What The Dance Centre does

The Dance Centre is a private dance education studio founded c. 1964 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, now operating from an 11,000-square-foot facility at 5100 Union Station Parkway in Northport. It serves preschool dancers (18 months) through advanced adults with structured instruction across ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, acrobatics, and musical theatre. The studio maintains a competitive company program of 75+ members across five tiers (Itty Bitty, Mini, Junior, Teen, Senior) that competes nationally at Hollywood Vibe, Hollywood Dance Jamz, and NUVO conventions, and an annual recital at Bama Theatre.

The student-facing technology stack is conventional: a JackRabbit online registration portal, a basic iOS/Android parent app, and an Instagram-driven marketing funnel. Core physical infrastructure consists of five studios with professional floating floors and an on-site dancewear boutique (Primadonnas). The faculty bench is the studio's most differentiated asset — including Ballet Artist in Residence Jennifer Lauren (former Miami City Ballet Principal, 18 seasons), Assistant Artistic Director Alden McShan (former Radio City Christmas Spectacular), Morgan Williams (Head Coach of the University of Alabama Dance Team), and multiple national-titled instructors.

Revenue is generated through recurring monthly tuition ($55-$285, paid in 9 monthly installments), annual registration ($50/$75), per-costume fees ($100-$150), recital fees ($75), seasonal summer camps ($175-$550), and on-site dancewear sales. Customer acquisition is direct-to-consumer via the website, phone, in-person, and Instagram. The studio is co-owned and operated by Melissa Verzino and Morgan Williams, who assumed leadership in 2018. No external investors, funding rounds, or parent company are disclosed. Note: the leadership section lists 'Jordan Chastain' as Founder/owner, which conflicts with the co-ownership by Verzino and Williams — the primary, more detailed sources support the co-ownership structure.

Name

The Dance Centre

Legal name

The Dance Centre

Website

https://thedancecentre.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dance Centre is a private dance education studio in Northport, Alabama, founded c. 1964, serving preschool through advanced students with ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, and musical theatre instruction, plus a 75+ member competitive company program that competes nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Dance education programs
• Ballet instruction classes
• Competitive dance company
• Summer dance camps
• Dance studio services

Headquarters

HQ city

Northport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Payments: Monthly tuition payments calculated based on hours per week (ranging from $55/month for 30-40 min classes to $285/month for unlimited 8+ hours). Divided into 9 equal monthly payments. Annual payment option with 5% discount.
2. Registration Fees: Annual non-refundable registration fee: $50 per student or $75 per family. Collected at enrollment to reserve spot in class.
3. Costume Fees: Costume fees ranging $100-$150 per costume for end-of-year recital, auto-drafted November 30th.
4. Recital Fees: $75 per dancer recital fee covering backdrop, scenery, lighting, sound technicians, programs, and end-of-year gifts, auto-drafted March 1st.
5. Summer Camp Fees: Summer camps ranging from $175 for standard camps to $350-$550 for intensive programs. $25 deposit required to secure enrollment.
6. Dancewear Boutique Sales: On-site Primadonnas dancewear boutique sells shoes, dancewear, and accessories including branded merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Dance Centre is a dance education studio that delivers group classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, acrobatics, and musical theatre to students ranging from age 18 months through advanced adult levels. The studio also runs a competitive company program (TDC Company), summer day and intensive camps, and an on-site dancewear boutique called Primadonnas. Operations are conducted from an 11,000 sq ft facility with five studios in Northport, Alabama, with performance programming in Tuscaloosa.

Product overview

The Dance Centre is a dance education studio offering a comprehensive suite of programs including structured dance classes across multiple disciplines (ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, acrobatics, musical theatre), an elite competitive company program with over 75 members, seasonal summer camps with themed and technique-focused offerings, and an on-site dancewear boutique. The core offering centers on progressive dance instruction from ages 18 months through adult, supported by a state-of-the-art 11,000-square-foot facility with five studios, a mobile app, and a competitive company track that has won national titles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recreational Dance Classes Weekly group dance classes for students from age 18 months through adult across multiple styles (ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, acrobatics, musical theatre), serving local families in the Northport/Tuscaloosa, Alabama region.
• TDC Competitive Dance Company Program Selective competitive dance program (TDC Company) including Apprentice, Protege, and Company levels for dancers pursuing pre-professional training and national competition, led by the Company Director and assistant directors.
• Summer Dance Camps Seasonal summer day camps and intensive dance programs (including a Summer Intensive & Choreography Camp) for children and teens during the summer break.
• Primadonnas Dancewear Boutique On-site retail boutique selling dancewear, shoes, and studio-branded apparel to enrolled students and the local dance community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of gold & platinum trophies, national titles, and scholarships won by company members
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Hollywood VibecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational dance competition organization where TDC company members compete annually. TDC has earned multiple national titles, Studio Excellence Awards, and numerous individual dancer accolades through Hollywood Vibe events.
• Hollywood Dance JamzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational dance convention and competition where TDC dancers compete for Dancer of the Year titles. Multiple TDC alumni have won national DOTY awards.
• NUVO Dance ConventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational dance convention where TDC company members attend and compete. TDC has received multiple High Score Awards and breakout artist recognitions.
• PressPlay Dance CompetitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetition event TDC dancers participated in, described as full of inspiration, growth, and fun. Marked the conclusion of competition season.
• Tuscaloosa Community DancersmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity dance organization where TDC faculty and students perform. Alden McShan serves as Artistic Director. Produces annual Nutcracker and spring performances at Bama Theatre.
• Bama TheatrecoreOthersTuscaloosa landmark theatre venue hosting TDC annual recitals and company performances. TDC rents the venue for 9 shows during recital weeks in May.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Ailey School: Official school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, offering ballet, Horton, and modern dance programs with a pre-professional focus. Comparable in delivering structured multi-style dance education, but at a much larger institutional scale in NYC.
• Steps on Broadway: Iconic multi-style New York City dance studio offering drop-in and registered classes in ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, and musical theatre to students of all ages. Comparable to TDC as a multi-style dance education brand, though much larger in scale and based in NYC's Broadway ecosystem.
• Joffrey Ballet School: Pre-professional ballet and contemporary training program with multiple U.S. locations and summer intensives. Comparable as a ballet-focused education provider, though TDC's broader multi-style curriculum and competition focus differentiate its positioning.
• Broadway Dance Center: Long-established NYC dance studio providing open classes across ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, and musical theatre for all levels. Directly comparable multi-style dance school model with professional faculty, but operating at a significantly larger and more urban scale than TDC.

Regional players

• Pacific Northwest Ballet School: Seattle-based ballet school offering comprehensive training from beginner through pre-professional levels. Comparable as a regional dance education institution with structured progression and alumni placements to professional companies.
• Charlotte Ballet Academy: Charlotte, NC-based ballet training academy affiliated with Charlotte Ballet, serving students from young children through pre-professional levels. Comparable as a Southeast-adjacent regional ballet education provider, though TDC's competitive multi-style track is broader.
• Nashville Ballet School: Nashville-based ballet school offering age-division training and a community engagement division. Comparable as a Southeast regional dance education brand, though less focused on competitive circuit results than TDC.

Direct peers

• Debbie Allen Dance Academy: Los Angeles-based dance education program offering comprehensive multi-style training with a strong competitive/performance focus, founded and led by a celebrity choreographer. Comparable to TDC in combining recreational and pre-professional tracks with intensive programming and performance opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/tdctusc
• Xx.com/thedancecentr
• Facebookfacebook.com/tdctusc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tdctusc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 The Dance Centre