The WA Performance School
The WA Performance School is a Perth-based private performing arts academy founded in 1998, offering dance, music, drama, and acrobatics instruction for ages 2 through adult, along with entertainment services for private and corporate events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersSubiaco, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The WA Performance School does
The WA Performance School is a private performing arts academy founded in 1998 and headquartered in Subiaco, Western Australia. It delivers instruction across dance (ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, contemporary, lyrical, acrobatics, K-pop, breakdance, burlesque, cabaret, ballroom, Latin), music (piano, vocal), drama, and acrobatics to students aged 2 through adult, following internationally recognized syllabi including RAD, ISTD, Acrobatic Arts, AMEB, and Kodály Pedagogy. The school operates three studios within Lords Recreation Centre at 3 Price Street, Subiaco, and uses the DanceStudio-Pro platform for online enrollment, scheduling, and payment processing.
The business operates six distinct revenue streams: subscription-recurring group classes billed per term with automatic re-enrollment, private lessons ($51/half hour or $95/hour), school holiday programs ($100/day), short courses and workshops, audition-only performance troupes ($215/term) for competitive and advanced training, and professional entertainment services for hens parties, kids parties, corporate events, and shows. Pricing tiers include multi-class discounts (5-8% off for 2-4 classes), family discounts (2%), unlimited class passes ($875-$1,040/term), and a $35 annual registration fee. Student progression pathways lead to an annual end-of-year concert and, for select students, international touring via the Dance Excellence Tour in Los Angeles.
The school is founder-owned and operated under Director Rachel Rose, with no institutional investment or parent company. Customer acquisition relies on direct-to-consumer marketing through a website, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), email newsletters, testimonials, and community event participation, supplemented by word-of-mouth referrals. The strategic partner ecosystem includes Lords Recreation Centre, Kosmic Sound, Casio Australia, Lady Velvet Cabaret, Azure Entertainment, Concept Music, and Kinetica Circus, supporting facility access, equipment provisioning, and brand visibility across Perth's performing arts community.
The WA Performance School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The WA Performance School
- Legal name
- The WA Performance School
- Website
- https://waps.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The WA Performance School is a Perth-based private performing arts academy founded in 1998, offering dance, music, drama, and acrobatics instruction for ages 2 through adult, along with entertainment services for private and corporate events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The WA Performance School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (611610), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)
- 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 industries
- Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)
Keywords
Where The WA Performance School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Subiaco
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
The WA Performance School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Group Dance Classes: Weekly group classes in dance, music, drama, and acrobatics for kids, teens, and adults. Billed per term with automatic re-enrollment.
- Private Lessons: One-on-one instruction in dance, piano, and vocal training at $51 per half hour or $95 per hour.
- Holiday Programs: Full-day performing arts programs during school holidays at $100 per day with multi-day discounts available.
- Short Courses: Intensive multi-week courses in specialized topics (Bollywood, burlesque, salsa, etc.) with varying prices.
- Entertainment Services: Professional performers provided for hens parties, kids parties, corporate events, and shows. Revenue from party packages and event entertainment.
- Performance Troupes: Audition-only competitive and performance troupes offering advanced training and public performance opportunities for dedicated students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Kids/Teens Group Classes |
| Subscription | Annual | Adult Group Classes |
| Subscription | Annual | Performance Troupes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Lessons |
| Subscription | Annual | Unlimited Class Pass |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adult Multiple Class Pass |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Trial Class |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Holiday Programs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Workshops |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Registration |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
The WA Performance School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The WA Performance School is a Perth-based performing arts academy offering group classes, private lessons, performance troupes, holiday programs, short courses, and professional entertainment services in dance, music, drama, and acrobatics. Instruction spans ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, contemporary, lyrical, acrobatics, K-Pop, burlesque, cabaret, musical theatre, piano, and vocals for kids, teens, and adults. Syllabi include RAD, ISTD, Acrobatic Arts, AMEB, and Kodály, with performance opportunities such as the annual End of Year Concert and the Dance Excellence Tour in Los Angeles.
Product overview
The WA Performance School is a performing arts academy offering a comprehensive suite of classes and services for all ages (toddlers through adults). The core offering consists of dance instruction across multiple styles (ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, contemporary, lyrical, acrobatics, K-pop, breakdance, burlesque, cabaret, ballroom, Latin) plus music lessons (piano, vocal) and drama/theatre training. The school operates multiple studios in Subiaco and provides additional programs including performance troupes for advanced students, an annual End of Year Concert, international touring opportunities (Dance Excellence Tour to Los Angeles), school holiday programs, short courses, and professional entertainment services for events. The school also offers private lessons as an add-on to group classes. Structured syllabi are followed including RAD (Ballet), ISTD (Tap/Modern Jazz), Acrobatic Arts, AMEB and Kodály (Music), with optional examination pathways.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kids and Teens Dance Classes
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% satisfaction based on extensive parent testimonials praising teacher dedication, student progress, and professional concert productions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The WA Performance School
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The WA Performance School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The WA Performance School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Lords Recreation CentrecoreWAPS operates from Lords Recreation Centre in Subiaco, providing mutual benefit. Lords provides facility space including studios, parking, and cafe access. WAPS students aged 16+ receive 15% discount on Lords services, creating cross-promotional value. The partnership provides WAPS with professional dance facilities while bringing additional foot traffic to Lords.
