California Dance Institute

What California Dance Institute does

California Dance Institute (CDI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dance education organization founded in 2001 by Carole Valleskey, a former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, CDI is the California associate of the National Dance Institute (NDI) and operates using NDI's award-winning NDI Method™ — a proprietary pedagogy developed by Jacques d'Amboise that emphasizes joyful and rigorous learning, teamwork, culturally responsive teaching, and the power of performance. The organization delivers free in-school and after-school dance instruction to underserved public school students in Los Angeles County, serving three named partner schools (Carthay School of Environmental Studies Magnet, Carson-Gore Academy of Environmental Studies, and Eagle Rock Elementary) with a stated 2030 goal of expanding to 20 schools.

CDI's core product surface consists of three programs: the In-School Program (weekly dance classes during academic hours with live musical accompaniment), the SWAT after-school program (Scholarships for the Willing, Achieving and Talented), and the annual Event of the Year citywide performance featuring approximately 150 dancers with a live band. In 2024, CDI launched the Pathways Partnership with Westside Ballet of Santa Monica, a co-developed ballet training pipeline that provides joint in-school classes, summer program access, and full scholarships covering shoes, supplies, and transportation. CDI is differentiated by being one of the only programs in Los Angeles to include live musical accompaniment in every public school dance class, supported by a Musical Director and team of accompanists.

The business model is a grant- and donation-funded nonprofit. Programming is provided at no cost to students, with revenue sourced from individual donations, government grants (City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, California Arts Council), and corporate and foundation sponsorships. Customer acquisition occurs through direct partnerships with public school administrators and teachers in LA County, with student demographics heavily skewed toward low-income (80% on free lunch) and Hispanic (75%) communities. The 2025 Dance-A-Thon reached its $25,000 fundraising goal, and the organization has served over 22,000 students cumulatively across its 25-year history.

Name

California Dance Institute

Legal name

California Dance Institute

Website

https://californiadanceinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California Dance Institute is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, NDI Method™-based dance education to underserved public school students in LA County through in-school, after-school, and scholarship pathway programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Dance education
• Youth arts programs
• School-based dance
• Performing arts training
• Nonprofit arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Individual Contributions: Individual donors contribute to CDI through the donation page. The organization mentions celebrating 25 years and encourages donations to support programming.
2. Government Grants: CDI is supported by grants from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and the California Arts Council.
3. Corporate and Foundation Sponsorships: Various corporate and foundation supporters are acknowledged on the website including LA County Board of Supervisors, DCA, and other organizational donors. The Pathways Partnership with Westside Ballet involves scholarship funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

California Dance Institute provides free, high-quality dance and music instruction to underserved public school students in Los Angeles County through weekly in-school classes, after-school SWAT training, and annual public performances. All programming uses the proprietary NDI Method™ and is delivered free of charge to students, with costs covered by donations, government grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

