Showstopper
Showstopper is America's first dance competition company, founded in 1978, operating a nationwide touring platform of 50+ regional competitions and seven regional Finals that serve approximately 50,000 dancers annually through dance studios, independent dancers, teachers, and families.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersMyrtle Beach, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Showstopper does
Showstopper is America's first dance competition company, founded in 1978 and headquartered in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The company operates a nationwide touring dance competition platform running regional events in over 50 U.S. cities, culminating in seven regional Finals (Northern, North East, East Coast, Southern, South Coast, Gulf Coast, West Coast) and a grand championship called the America Loves to Dance Awards. It serves approximately 50,000 dancers annually through dance studios, independent dancers, teachers, and families.
The company supports its live events with several digital platforms: Studio Center, a B2B portal for dance studios to manage registrations, entries, schedules, and rebate programs; Dancer Hub, a B2C portal for individual dancer accounts, photos, videos, and All-Star submissions; a mobile app; and live-streaming infrastructure that broadcasts every regional and finals event. It also produces professional multi-camera routine recordings sold as add-ons at $9.99 per routine (video or photo) or $18.99 bundled, publishes a quarterly Showstopper Magazine at $4.99 per issue, and sells trophies ($68-$82) and medals ($12-$25) directly through an e-commerce shop.
Showstopper monetizes primarily through per-competition transaction fees (entry fees, convention registration), ancillary content sales (photos, videos), merchandise, and studio-tier subscriptions/perks via the Studio Center platform. Its go-to-market is event-driven with a hybrid B2B/B2C motion: studios enroll through Studio Center, while individual dancers and families interact via Dancer Hub, social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter), and live streaming. The company is privately held, has no disclosed external funding, and lists 51-100 employees.
Showstopper firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Showstopper
- Website
- https://goshowstopper.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Showstopper is America's first dance competition company, founded in 1978, operating a nationwide touring platform of 50+ regional competitions and seven regional Finals that serve approximately 50,000 dancers annually through dance studios, independent dancers, teachers, and families.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Showstopper industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dance Competition Services
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD)
Keywords
Where Showstopper is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Myrtle Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Showstopper business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Competition Entry Fees: Dance studios and independent dancers pay registration fees to enter competitions across various categories and age divisions.
- Convention Registration: Fees for dance conventions featuring classes with professional instructors, structured by age groups (Senior 13+, Junior 9-12, Tween 6-8).
- Photo and Video Sales: Multi-camera routine videos sold for $9.99 per routine, photo packages (35-40 photos) for $9.99 per routine, or bundled for $18.99 per routine.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of Showstopper Magazine ($4.99), trophies ($68-$82), and medals ($12-$25) through the online shop.
- Studio Services: Studio ID applications and management through Studio Center platform, with exclusive perks and rebate programs for registered studios.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Photo Package - Individual routine photo package with 35-40 photos |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Video Package - Multi-camera routine video recording |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Photo and Video Bundle - Combined photo and video package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Showstopper Magazine - Print/digital publication |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 2026 Regional Trophy - Competition trophy for category or overall wins |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 2026 Regional Crystal Trophy - Premium crystal trophy variant |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 2026 Regional Overall Trophy - Trophy for overall division winners |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 2026 Medals - Competition medals for category and overall placements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
Showstopper product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Showstopper produces and operates dance competitions, dance conventions, and the America Loves to Dance Awards championship across more than 50 U.S. cities. Studios and individual dancers pay registration fees to compete in regional events and finals, with supporting revenue from convention classes, multi-camera photo and video packages, the Showstopper Magazine publication, and trophies and medals. Digital platforms (Studio Center and Dancer Hub) support registration, content access, and live streaming.
