Showstopper

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.

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

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

• Dance competition events
• Dance convention services
• Performance video production
• Dance studio management
• Live event streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Myrtle Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Competition Entry Fees: Dance studios and independent dancers pay registration fees to enter competitions across various categories and age divisions.
2. Convention Registration: Fees for dance conventions featuring classes with professional instructors, structured by age groups (Senior 13+, Junior 9-12, Tween 6-8).
3. 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.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Showstopper Magazine ($4.99), trophies ($68-$82), and medals ($12-$25) through the online shop.
5. Studio Services: Studio ID applications and management through Studio Center platform, with exclusive perks and rebate programs for registered studios.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/goshowstopper
• YouTubeyoutube.com/showstoppervideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/GoShowstopper
• Instagraminstagram.com/goshowstopper
• TikToktiktok.com/@goshowstopper

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Showstopper