The Dance Lab

What The Dance Lab does

The Dance Lab is a privately held, family-run dance studio operating from a single site at 63 Upper Richmond Road, Putney, London (SW15 2RD). It teaches Ballroom and Latin dance across all skill levels to individual consumers, with named customer segments spanning adult beginners, improvers, advanced/competitive dancers, children aged 5–16, wedding couples, and Pro-Am students. The studio is owned and operated by four professional dancer-teachers — Damiano Soldati, Laura Fox, Georgiana Muja, and Brian Dibnah — supported by junior teacher Will Blyth and reception staff, with stated combined teaching experience of over 80 years and a documented competitive track record including Blackpool, UK Open, World and European Semifinalist appearances.

The studio's service portfolio is comprehensive for a community-scale operator: private lessons, structured 4-week group courses (Beginners, Improvers, Basic Technique), advanced technique classes, monthly Ladies' Latin workshops, monthly Social Dance Nights, weekly Competitor Practice Nights, a children's Academy, a Wedding First Dance programme, Pro-Am competition coaching, gift vouchers, and ad hoc Studio Hire. The physical footprint comprises three studios, including a 200 sqm sprung-floor main studio described as one of the largest dance spaces in London, plus a cafe and changing areas. Underlying technology is minimal and entirely third-party: Vagaro for bookings and membership, WhatsApp Business for enquiries, Curator.io for social media feed integration on a CouchCMS website.

The business model is direct-to-consumer and predominantly transactional. Revenue is generated from unit-priced private lessons (custom-quoted), 4-week course subscriptions at £75 per course, Class Pass bundles (£170 for 10 classes, £300 for 20 classes), pay-as-you-go events at £19–£30, kids' 6-week terms at £75, gift vouchers, and studio hire. Class Passes function as a quasi-membership retention mechanic with a 4-month expiry. Distribution is single-channel in-person plus online booking via Vagaro; marketing relies on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and community referrals. The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding, parent company, or external investors.

Name

The Dance Lab

Legal name

The Dance Lab Putney

Website

https://thedancelabputney.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Dance Lab is a family-run Ballroom and Latin dance studio in Putney, London, serving individual adult and child students across all skill levels with private lessons, group courses, social events, wedding choreography, and Pro-Am competition coaching.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Instruction Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Dance Companies (711120)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Ballroom dance classes
• Latin dance lessons
• Wedding dance choreography
• Children dance classes
• Private dance tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Lessons: One-on-one or couple lessons with professional dance teachers. 45-minute standard sessions or 1.5-hour double lessons available. Cancellation requires 24-hour advance notice.
2. Group Classes: 4-week structured courses for beginners, improvers, and technique levels. Priced per person per course. Classes rotate through various ballroom and Latin dances.
3. Class Passes: Multi-class bundled packages (10 or 20 classes) offering discounted per-class rates. Valid for 4 months. Can be shared with one other person. Non-refundable.
4. Social Dance Events: Monthly Saturday Social Dance Nights with class and social components. Three pricing tiers: full experience, class only, or social only.
5. Competitor Practice Sessions: Weekly Sunday practice sessions for competitive couples. Separate Ballroom (Sundays 5:30-7pm) and Latin (Sundays 7-8:30pm) sessions. Priced per couple.
6. Kids Academy Classes: Saturday morning group classes for children aged 5-16. Separate beginner levels for under-12 and 12-16 age groups. 6-week term structure at £75 per child.
7. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers available at chosen monetary value. Redeemable for any studio services. Downloadable immediately after purchase.
8. Studio Hire: Three studios available for hire: Studio 1 (200 sqm, sprung floor), Studio 2 (24 sqm, parquet, ballet barre), Studio 3 (24 sqm, wooden floor). Ad hoc bookings only. Includes changing areas and cafe.
9. Pro-Am Competition Coaching: Professional dancer paired with amateur for competitions. Preparation for showcases, local to international competitions, and medal examinations.
10. Wedding First Dance Lessons: Personalised first dance choreography and lessons for wedding couples. Free initial consultation, then pricing varies based on experience level and vision.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Dance Lab is a Putney-based dance studio that delivers in-person Ballroom and Latin American dance tuition. It serves adults learning for social or competitive purposes, children attending youth classes, and couples preparing choreography for their wedding first dance, with lessons taught by instructors who have personal dance competition experience.

Product overview

The Dance Lab is a Putney, London-based dance studio offering a comprehensive portfolio of Ballroom and Latin dance instruction services. The core offering consists of private lessons and group classes at multiple skill levels (Beginners, Improvers, Basic Technique, Advanced Technique) across ten dance styles (Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep, Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive). The service portfolio includes dedicated programmes for adults, children (Dance Lab Academy, ages 5-16), wedding first dance lessons, Pro-Am competition coaching, competitor practice nights, and social dance events. Supporting offerings include a Class Pass membership (10 or 20 class packages), gift vouchers, and studio hire. The studio operates three facilities including one of London's largest dance spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Dance Lab Academy: Children's Ballroom and Latin dance program offering group classes and private lessons for ages 5-16 years, from complete beginners through to advanced competition level dancing.

Products and services

• Ballroom Dance Classes

Quantifiable outcome

• Top competitive couples burn same muscle exertion and breathing rates as 800-metre Olympic runners
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts: Long-standing London performing arts school with a children's academy model. Comparable in the kids/youth academy segment and in family-facing positioning, though broader in performing arts coverage.
• Pineapple Dance Studios: Iconic London dance studio offering a wider portfolio (ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop) in addition to social styles. Comparable as a London-based commercial dance studio, but serves a broader and more varied customer mix.
• London Studio Centre: London-based dance and musical theatre school. Comparable as a London dance instruction business serving ambitious students, though primarily pre-professional/vocational rather than consumer-recreational.

Others

• Royal Academy of Dance: UK-based international dance education and examination body. Related as an adjacent dance-education ecosystem player that shapes teaching standards and certification pathways relevant to dance studios.
• BritishDanceSport: UK governing body for competitive ballroom and Latin dancing. Relevant ecosystem participant that licenses competitions referenced in The Dance Lab's Pro-Am offering.
• Move It Dance: UK's largest dance exhibition and event. Adjacent as an industry ecosystem touchpoint for marketing visibility and competitor benchmarking, though not a direct competitor for paid instruction.

Direct peers

• Fred Astaire Dance Studios: International ballroom and Latin dance franchise offering private and group lessons plus wedding first-dance programmes. Directly comparable in product mix, target customer, and franchise-style instructor model.
• Danceworks: Long-established London dance studio offering ballroom and Latin classes alongside other styles. Targets a similar adult consumer base in central/west London and competes for beginner and improver enrolments.
• Ceroc Dance Company: UK social dance chain with franchised venues offering beginner-friendly partner dance classes and social events. Comparable in DTC motion, class-pass pricing, and event-driven retention, although focused on modern jive rather than ballroom/Latin.
• Arthur Murray Dance Studios: Global ballroom and Latin dance franchise with a similar consumer-instruction model (private lessons, group classes, wedding programmes, competitions). Operates in London and competes for the same adult amateur and wedding-couple segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thedancelab7804/shorts
• Facebookfacebook.com/thedancelabputney
• Instagraminstagram.com/thedancelabstudio/?hl=en
• Xx.com/dancelabputney
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-dance-lab

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 The Dance Lab