Community-Minded Dance

What Community-Minded Dance does

Community-Minded Dance (CMDance) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by Caryn Carrasco and headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The organization's mission is to build healthy, thriving communities through world-class arts education, with a focus on vernacular social dance forms including swing, blues, balboa, Argentine tango, salsa, and jazz. CMDance operates two integrated lines of business: a school-based dance education program that reaches more than 10,000 students annually across six counties of the Greater Denver area, and a public events portfolio that produces six nationally recognized festivals per year (Lindy on the Rocks, Hot Jazz Jamboree, Hot Night Fusion Weekend, Diversion Weekend, Intercollegiate Swing Battle, and the Denver Jazz Festival) plus monthly community dances.

The organization generates revenue through four primary streams: ticketed event passes and individual event tickets (with annual passes priced at $299-$799), school partnerships and direct hiring services for weddings and corporate events, donations and corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants from funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Denver Foundation, and Colorado Creative Industries. All event proceeds are earmarked to support youth programs. The curriculum is anchored in trauma-informed practices, bilingual instruction (Spanish/French), and accessibility accommodations including ASL-fluent and deafblind-intervener specialists, with early childhood offerings aligned to Colorado Early Childhood Education benchmarks.

CMDance is led by Founder and Executive Director Caryn Carrasco with a lean team of 9 staff members supplemented by a network of guest artists and instructors. The organization maintains a GrantStar profile (EIN 20-8655471) for financial transparency, and its differentiated position rests on 25+ years of community programming, heritage ties to swing dance pioneer Frankie Manning, and an integrated ecosystem of schools, venues, and cultural institutions across the Colorado Front Range.

Name

Community-Minded Dance

Legal name

Community-Minded Dance

Website

https://cmdance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community-Minded Dance is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that delivers vernacular dance education to over 10,000 students annually across six Colorado counties and produces six nationally recognized dance festivals per year, with all event proceeds supporting youth programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Education & Live Dance Event Production

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Dance Companies (711120), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

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

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ), Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD), Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD)

Keywords

• Dance education programs
• School-based arts education
• Vernacular dance festivals
• Swing dance events
• Community dance programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Tickets and Passes: Revenue from ticketed dance events including monthly Shimmy Shakin' Blues parties, annual festivals (Lindy on the Rocks, Denver Jazz Festival, Hot Jazz Jamboree, Diversion Weekend), and weekend events. All proceeds support youth programs.
2. Hire Us Services: Custom choreography and performance services for weddings, corporate events, school programs, and community events. Revenue from personalized dance instruction and performance bookings.
3. School Programs: Dance education programming delivered directly into schools throughout the Front Range, with emphasis on 6-7 counties of the Greater Denver area. Programs include early childhood, K-12, and intercollegiate offerings.
4. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporate sponsorships providing brand visibility at events, online channels, and school programming. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CMDance is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers dance education programs to schools (Early Childhood, K-12, and Intercollegiate) across roughly six counties of the Greater Denver/Front Range area, reaching more than 10,000 students per year. It also produces six nationally recognized annual dance festivals and a series of monthly social dances (e.g., Lindy on the Rocks, Denver Jazz Festival, Hot Jazz Jamboree, Diversion Weekend, Hot Night Fusion Weekend, Intercollegiate Swing Battle, Shimmy Shakin' Blues). Additional revenue comes from custom services: wedding choreography, corporate team-building, and school workshop hire. All festival/event proceeds are reinvested into youth dance programs.

