parents (B2C), partner schools/daycares/preschools that host classes on-site (B2B2C), and franchise owners who license the system (B2B). Brand and content extensions — including streaming-distributed original music, Amazon-distributed books, and a Tippiville sub-brand for video and reading — generate additional system-level visibility and franchisee monetization opportunities. The company has no external institutional investment or parent entity disclosed in the data.

Name

Tippi Toes

Legal name

Tippi Toes

Website

https://tippitoesdance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tippi Toes is a U.S. children's dance education franchise founded in 1999 that delivers mobile, recreational dance classes for children ages 18 months to 12 years at schools, daycares, and community centers across 40+ franchise locations in 27+ states, supported by a proprietary curriculum, original music, and branded children's content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Dance Education Franchise

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Children's dance classes
• Mobile dance programs
• Dance education franchise
• Preschool dance enrichment
• Children's activity franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Franchisees pay an initial franchise fee and ongoing royalties in exchange for brand rights, curriculum access, training, and operational support. The franchise model generates recurring revenue through royalties based on franchisee performance.
2. Direct Dance Class Tuition: Parents pay monthly tuition for their children to attend dance classes. Classes are held weekly at partner locations. Additional revenue comes from registration fees, recital fees, and costume charges.
3. Books and Merchandise: Sale of proprietary children's books at recitals and through enrollment welcome packages. Additional merchandise opportunities create supplementary revenue streams for franchisees.
4. Event Services: Birthday parties, dance camps, and special events generate additional revenue. Camps are offered during summer months and parties are available year-round.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Tippi Toes delivers recreational, mobile dance classes for children ages 18 months to 12 years through a franchise model. Classes are hosted on-site at schools, daycares, churches, gyms, and preschools across 40+ U.S. franchise locations, and taught using proprietary original music, choreography, and branded characters. The franchise supplies complete curriculum packages, branded content, training, marketing support, and operational resources to local franchise owners who deliver the classes.

Product overview

Tippi Toes is a children's dance education franchise offering mobile dance classes at schools, daycares, churches, gyms, and preschools across the United States. The company operates on a franchise model with a unified core product of dance classes (Toddler & Me, Baby Ballet, Ballet Tap & Jazz, Tippi Pro, Hip Hop/Jazz) and supplementary offerings including Dance on Demand virtual classes, recitals, dance camps, and birthday parties. A key differentiator is the company's proprietary content library comprising 10 original music albums (available on Spotify and Apple Music), two children's books including 'Tippi's Land of Sweets', and original choreography and characters. The franchise opportunity allows entrepreneurs to operate mobile dance businesses with comprehensive corporate support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tippiville: Fictional world/brand universe featuring characters such as Chef Freddy the Frog used across curriculum, books, music, and recitals.