California Dance Institute (CDI) is a non-profit dance education organization that provides high-quality dance instruction to underserved public schools in Los Angeles County. The organization operates three core programs: the In-School Program offering weekly dance classes during school hours with live musical accompaniment, the After School Program (SWAT) providing advanced training for committed students, and the annual Event of the Year citywide performance. CDI also runs the Pathways Partnership with Westside Ballet of Santa Monica to create scholarship pathways for talented young dancers. CDI is the California associate of the National Dance Institute (NDI), using the award-winning NDI Method for joyful and rigorous dance education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-School Program Weekly dance classes taught during school hours as part of the academic curriculum at partner public schools in Los Angeles County, with live musical accompaniment. Classes teach fundamentals of movement, rhythm, and music, with mid-point and culminating in-school performances. Provided free of charge to underserved public school students.
• After-School SWAT Program After-school program for students showing enthusiasm and commitment. SWAT (Scholarships for the Willing, Achieving and Talented) dancers learn advanced steps and choreography; advanced members may graduate to Celebration Teams that perform at community events throughout the year. Provided free of charge.
• Event of the Year Annual citywide performance in May featuring approximately 150 SWAT and Celebration dancers with a live nine-piece band, costumes, lighting, and specially designed projections in a professional venue.
• Pathways Partnership with Westside Ballet Collaboration between California Dance Institute and Westside Ballet of Santa Monica providing free weekly in-school dance classes taught jointly by both organizations, access to Westside Ballet's Dance to Dreams summer program, and full scholarships (including shoes, supplies, and transportation) to Westside Ballet for CDI students with passion and aptitude for ballet. Aims to serve 20 schools and 40 scholarship students by 2030.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 22,000 students served over 25 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Westside Ballet of Santa MonicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Pathways Partnership - a first-of-its-kind alliance between California Dance Institute and Westside Ballet of Santa Monica. Creates a direct pathway from school-based dance classes to world-class ballet training. Students receive free weekly in-school dance classes taught jointly by CDI and Westside Ballet, access to Dance to Dreams summer program, and full scholarships (including shoes, supplies, transportation) to Westside Ballet. By 2030, aims to serve 20 schools and provide full scholarships to 40 students.
• National Dance Institute (NDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDI is the California associate of the National Dance Institute, founded in 1976 by New York City Ballet's Jacques d'Amboise. NDI's award-winning methodology has inspired two dozen programs across the world. The NDI Method™ embodies philosophies of joyful and rigorous learning, teamwork, culturally responsive pedagogy, and power of performance.
• Paros Jazz AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational jazz summer workshop on Paros island, Greece. CDI collaborated with Paros Jazz Academy for a 10-day dance workshop in 2015, culminating in a performance at Lefkes Amphitheater.
• New Roads SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2015, CDI joined forces with New Roads School to produce a three-week Performing Arts Summer Camp focusing on dance, drama, storytelling, and collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Broad incumbents

• National Dance Institute (NDI): NDI is the originating organization of the NDI Method™ that CDI licenses as the California associate. Directly comparable as the parent methodology and operational model; both serve underserved public-school populations with in-school dance and live-music programming.
• American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Education & Outreach: ABT runs national dance education and outreach programs in public schools, comparable in mission and methodology. CDI board member Harriet Clark is current ABT JKO School faculty, evidencing direct ecosystem overlap.
• The Music Center (Los Angeles): LA's premier performing arts presenting/education organization. Comparable as a funder, convener, and arts-education delivery partner serving LA County schools; also a potential distribution/scale channel for CDI programming.

Direct peers

• Chicago Dance Institute: Chicago-based sister NDI affiliate that also provides in-school dance education to underserved public-school students using the NDI Method. Susanna Hostetter (CDI's Assistant Director) previously taught there, evidencing direct personnel and operational overlap.
• Westside Ballet of Santa Monica: CDI's official Pathways Partnership counterpart. Westside Ballet provides elite ballet training and Dance to Dreams summer programming to CDI scholarship recipients. Operates in the same LA geography serving a complementary (advanced) student segment.
• Debbie Allen Dance Institute: LA-based nonprofit providing dance education to underserved youth, with strong public-school and community programming. Closely comparable in mission, geography, and target population, with a similar free-to-student model.
• The Gabriella Foundation: LA-based nonprofit providing dance education scholarships to underserved children. Operates a similar school-partnership, donor-funded, free-programming model targeting the same demographic.

Emerging players

• Lula Washington Dance Theatre: LA-based nonprofit dance company with a strong education/outreach mission serving underrepresented youth. Comparable as a performing-arts nonprofit with both artistic and educational programming in the same LA market.
• Dizzy Feet Foundation: National nonprofit supporting dance education access (CDI performed at its 2016 gala). Comparable as a peer nonprofit and potential funding/visibility partner in the dance-education access space.

Regional players

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America (arts programs): National youth-development nonprofit with arts programming including dance; serves similar underserved youth demographics. Comparable as a youth-development delivery channel that could host or partner with CDI-style programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CaDanceInst
• Facebookfacebook.com/californiadanceinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-dance-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Dance Institute