- Kosmic SoundcoreKosmic Sound provides state-of-the-art music equipment supporting WAPS music program, benefiting music, singing, and piano students. They have partnered with Casio Australia to provide specialist equipment and special deals for WAPS students. Kosmic's expertise enhances the school's music program quality.
- Lady Velvet CabaretcoreLady Velvet Cabaret delivers burlesque and cabaret dance lessons at WAPS studios, using professional facilities. They offer quality dance lessons at affordable prices with friendly instructors. Their graduation shows and productions, including sell-out Fringe World Festival seasons, bring additional visibility to the WAPS brand.
- Azure EntertainmentminorAzure Entertainment is an award-winning performance and entertainment company providing entertainment services. They specialize in stage productions, live events, cabaret and variety shows, and have produced award-winning shows like Lucha Royale. Partnership provides professional entertainment options for WAPS clients.
- Concept MusicminorConcept Music is a West Australian music store providing musical instruments and syllabus materials for WAPS piano and vocal students. Located in Wembley, they stock musical instruments and books, and can order specific syllabus materials needed for WAPS music program.
- Kinetica CircusminorKinetica is a Perth-based circus, dance and acrobatics company that creates unique performances for corporate events, school performances, and festivals. They have performed to over 15,000 people across Western Australia. Partnership provides additional performance and entertainment options.
- Casio AustraliaminorCasio Australia partners with Kosmic Sound to provide specialist equipment for WAPS music program, benefiting students with special deals on musical equipment from portable keyboards to electric grand pianos.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The WA Performance School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School: Melbourne secondary school combining academic study with intensive training across dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. Comparable in delivering performing arts curricula with formal performance outcomes, though structured as a school rather than a community studio.
- Brent Street Performing Arts: Large Sydney performing arts school offering group classes across dance, drama, and singing for kids through adults, plus performance troupes and an annual showcase. Closest peer by product breadth and target audience segmentation.
- ED5M International: Sydney-based dance and performing arts school covering ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, acrobatics, and musical theatre with a structured performance troupe program. Directly comparable multi-discipline community school model.
- Patrick Studios Australia: Melbourne dance and performing arts school offering classes across multiple styles for children and adults, with performance troupe opportunities. Comparable community-rooted multi-style school with adult programming.
- Tanya Pearson Academy: Established Sydney-based ballet and performing arts school offering RAD syllabus-based training across age groups with performance pathways. Highly comparable in mission, syllabus certification (RAD), and tiered class structure to WAPS.
Broad incumbents
- Australian Ballet School: Australia's national pre-professional ballet training institution based in Melbourne. Larger, more selective institution focused on elite ballet training, but relevant as the top-end benchmark for RAD-based classical dance education in Australia.
- National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA): Australia's national dramatic arts training institution offering courses in acting, musical theatre, and related disciplines. Adjacent comparator for the drama and musical theatre portion of WAPS's curriculum at the elite end of the market.
- Sydney Dance Company: Major professional contemporary dance company that operates associated education and community programs. Not a direct tuition competitor but operates in the same Australian dance training ecosystem and offers performance pathways similar to WAPS's troupe structure.
- JMC Academy: Australian tertiary college offering accredited programs in dance, music, and creative arts across Sydney and Melbourne. Adjacent as an education pathway but operates at a different credentialing and price tier than WAPS's community classes.
Regional players
- Queensland National Ballet / Queensland Dance School: Queensland-based ballet and dance training organisation offering community classes and performance opportunities in another Australian state. Comparable community ballet school model but geographically distinct from WAPS's Perth focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The WA Performance School social profiles
Digital presenceThe WA Performance School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The WA Performance School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The WA Performance School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The WA Performance School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The WA Performance School
What does The WA Performance School do?
The WA Performance School is a Perth-based performing arts academy offering group classes, private lessons, performance troupes, holiday programs, short courses, and professional entertainment services in dance, music, drama, and acrobatics. Instruction spans ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, contemporary, lyrical, acrobatics, K-Pop, burlesque, cabaret, musical theatre, piano, and vocals for kids, teens, and adults. Syllabi include RAD, ISTD, Acrobatic Arts, AMEB, and Kodály, with performance opportunities such as the annual End of Year Concert and the Dance Excellence Tour in Los Angeles.
Is The WA Performance School a public or private company?
The WA Performance School is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The WA Performance School founded?
The WA Performance School was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The WA Performance School based?
The WA Performance School is headquartered in Subiaco, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The WA Performance School make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Group Dance Classes are the primary driver. The others are private Lessons, holiday Programs, short Courses, entertainment Services and performance Troupes.
Who are The WA Performance School's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, Brent Street Performing Arts, ED5M International, Patrick Studios Australia and Tanya Pearson Academy. Broad incumbents are Australian Ballet School, National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Sydney Dance Company and JMC Academy. Queensland National Ballet / Queensland Dance School is listed as a regional player.
Does The WA Performance School have an API?
No public API is recorded for The WA Performance School.
What industry is The WA Performance School in?
The WA Performance School's product category is Performing Arts Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAH, Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance), with a secondary code of EDAMAAAG, Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater). Its NAICS code is 611610 and its SIC code is 8200.