Products and services

• Tippi Toes Dance Classes (Toddler & Me, Baby Ballet, Ballet Tap & Jazz, Tippi Pro, Hip Hop/Jazz) Mobile, recreational dance classes for children aged 18 months to 12 years, delivered weekly on a consistent day and time at schools, daycares, churches, gyms, and preschools. Instruction uses original music and choreography with a non-competitive, confidence-building approach.
• Dance on Demand Virtual dance classes that allow students to practice and reinforce what they learn in physical classes from home, building confidence, coordination, and dance competence through movement and music.
• Recitals Twice-yearly dance performances featuring a family-friendly 30-minute recital format designed specifically for families, with shorter overall runtime and maximized student stage time.
• Dance Camps Summer themed dance camps featuring dance activities, games, and crafts. Open to both currently enrolled Tippi Toes students and non-students.
• Birthday Parties High-energy, kid-friendly dance parties that bring celebration and movement to children's birthday events, available year-round.
• Tippi's Land of Sweets (Children's Book) Second published Tippi Toes children's book featuring characters and the Tippiville world, integrating themes from the winter recital and 10th music album. Distributed via Amazon.
• Tippi Toes Original Music Albums Ten original music albums featuring songs written specifically for Tippi Toes choreography, distributed on Spotify and Apple Music. Albums reached #1 on iTunes in the kids category.
• Tippi Toes Franchise Opportunity Franchise business opportunity offering entrepreneurs the rights, proprietary curriculum, original music, branded characters, marketing support, and training needed to operate a mobile children's dance education business in a designated U.S. territory. Minimum investment of $50,000 plus equipment, marketing, and working capital; access to a $20K marketing fund, annual training seminars, personal mentorship, and company intranet support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Franchise territories can reach 250+ enrolled students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schools and Daycares (Various)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTippi Toes partners with schools, daycares, churches, gyms, and preschools across 40+ U.S. locations. These institutions host Tippi Toes dance classes on-site, providing space and access to enrolled children. This B2B partnership model enables Tippi Toes to reach families where they already are, while providing schools with quality enrichment programming. Franchise owners develop these relationships at the local level.
• Sylvester Powell Community Center, Mission, KScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic community center that hosts Tippi Toes dance classes as part of its programming offerings for local families.
• Liberty Community Center, Liberty, MOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity center partner hosting Tippi Toes classes in the Kansas City area.
• heARTbeat Studio, Brookside Kansas City, MOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal dance studio partnership providing additional class location for public enrollment.
• Cupcakin BakeryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKansas City area bakery partnership for birthday party events, combining dance entertainment with bakery services.
• Healing Center (Vineyard Cincinnati Church)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing community partnership through the Dance It Forward initiative, providing free dance parties to children served by the Healing Center's ministry programs supporting families.
• Streaming Platforms (Spotify, Apple Music)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partnerships with major streaming platforms enabling Tippi Toes original music to reach families beyond the classroom. Music is available for streaming, creating brand awareness and extending the Tippi Toes experience into homes and cars.
• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales channel for Tippi Toes children's books including 'Tippi Toes: Tippi's Land of Sweets', making branded content available for home reading.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Once Upon a Ballet: Once Upon a Ballet is a storybook-themed children's ballet program offered through partner preschools and studios. Comparable on the mobile/B2B2C delivery model, the 18 months–6 years age band, and the themed recital/performance approach, though it is smaller in scale than Tippi Toes.

Broad incumbents

• School of Rock: School of Rock is a much larger children's music education franchise serving a broader age range (and adult performance programs) with proprietary methodology. Comparable on franchise scale, parent-paid recurring tuition, and proprietary content/IP-driven curriculum, but in music rather than dance.
• Gymboree Play & Music: Gymboree Play & Music offers play, music, and movement classes for young children through franchised and licensed locations. Comparable on parent-paid children's enrichment, early-childhood age band, and franchise/operator structure, though it has gone through bankruptcy and ownership changes that affect its current franchise momentum.
• Arthur Murray Dance Studios: Arthur Murray is a long-established ballroom and social dance studio franchise primarily targeting adults. Comparable as a dance instruction franchise with proprietary curriculum, but uses a brick-and-mortar studio model with a very different age band (adult couples) and competitive (not recreational) positioning.
• Fred Astaire Dance Studios: Fred Astaire is a long-established ballroom and social dance franchise with owned studios. Comparable as a dance instruction franchise with proprietary teaching systems, but serves an adult social-dance audience under a studio-based operating model rather than a mobile children's enrichment model.

Direct peers

• Goldfish Swim School: Goldfish Swim School is a franchised children's swim instruction school serving ages 4 months to 12 years. Highly comparable on franchise unit economics, recurring parent tuition model, parent-demographic overlap, and the "confidence-building non-competitive" positioning language used by Tippi Toes.
• My Gym: My Gym is a children's fitness and movement franchise serving ages 6 weeks to 10 years with structured classes. Comparable on franchise model, parent-paid recurring tuition, age band overlap, and structured curriculum-driven physical activity for young children.
• Kindermusik: Kindermusik offers licensed music and movement classes for young children through a franchised/licensed-operator model. Comparable on proprietary curriculum, age band (infants through early elementary), parent-paid recurring classes, and an emphasis on developmental rather than competitive outcomes.
• The Little Gym: The Little Gym is a long-established franchise offering structured movement, motor-skill, and developmental classes for children ages 4 months through 12 years. Direct comparable on franchise structure, parent-facing children's enrichment category, and curriculum-driven instruction for the same age band.
• Tutu School: Tutu School is a children's ballet franchise offering recreational, non-competitive dance classes for young children. Closest direct comparable: same age band, similar recreational philosophy, similar franchise business model, and overlapping B2B2C delivery through partner venues and standalone studios.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tippitoesdance
• Facebookfacebook.com/TippiToesDance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tippi-toes-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/tippitoesdance?igshid=MTIzZWMxMTBkOA==
• Xx.com/tippitoesdance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Tippi Toes