Product overview

Community-Minded Dance (CMDance) is a nonprofit dance education and events organization offering a portfolio of education programs and live dance events. The core education offerings include the Early Childhood Program, K-12 Education, and Intercollegiate Program that serve over 10,000 students annually across Denver area schools. The event portfolio comprises six nationally recognized annual festivals: Lindy on the Rocks, Hot Jazz Jamboree, Diversion Weekend, Intercollegiate Swing Battle, Hot Night Fusion Weekend, and Shimmy Shakin' Blues (monthly). Additional offerings include the CMDance Performance Team, wedding choreography services, corporate event services, and the Come to My School program. The organization also sells Annual Event Passes providing year-round access to all events. The portfolio is unified around vernacular social dance forms (swing, blues, balboa, shag, jazz) delivered through both school-based instruction and public festival events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Program Preschool and Head Start dance education program using a culturally diverse, developmentally appropriate curriculum aligned with Colorado Early Childhood Education benchmarks, focused on kindergarten-readiness movement and motor skills.
• K-12 Education Workshops, extended dance programs, school assemblies, and all-day programs during and after school covering swing, salsa, bachata, hip hop, vernacular jazz, and Argentine tango for K-12 students.
• Intercollegiate Program College-level dance instruction in which CMDance instructors choreograph custom dance pieces with students over multiple class sessions, culminating in performance opportunities and competition preparation.
• Lindy on the Rocks Annual multi-day swing dance festival in Denver featuring live music, daytime workshops, competitions, evening social dances, and touring performances with nationally recognized instructors and DJs.
• Denver Jazz Festival Five-day immersive music and dance festival featuring multiple live bands, nightly dance classes, social dancing, and performances hosted across multiple Denver venues.
• Hot Jazz Jamboree Weekend-long swing dance event focused on collegiate shag and balboa, featuring classes, live music, contests, performances, and social dancing at the Gaylord Rockies Resort.
• Diversion Weekend Weekend of dance workshops exploring multiple vernacular dance techniques, including classes, competitions, performances, and social dances.
• Intercollegiate Swing Battle Annual intercollegiate swing dance competition co-hosted with Colorado swing dance clubs and partner universities, featuring lessons, contests, performances, social dances, and live music for all skill levels.
• Hot Night Fusion Weekend Fusion dance festival running concurrent with Lindy on the Rocks, featuring classes, live music, competitions, performances, and social dancing.
• Shimmy Shakin' Blues Monthly blues dance party with live music from blues bands, a dance lesson, and social dancing, hosted at Denver venues.
• CMDance Performance Team Professional dance troupe that performs at community events, corporate functions, and demonstrations, and teaches various dance styles and cultures.
• Wedding Choreography Services Custom choreography services for couples, wedding parties, and family groups preparing first dances and other wedding celebration choreography.
• Corporate Events Services Interactive dance experiences and team-building workshops for corporate gatherings, conferences, and holiday events.
• Come to My School Program In-classroom dance workshops introducing K-12 students to various dance styles, teamwork, and cultural appreciation, customized to align with school curricula.
• Big Apple Workshop Three-week workshop teaching the historic Big Apple line dance choreographed by Frankie Manning, culminating in flash mob performances at CMDance events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ students reached annually through dance education programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Denver Mayor's Office of Children's AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010City agency that partnered with CMDance to launch dance and movement program for Head Start classrooms in 2010.
• Denver Great Kids Head StartcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Early childhood education program partnering with CMDance for dance and movement programming since 2010.
• National Fast Dance AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational dance organization supporting swing and vernacular dance events and education across the country.
• Colorado Swing Dance ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal swing dance community organization co-hosting events including Intercollegiate Swing Battle.
• Denver Arts & VenuescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Denver agency providing venue access and support for arts programming at venues including Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
• Daydream Cafe (Official Bakery)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bakery providing food services for events in exchange for brand visibility.
• FireIceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor providing support in exchange for marketing visibility.
• Childress Heating ACminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor for events and community programs.
• La Rumba DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver dance venue that became CMDance's new venue home for Shimmy Shakin' Blues events starting August 2026.
• My Motion Dance CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver dance venue hosting Thursday events for Denver Jazz Festival 2026.
• Curtis HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel venue hosting daytime classes, late night dances, and accommodation block for Lindy on the Rocks and Hot Night Fusion Weekend events.
• Studio Loft at Ellie Caulkins Opera HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver Center for the Performing Arts venue hosting main evening events and performances for festivals.
• Evergreen Jazz FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal jazz festival partner providing professional musicians for school music and dance workshops.
• Colorado Blues SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState blues music organization partnering for blues education and workshop programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boogie by the Bay: Long-running annual swing dance festival in San Francisco offering weekend passes, workshops, and competitions analogous to CMDance's Lindy on the Rocks and Hot Jazz Jamboree.
• Snowbound Swing: Annual swing dance event in Salt Lake City featuring workshops, competitions, and live music; directly comparable as a regional swing dance festival series in mountain-west geography.
• National Dance Institute: New York-based nonprofit that teaches dance to children in schools and community settings, mirroring CMDance's mission of bringing dance education to youth via in-school programming.
• Lindy Focus: Premier multi-day swing dance festival held annually in Asheville/Atlanta, comparable to CMDance's Lindy on the Rocks in scale, swing-dance focus, and live-music programming.

Broad incumbents

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Major American dance company with national education and outreach programs (Ailey Arts in Education) that serve tens of thousands of schoolchildren, comparable in school-partnership scale and nonprofit structure.
• Mark Morris Dance Group: Established dance company with deep school-based education and community programs; comparable as a nonprofit dance organization delivering curriculum-aligned in-school instruction.

Regional players

• Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp: Colorado-based performing arts school offering dance instruction and summer programming; similar educational mission and regional Colorado footprint.
• Colorado Ballet: Denver-based dance company offering education programs and performances across Colorado; same regional market as CMDance, with overlapping school and audience segments.

Emerging players

• Camp Jitterbug: Multi-day swing dance camp focused on vernacular jazz, blues, and lindy hop instruction; comparable as a niche swing-dance education and event format serving enthusiast adults.
• The Frankie Manning Foundation: Foundation preserving Frankie Manning's legacy and supporting swing dance education and events; closely linked thematically to CMDance's Harlem swing heritage programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@communitymindeddance
• Facebookfacebook.com/cmdancedenver
• Instagraminstagram.com/communitymindeddance
• TikToktiktok.com/@communitymindeddance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communitymindeddance

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 Community-Minded Dance