Company Dance Traverse

What Company Dance Traverse does

Dance Arts Academy (DAA), operating its pre-professional arm as Company Dance Traverse (CDT), is a privately held dance education institution founded in 1996 in Traverse City, Michigan, by co-owners and directors Susan Buck and Betsy Carr. The studio offers multi-discipline dance instruction including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary/Lyrical, Musical Theater, Celtic Irish Dance, and Acro, structured progressively from toddlers (18 months) through adults via the Intensive Training Program (ITP levels 1-13) and Cecchetti Ballet certification. The facility is an 11,000+ square-foot purpose-built space with floating floors, professional sound systems, dressing rooms, and observation windows at 1015 S. Garfield Avenue. The pre-professional Company Dance Traverse serves dedicated dancers ages 8-18 with international competition exposure, and the studio produces The Nutcracker (biennial, 100+ dancers), Spring Concert, and Winter Dances as performance products.

The business model is primarily B2C direct-to-consumer with semester-based subscription tuition ($1,756-$1,956 per dancer per 15-week semester, with multi-class and early enrollment discounts), complemented by adult fitness drop-in and 10-pack classes, summer intensive and dance camp programs, on-site Diva Dancewear retail (subsidiary selling Bloch, Capezio, Gaynor Minden, and Grishko brands), performance costume fees, and ticketed performances via the DanceTicketing platform. Enrollment is managed through the Jackrabbit Class customer portal. Marketing is concentrated on Facebook and Instagram organic social plus the company website. Revenue is geographically concentrated in Northern Michigan with aspirational international festival participation (Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy) for CDT dancers. The company is bootstrapped with no external funding, and its competitive advantages are anchored in the founders' 60+ years of combined teaching experience, Top Ten Michigan ranking held for ten consecutive years, and a documented alumni network placing dancers at National Ballet of Canada, Broadway/West End productions, and major U.S. ballet companies.

Name

Company Dance Traverse

Legal name

Dance Arts Academy

Website

https://danceartstraverse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dance Arts Academy, operating its pre-professional arm as Company Dance Traverse, is a Traverse City, Michigan dance studio founded in 1996 serving students ages 18 months through adults across ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and other disciplines, with semester tuition, summer intensives, retail dancewear, and competitive pre-professional performance training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Education Services

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)

Keywords

• Dance education
• Pre-professional dance company
• Ballet training
• Dance studio
• Dancewear retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Traverse City

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

Revenue model

1. Dance Class Tuition: Semester-based tuition for dance instruction across multiple disciplines including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, musical theater, Celtic, and acro. Tuition is structured as 15-week semesters with discounts for multiple class enrollments and early payment. Families can enroll in Limited (up to 8 hours/week) or Unlimited class packages.
2. Adult Fitness Classes: Drop-in and package-based adult dance and fitness classes including tap, ballet, and hip hop. First class free, drop-in at $20, 10-class package for $150.
3. Diva Dancewear Retail Store: On-site dancewear retail store selling dance apparel, shoes, and accessories from various brands including Bloch, Capezio, Gaynor Minden, and others. Store operates with regular hours and special seasonal promotions.
4. Dance Camps & Summer Programs: Summer dance camps and intensive training programs for various age groups, charged per enrollment.
5. Performance Costumes: Costume fees for Spring Concert and Nutcracker performances are posted to dancer accounts and collected in January when costumes are ordered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dance Arts Academy, also known as Company Dance Traverse (CDT), is a Traverse City, Michigan-based dance studio founded in 1996 by Susan Buck and Betsy Carr. The studio offers dance instruction across multiple disciplines for students ranging from toddlers through adults, operates a pre-professional dance company, stages performances, runs summer programs, and sells dancewear.

