Steps School Of Dance

What Steps School Of Dance does

STEPS School of Dance is a privately held dance education studio founded in 1987 in Clearwater, Florida, currently owned and operated by Lauren Birnbaum (Owner and Artistic Director) following a 2017 ownership transfer from founder Maureen Gibson. The studio operates a single three-studio facility at 2440 State Road 580 Suite 8, equipped with Marley sprung floors, offering approximately 50 classes per week across Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acro, Musical Theatre, Combo, Pointe, and Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT). Its core technology is a third-party online registration and parent portal platform, JackRabbit Class; there are no proprietary software products, no mobile applications, and no AI or data-driven features.

The business generates revenue through multiple consumer-facing streams: weekly recurring tuition (auto-pay on the 1st of each month, subscription model), an After School Program with van transportation from at least five local elementary schools, themed full-day Dance Camps during school breaks, Private Lessons, Birthday Packages, Studio Rentals, Summer Intensives, and a Performing and Competition TEAM. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the studio relies on community-based direct-to-consumer marketing via Instagram, Facebook, email, open house events, free trial classes, word-of-mouth referrals, and school partnerships. Target segments include young children (ages 2-5), school-age children and teens, after-school care families, a competition team, and (upcoming) adults.

The studio operates exclusively within Pinellas County, Florida, with no geographic expansion and no external institutional investors. The pre-professional ballet program was spun out in 2025 into a separate entity, Coastal Ballet of Florida, co-founded by Birnbaum and ballet director Heather Ossola. The faculty includes instructors with professional performance backgrounds (Richmond Ballet, Tampa Ballet Theatre, NYC Broadway touring productions, Disney), and the studio maintains multi-generational family enrollments anchored by 37+ years of continuous operation.

Name

Steps School Of Dance

Legal name

STEPS School of Dance

Website

https://stepsschoolofdance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STEPS School of Dance is a privately held Clearwater, Florida dance studio founded in 1987, offering 50+ weekly classes across 11 styles plus after-school care, camps, private lessons, and a competition team for students of all ages in Pinellas County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Studio Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Dance Companies (71112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Dance studio classes
• Dance education services
• After school programs
• Dance summer camps
• Private dance lessons

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

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, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dance Class Tuition: Weekly recurring tuition payments for dance classes; auto-pay system with tuition due on the 1st of each month
2. Dance Camps: Full-day camps running 8am-6pm for ages 5+, themed weekly camps during summer and school breaks including Thanksgiving, Holiday, New Year, and Spring Break camps
3. Private Lessons: Individualized dance lessons for accelerated progress; options for regular weekly sessions or single lessons for audition/event preparation
4. After School Program: Transportation from local schools with daily dance classes; minimum 2 days per week enrollment for students K through 8th grade
5. Birthday Packages and Studio Rentals: Birthday party packages with two dance instructors; rentable studio space for dance needs
6. Summer Intensives: Specialized multi-day intensives including Musical Theatre (ages 8+) and Young Ballet Intensive (ages 7+)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

STEPS School of Dance provides dance education to students of all ages at its Clearwater, FL facility featuring three studios with Marley sprung floors. The studio offers 50 weekly classes in 10+ styles (Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acro, Musical Theatre, Combo, Pointe, PBT) complemented by after-school care with school transportation, themed dance camps, private lessons, birthday party packages, studio rentals, an adult dance program, and a performing/competition team.

Product overview

STEPS School of Dance is a dance education studio offering a comprehensive portfolio of dance instruction and related services for students of all ages. The core offerings include weekly Dance Classes in 11 different styles (Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acro, Musical Theatre, Combo, Pointe, PBT), complemented by the After School Program with school transportation, themed Dance Camps, Private Lessons, and Birthday Packages. The studio also provides Studio Rentals for external use, an Adult Dance Classes program (launching soon), a Performing Company (TEAM) for competition dancers, and annual Recitals. Summer Programs bundle themed dance camps with specialized intensives. All services are delivered at the Clearwater, FL facility featuring three dance studios with Marley sprung floors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dance Classes Regular weekly dance instruction in 11 styles for students of all ages and abilities, with 50 classes offered weekly and a free trial class available.
• After School Program After-school care program for students K through 8th grade with daily transportation from local elementary schools, homework help, daily dance classes, and structured supervised activities. Minimum enrollment of 2 days per week.
• Dance Camps Full-day themed dance camps for ages 5+ running 8am-6pm featuring dancing, games, crafts, and themed activities, offered during summer and school breaks (Thanksgiving, Holiday, New Year, Spring Break).
• Private Lessons Individualized one-on-one dance lessons covering Ballet, Pointe, Acro, Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, PBT, and Technique & Strengthening, available as regular weekly sessions or single lessons for audition/event preparation.
• Birthday Packages Birthday party packages featuring two dance instructors for an organized celebration at the studio.
• Studio Rentals Rentable studio space available for external dance needs and events, booked by contacting the studio.
• Performing Company (TEAM) STEPS Performance and Competition TEAM providing performing opportunities in community events and competitive dance circuit for selected dancers.
• Summer Programs Summer programming including 9 themed dance camps (June-August), summer classes, and multi-day intensives such as Musical Theatre (ages 8+) and Young Ballet Intensive (ages 7+).
• Annual Recital Annual recital performances including the Spring Production (e.g., Spring Production 2026 at CPPAC) and an original annual production of The Nutcracker.
• Adult Dance Classes Dance classes for adults seeking instruction for fitness, recreation, or personal enrichment; listed as Coming Soon on the website.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Dance ShoppeminorOthersRecommended dance retail partner located in Palm Harbor. STEPS dancers receive 10% discount at The Dance Shoppe for dance supplies including shoes, costumes, and accessories.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• School of American Ballet: Official training academy of New York City Ballet and a benchmark U.S. pre-professional ballet program associated with the Balanchine method — relevant because STEPS' founder held the Balanchine Trust's Repetiteur designation.
• Arthur Murray International: National dance studio franchise with a similar group/private lesson tuition model and franchise-based growth, though specializing in ballroom and Latin styles rather than the multi-style recreational ballet-to-hip-hop curriculum of STEPS.
• Joffrey Ballet School: Elite NYC ballet academy operating both a pre-professional trainee program and a community/open division serving children and adults. Demonstrates the scalable model STEPS' Coastal Ballet subsidiary could evolve toward.
• Fred Astaire Dance Studios: National dance studio chain operating on the same franchise + recurring tuition model as STEPS, with comparable private and group lesson structure, but concentrated in ballroom and social dance styles.

Regional players

• Miami City Ballet School: Training arm of Miami City Ballet offering graded ballet curriculum and pre-professional training across South Florida. Comparable elite ballet pathway — and notably employs STEPS' founder Maureen Gibson's historical Balanchine lineage.
• Orlando Ballet School: Official training academy of Orlando Ballet, providing graded ballet instruction and a pre-professional track in the same Florida market. Comparable pre-professional pathway and style focus, though geographically distinct from STEPS.
• Boca Ballet Theatre: South Florida ballet company and school offering graded ballet classes and performance opportunities in the same state. Comparable regional ballet-training footprint, though serving a different metro.

Direct peers

• Patel Conservatory: Performing arts education school at the Straz Center in Tampa, FL, offering multi-discipline instruction (dance, music, theater) to children and adults in the same Tampa Bay demographic as STEPS. Closest comparable in scope, geography, and customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StepsSchoolofDance
• Instagraminstagram.com/steps_schoolofdance
• Xx.com/StepsDanceWire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steps-school-of-dance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Steps School Of Dance