Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center

What Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center does

The Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center (CMDC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dance school headquartered at 47 W Polk Street in Chicago, Illinois, providing dance instruction from early childhood (ages 3-5) through pre-professional levels. Originally founded in 1990 as the Bryant Ballet School and Company by Homer Hans Bryant and renamed CMDC in 1997, the organization offers classes across 14+ disciplines including Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, African, AfroBeats, Latin, Modern, Tap, Acro, and Pre-Pointe/Pointe. CMDC runs adult dance programming (Ballet, AfroBeats, Modern, Floor Barre, Line Dancing) with 90-day punch cards, a Pre-Professional Development track preparing students for dance careers, an annual Summer Intensive with Concert and Commercial tracks, and student showcases throughout the year.

Its signature proprietary asset is the Hiplet technique, a registered trademark (2009) developed by Founder and Artistic Director Homer Hans Bryant in 2008 that fuses classical pointe work with hip-hop and urban dance styles. The organization serves as the official school of Hiplet and operates the Hiplet Ballerinas, a professional touring pointe company that has achieved viral international media reach. The Hiplet Ballerinas sub-brand, illustrated book sales ('The Rap On Girls in Ballet' by Bryant), and performance bookings extend CMDC's footprint beyond its single Chicago facility.

The business model combines tuition-based recurring class revenue (advanced students up to $6,000/year plus $1,200-$4,000+ in pointe shoe costs), summer intensive fees, donations, and grants from a network of institutional funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council Agency, MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, Art Works Fund, Joyce Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Fund, University of Chicago Community Programs Accelerator, and corporate sponsors. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the CMDC website with online registration through Active Network, complemented by community events, student showcases, and Hiplet Ballerinas performances driving awareness.

Name

Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center

Legal name

Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center

Website

https://cmdcschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CMDC is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) non-profit dance school providing instruction from early childhood through pre-professional levels across 14+ dance styles, and home to the trademarked Hiplet technique and the touring Hiplet Ballerinas professional company.

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)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Dance instruction
• Ballet training
• Hip-hop dance
• Pre-professional dance
• Multicultural dance education

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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

Revenue model

1. Dance Class Tuition: Revenue from enrollment in dance classes ranging from early childhood to pre-professional levels, with tuition reaching up to $6,000 per year for advanced students. The center also offers scholarship programs and strives to keep tuition low for accessibility.
2. Summer Intensive Program: Specialized summer training programs offering both Concert and Commercial Dance Tracks, providing comprehensive training experiences for Pre-Professional and Saturday program participants.
3. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, CMDC receives donations from individual donors and grants from organizations including Illinois Arts Council Agency, Art Works Fund, The Chicago Community Trust, MacArthur Foundation, and others to support programming and student scholarships.
4. Book Sales: Sale of 'The Rap On Girls in Ballet' book authored by Homer Hans Bryant, available through Amazon and other retail channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CMDC provides in-person dance instruction across 14+ styles for students ranging from early childhood (ages 3-5) through pre-professional and adult levels, delivered at its Chicago training facility. The school is also the home of the Hiplet Ballerinas professional company and offers Summer Intensive programs, student showcases, and merchandise (the founder's book).

Product overview

Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center (CMDC) is a dance school offering a comprehensive suite of training programs centered around dance instruction for all ages and skill levels. The organization provides dance class programs across multiple disciplines (Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, African, Latin, Modern, Tap, and more), a Pre-Professional Development track for aspiring professional dancers, and an annual Summer Intensive Program with Concert and Commercial Dance tracks. CMDC also operates the Hiplet Ballerinas, a professional pointe company that performs the proprietary Hiplet technique combining classical ballet with hip-hop and urban dance styles. The organization sells 'The Rap On Girls in Ballet' book by founder Homer Hans Bryant and hosts student showcases throughout the year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hiplet Ballerinas: Professional pointe company redefining Ballet for the 21st century, performing cutting edge dance training combining classical ballet with hip-hop and urban dance styles
• Hiplet

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The University of Chicago Community Programs AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity program supporting CMDC's community arts initiatives and organizational development
• The Reva and David Logan Center for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Chicago arts center collaborating on the Black Legacy Project supporting CMDC's mission

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmdcschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/CMDCSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-multicultural-dance-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center