Product overview
Showstopper is America's first and most prestigious dance competition, founded in 1978, operating as a multi-event platform with distinct product lines. The core offering consists of Dance Competitions (Regionals held across 50+ cities nationwide and Finals events in 7 regional locations), complemented by Dance Conventions that provide non-competitive learning experiences. The platform also produces The America Loves to Dance Awards as its championship finale, with an All-Star Dancers Program that spotlights top soloists. Supporting infrastructure includes the Dancer Hub (individual dancer portal) and Studio Center (studio management platform) for account management, registration, and content access. Live streaming extends reach to remote audiences. Revenue is augmented through add-on products including Showstopper Magazine (quarterly publication at $4.99/issue), Photo & Video Packages for performance recordings, and Trophies & Medals for award recognition. The company serves over 50,000 dancers annually and has launched the careers of notable performers including Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, JoJo Siwa, and Maddie Ziegler.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Showstopper Magazine: A quarterly magazine publication featuring dance industry news, celebrity interviews, and Showstopper competition coverage.
- Dance Conventions
- All-Star Dancers Program
Products and services
- Dance Competitions (Regionals and Finals) America's #1 dance competition serving over 50,000 dancers annually across more than 50 cities nationwide, featuring regional competitions and culminating regional Finals events with live streaming and professional adjudication.
- Dance Conventions
Quantifiable outcome
- 50,000+ dancers served annually across 50+ cities
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Showstopper
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Showstopper technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Showstopper partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Showstopper competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Starbound National Talent Competition: One of the largest U.S. national dance and talent competition tours, operating a similar multi-city regional model with Finals, conventions, and B2B studio relationships — directly comparable to Showstopper on business model and customer base.
- KAR Dance (KAR): Major U.S. national dance competition tour running a regional-to-finals structure serving dance studios and independent dancers across the country; the closest like-for-like competitor to Showstopper.
- Rainbow Dance Competition: National U.S. dance competition tour with regional events and Finals, serving studios and families with similar pricing and award structures.
- Hall of Fame Dance Challenge: Long-running U.S. national dance competition with regional events and a culminating Hall of Fame Finals, comparable in scale, target customer, and convention offering.
- In10sity Dance: National dance competition brand running regional events and Finals targeted at studios and families — overlapping customer base and similar event-driven business model.
- JAMZ Dance Competition: U.S. national dance competition tour with regional competitions, finals, and studio-centric registration serving a comparable youth/studio demographic.
- Celebrate Dance Competition: Regional-to-national dance competition brand with a multi-city tour, Finals event, and convention programming targeting dance studios and families comparable to Showstopper.
- Elite Dance Challenge: U.S. dance competition tour featuring regional events, Finals, and studio relationships; comparable scale, business model, and customer segment.
- Beyond the Stars Dance Competition: National U.S. dance competition brand running a regional-to-Finals format and convention programming, with similar studio-centric acquisition and per-routine pricing model.
Broad incumbents
- Spirit Brands (Varsity Spirit): Largest U.S. cheerleading and dance event operator; broader portfolio across spirit sports with overlapping dance competition and studio relationships, but not focused exclusively on the studio dance competition niche Showstopper serves.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Showstopper social profiles
Digital presenceShowstopper financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Showstopper leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Showstopper funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Showstopper M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Showstopper
What does Showstopper do?
Showstopper produces and operates dance competitions, dance conventions, and the America Loves to Dance Awards championship across more than 50 U.S. cities. Studios and individual dancers pay registration fees to compete in regional events and finals, with supporting revenue from convention classes, multi-camera photo and video packages, the Showstopper Magazine publication, and trophies and medals. Digital platforms (Studio Center and Dancer Hub) support registration, content access, and live streaming.
When was Showstopper founded?
Showstopper was founded in 1978. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Showstopper based?
Showstopper is headquartered in Myrtle Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Showstopper make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Competition Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are convention Registration, photo and Video Sales, merchandise Sales and studio Services.
Who are Showstopper's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Starbound National Talent Competition, KAR Dance (KAR), Rainbow Dance Competition, Hall of Fame Dance Challenge, In10sity Dance, JAMZ Dance Competition, Celebrate Dance Competition, Elite Dance Challenge and Beyond the Stars Dance Competition. Spirit Brands (Varsity Spirit) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Showstopper have an API?
No public API is recorded for Showstopper.
What industry is Showstopper in?
Showstopper's product category is Dance Competition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAH, Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports), with a secondary code of MPAGADAJ, Dance Festivals & Dance Series. Its NAICS code is 711120 and its SIC code is 7990.