Product overview

Dance Arts Academy operates as a dance education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs. The core offerings include dance classes across multiple disciplines (Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary/Lyrical, Musical Theater, Celtic, Acro) for students from toddlers through adults, structured through the Intensive Training Program (ITP) and Cecchetti Ballet certification training. Company Dance Traverse (CDT) serves as the pre-professional performance company for dedicated dancers ages 8-18. Seasonal performance products include The Nutcracker (biennial December production), Spring Concert (annual May event), and Winter Dances. Summer programming encompasses the Summer Intensive Training Program and Dance Camps. The Diva Dancewear retail store provides dancewear and footwear. The Customer Portal enables family account management. Fusion Companies at multiple levels provide additional training pathways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dance Classes
• Company Dance Traverse (Pre-Professional Dance Company)
• Summer Dance Programs
• Dancewear Retail

Quantifiable outcome

• Alumni have earned millions of dollars in college scholarships
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New York City Dance Alliance (NYCDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYCDA provides conventions, competitions, and scholarship opportunities for CDT dancers. CDT dancers attend regional NYCDA events and have been recognized as Outstanding Dancers and received foundation scholarships.
• Headliners Dance CompetitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDT participates in Headliners competitions which have been celebrating over 30 years with a focus on honesty, integrity, proper training, and education.
• Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDT dancers attend and compete at YAGP international ballet competitions which provide scholarship and training opportunities.
• Universal Ballet Competition (UBC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier student ballet competition offering scholarships and scouting opportunities across the US.
• Dance Excellence Festival (Los Angeles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBy-invitation-only international dance festival where CDT has been selected as Michigan's representative for five years. Features artists from 31 countries on 4 continents.
• Stars of Tomorrow International (Young Tanzsommer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean summer festival in Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, and Italy providing CDT dancers with international training and performance experiences.
• Michigan Youth Arts Festival (MYAF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual festival at Western Michigan University where over 900 students participate in showcases, concerts, and workshops across dance and other arts disciplines.
• Cecchetti Council of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization providing Cecchetti Ballet training and examinations. DAA uses Cecchetti method as part of its ballet curriculum with exams offered for serious students.
• Interlochen Center for the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMany CDT alumni attended Interlochen Arts Academy and the summer camp program for advanced training.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Broadway Dance Center: A large multi-discipline dance studio in NYC with intensive training, drop-in adult classes, and youth programs. Closely mirrors DAA's combination of recreational classes, professional-track training, and short-format intensives/workshops.
• Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School: A pre-professional ballet school attached to a major regional company, offering graded Cecchetti-style training, youth performances (including Nutcracker), and competition pipelines — directly comparable to CDT's structure and DAA's Cecchetti-exam curriculum.
• Interlochen Center for the Arts: A Michigan-based performing arts education institution offering intensive dance training, summer camps, and pre-professional programming. DAA's partnerships explicitly route CDT alumni through Interlochen's summer camp and Academy programs, making it the closest regional peer for serious-track pipeline.
• Steps on Broadway: A long-running New York City dance studio offering multi-discipline classes (ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary) across recreational through pre-professional levels with master-teacher workshops. Most comparable to DAA's broad-curriculum, multi-level model — and notably the studio where co-owner Betsy Carr trained as an assistant manager and scholarship student.

Others

• New York City Dance Alliance (NYCDA): A national dance competition and convention circuit that is one of DAA's core strategic partners. Included as a peer because CDT's competition strategy, scholarship outcomes, and 'Class Act' recognition are tightly coupled to NYCDA's circuit — making it the most operationally entangled partner in the comparable set.

Broad incumbents

• Joffrey Ballet School: A pre-professional ballet school in NYC offering year-round training, summer intensives, and competition-track programs. Operates the same serious-dancer funnel as DAA's CDT with similar international-festival exposure.
• Houston Ballet Academy: The official school of Houston Ballet — and notably the company where DAA co-owner Susan Buck was a professional dancer. Comparable pre-professional pipeline, Cecchetti/Vaganova-influenced training, and competition-to-career outcomes.
• The Ailey School: Alvin Ailey's pre-professional school offering multi-discipline training with a strong reputation and notable alumni success. Comparable serious-track pipeline and competition-to-career pathway, though more urban and brand-distinguished.
• Pacific Northwest Ballet School: A comprehensive ballet school offering graded training, summer intensives, and full-length Nutcracker productions. Same structural playbook as DAA's pre-professional track and Cecchetti-style certification pathway, but at materially larger scale.
• Boston Ballet School: The school arm of a major US ballet company with a multi-level curriculum from beginner through pre-professional, an extensive Nutcracker production, and strong college-scholarship outcomes. Broader and larger than DAA but operating an analogous multi-tier model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Dance-Arts-Academy-124979610880620
• Instagraminstagram.com/danceartsacademytc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/company-dance-traverse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Company Dance Traverse