The Dance Affair

What The Dance Affair does

The Dance Affair is a single-location, family-owned dance studio and preschool operating from 850 N Winchester Blvd in San Jose, California, founded in 1964 and acquired by current owner Erica Fairfield in 1986. The studio serves approximately 300 students per week, primarily children ages 18 months through high school from San Jose and surrounding Santa Clara County communities, offering weekly instruction across Cecchetti Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acrobatics, Hip Hop, and Musical Theater in a non-competitive environment. It is the only Cecchetti-accredited dance school in the San Jose area and hosts Cecchetti exams and events for the West Coast committee.

The business operates a vertically integrated early-childhood-to-teen arts pipeline through its Preschool of the Arts program (est. 1986), a half-day arts-based preschool for children ages 2-5 meeting Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 AM to 12 PM, alongside seasonal summer camps, school-break camps (Presidents' Week, Spring Break), and themed events such as the Groove and Glow Party. Programming culminates in a December holiday show and a year-end June recital at the California Theatre in San Jose.

Revenue is generated through monthly recurring tuition for the school-year dance season, half-day preschool tuition, one-time annual recital costume fees (due in January), recital and holiday-show ticket sales, and fees for summer programs and special events. Enrollment and billing are managed through the third-party Dance Studio Pro platform, with recital tickets sold via GoStudioPro. The studio is privately held with no external funding, no parent company, and a small instructor team that includes several alumni who began dancing at the studio as toddlers.

Name

The Dance Affair

Legal name

The Dance Affair

Website

https://thedanceaffair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dance Affair is a family-owned dance studio and half-day preschool in San Jose, California, serving ~300 children weekly with Cecchetti-accredited ballet and multiple dance styles, plus arts-based preschool programming for ages 2-5.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Dance Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

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 studio
• Children dance classes
• Ballet instruction
• Arts preschool
• Performing arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Dance Class Tuition: Recurring tuition payments for dance classes following the school year calendar. Classes are offered at various levels for children ages 18 months and up.
2. Recital Costume Fees: One-time costume fees per class, due in January, for the year-end recital performances.
3. Recital Tickets: Ticket sales for the annual June recital and December holiday show performances.
4. Preschool of the Arts Tuition: Half-day preschool program tuition for children ages 2-5, meeting Mondays and Wednesdays.
5. Summer Camps and Workshops: Summer programs including camps, classes, and workshops offered during summer months.
6. Event Fees: Fees for special events such as the Groove and Glow Party ($35 per dancer) and other seasonal activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Dance Affair is a single-location children's dance studio in San Jose, California offering weekly dance classes in multiple styles (Cecchetti Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acro, Hip Hop, Musical Theater) for students ages 18 months through high school. The studio also operates Preschool of the Arts, a half-day arts-based preschool for children ages 2-5, plus summer camps, break camps, trial classes, and annual recital/holiday performances.

Product overview

The Dance Affair offers a comprehensive dance education ecosystem for children in San Jose, built around its core dance class offerings across multiple styles (Cecchetti Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acro, Hip Hop, Musical Theater). The studio complements its regular class schedule with specialized programs including Preschool of the Arts for ages 2-5, seasonal Summer Programs, and break camps. The experience culminates in performances including a year-end recital and holiday show. The Cecchetti Ballet Curriculum serves as a differentiated training methodology, with the studio being the only Cecchetti-accredited school in the San Jose area. All programs are managed through Dance Studio Pro for enrollment and the Parent Portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dance Classes Weekly dance instruction for children ages 18 months and up, offering multiple styles including Cecchetti Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acro, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, and more. Classes are organized by age and skill level and follow the school year calendar with monthly tuition billing.
• Preschool of the Arts Arts-based half-day preschool program for children ages 2-5, meeting Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 AM to 12 PM. Focuses on kindergarten readiness while exposing students to fine arts through dance-based curriculum.
• Summer Programs

Named customers2 records

Segments2 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Art and Wine FestivalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 September 2025Community event where select dancers from The Dance Affair perform, providing visibility and community engagement.
• Dance Studio ProcoreTechnology or IntegrationDance Studio Pro provides the online e-commerce and enrollment management platform used by The Dance Affair. Parents use this software to register for classes, manage accounts, pay bills, and access the parent portal for class information.
• Cecchetti Ballet SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dance Affair follows the Cecchetti Ballet curriculum and is currently the only Cecchetti-accredited school in the San Jose area. The studio hosts Cecchetti events and exams for the West Coast committee, providing structured, comprehensive ballet training recognized globally.
• Dance the DreamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dance Affair participates in the Disneyland 'Holly Jolly Jubilee' parade with Dance the Dream organization, allowing select dancers to perform down Main Street USA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• San Francisco Ballet School: The oldest professional ballet company in the U.S. with an associated school offering structured children's ballet training — comparable as a Bay Area ballet education provider, though operating at a much larger institutional scale.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Renowned modern dance company with Ailey Extension offering classes for children and adults across multiple styles — comparable as a dance education organization with both performance and instruction components.
• Pacific Northwest Ballet School: Major regional ballet company with an associated school offering children's and pre-professional training programs — comparable ballet curriculum and children's dance instruction, though at significantly larger scale.
• Dance Theatre of Harlem: Ballet company with associated school offering classical ballet training and community education programs for children — comparable as a structured ballet school serving the children's dance education market.

Direct peers

• Millennium Dance Complex: Multi-location dance studio chain offering classes in hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, and other styles for children and adults — comparable multi-style studio operation with branded curriculum.
• Steps on Broadway: Iconic New York dance studio offering technique classes and youth programs in ballet, jazz, tap, musical theater, and contemporary — comparable as a multi-style children's and adult dance instruction business.
• Peridance Capezio Center: Long-running New York City dance school offering open classes, children's programs, and intensive training across multiple styles — closely comparable as a multi-style dance instruction business serving children and adults.
• National Dance Institute: Founded by Jacques d'Amboise, NDI is dedicated to teaching dance to children through in-school and after-school programs — directly comparable mission of children's dance education and character development.
• Broadway Dance Center: NYC dance studio providing classes for children, teens, and adults across multiple styles including jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, and musical theater — directly comparable multi-style children's dance instruction model.
• Joffrey Ballet School: Major U.S. ballet training institution offering structured curriculum and children's programs in multiple dance styles — comparable as a credentialed ballet school serving children and teens.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100063556059506
• Instagraminstagram.com/thedanceaffair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dance-affair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Affair