Dancesport

What Dancesport does

Dancesport, trading as ZEM Dancesport UK and legally ZEM Software Ltd., is a UK-based e-commerce retailer and dancewear manufacturer founded in 1995 and headquartered in Isleworth, London. The company operates the website dancesport.uk.com and serves the Ballroom and Latin dance community worldwide, shipping to 23 countries and reporting 76,000+ cumulative parcels and 5M+ website visitors across its 30-year internet trading history. Its core offering is a multi-brand catalogue of dance shoes (Ray Rose, Supadance, International Dance Shoes, Freed of London, DANSport, DSI), dancewear, dance accessories (tanning, hair pieces), instructional DVDs, music CDs, and dance books, alongside the proprietary ZEM Dancewear line produced in its own London facility with over 200 designs available in 128 or 256 custom sizes.

The business operates four revenue streams: direct-to-consumer retail of branded dance products, bespoke and custom-made dancewear (including special projects for theatres, ice rinks, and dance teams), wholesale to dance schools and resellers at a minimum 10-garment order threshold, and gift voucher sales. Customers are segmented into competitive dancers, social and recreational dancers, dance schools and teachers, performance groups, and children and youth dancers. Distribution is purely online through the company's own storefront plus its wholesale channel, with marketing relying on the website as a content hub, email, partner networks, and a free partners-wanted advertising board.

The company is privately held by its founder(s) under ZEM Software Ltd. with no institutional investors, venture funding, or external shareholders disclosed. With approximately 20 employees, no public listing, and no disclosed revenue, it operates as a niche lifestyle business whose differentiation rests on longevity, vertical integration through its London production facility, multi-brand assortment, and custom-sizing capability rather than on scale or technology.

Name

Dancesport

Legal name

ZEM Software Ltd.

Website

https://dancesport.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZEM Dancesport UK is a UK-based e-commerce retailer and dancewear manufacturer founded in 1995, selling multi-brand dance shoes, dancewear, accessories, DVDs, music CDs, and books to competitive and social dancers, dance schools, and performance groups across 23 countries, with its own ZEM Dancewear line made in London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dancewear and Dance Equipment Retail

NAICS

Shoe Retailers (45821), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (4581), Footwear Merchant Wholesalers (42434)

SIC

Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Footwear Retail (Dance, Skate, Cleats, Bowling, etc.) (CRAAADAJ)

Keywords

• Dance shoes retail
• Ballroom dancewear
• Latin dance apparel
• Custom dance costumes
• Wholesale dancewear

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dance Products Retail: Online retail of dance shoes, dancewear, accessories, DVDs, music CDs, and books. One-time product sales with various brands including Ray Rose, Supadance, International, Freed of London, DANSport, and DSI.
2. Custom/Bespoke Dancewear: Custom-made dancewear production from customer designs or pictures, including bespoke outfits and special design projects for dance groups, theatre performers, and ice skaters.
3. Wholesale: Wholesale sales to dance schools and independent resellers with minimum order of 10 garments at wholesale discounts.
4. Gift Vouchers: Sale of paper-based gift vouchers sent by post or digital vouchers via email with discount codes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ZEM Dancesport UK is a direct-to-consumer online retailer selling dance shoes, dancewear, accessories, instructional DVDs, dance music CDs, and dance instruction books to the global ballroom and Latin dance community. The company also manufactures its own ZEM Dancewear brand at a London production facility with custom sizing (128 or 256 sizes per garment) and offers bespoke/custom dancewear production for individuals, dance groups, theatre performers, and ice skaters. A complementary wholesale channel supplies dance schools and independent resellers with bulk orders (minimum 10 garments) at wholesale discounts, while the website also hosts free community directories of UK and worldwide dance studios, dance suppliers, and a partners-wanted advertising board.

Product overview

Dancesport UK operates as a dance equipment e-commerce platform and online resource directory. The core offerings include dance shoes (featuring multiple brands such as Ray Rose, Supadance, International, Freed of London, DANSport, and DSI), dancewear (with proprietary ZEM Dancewear brand manufactured in London featuring over 200 designs in 128-256 custom sizes), instructional DVDs, music CDs, books, tanning products, and hair pieces. The platform also maintains comprehensive directories of UK and worldwide dance studios, dance suppliers, and offers a free partners-wanted advertising board. Bespoke/custom dancewear services and wholesale accounts are available for dance schools and resellers. The business model combines retail e-commerce with informational directory services for the dance community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZEM Dancewear: Proprietary dancewear brand produced in their London facility, offering custom-made dancewear in 128 or 256 sizes for men, women, boys, and girls.

Products and services

• Dance Shoes Ballroom, Latin, practice, and social dance shoes for ladies, men, boys, and girls, sourced from multiple professional brands including Ray Rose, Supadance, International, Freed of London, DANSport, and DSI. Targeted at competitive and recreational dancers seeking proper fit and recognized brand quality.
• ZEM Dancewear (Own Brand) Proprietary dancewear line produced at the company's London facility, offering over 200 designs for men, women, boys, and girls in ballroom, Latin, Argentine tango, social, practice, and showtime styles. Offers custom sizing (128 or 256 sizes), non-standard colour fabrics, and special decorations.
• Custom/Bespoke Dancewear Service Bespoke dancewear production from customer designs or pictures, including costumes for dance teams, theatre performers, and ice skaters. Does not glue rhinestones; customers must arrange rhinestone application themselves.
• Dance Instructional DVDs Instructional dance DVDs covering ballroom and Latin technique, choreography, and demonstrations by professional dancers. Targeted at dancers seeking visual reference for training and competition preparation.
• Dance Music CDs Dance music CDs including rhythm-only recordings, voice counts, and music for various dance styles. Ships free within the UK.
• Dance Instruction Books Dance instruction and technique books covering ballroom and Latin methodology. VAT-exempt category.
• Dance Accessories (Tanning Products and Hair Pieces) Tanning products (DanceCos fake tan and Aery Jo tanning makeup in various colours) and detachable hair pieces for competitions, shows, and special events. VAT applies to tanning products; children's accessories are VAT-exempt.
• Gift Vouchers Paper-based gift vouchers mailed by post or digital gift vouchers delivered by email with discount codes, redeemable against the company's dance products.
• Wholesale Dancewear (Dance Schools and Resellers) Wholesale pricing on ZEM Dancewear for dance schools and independent resellers, requiring a minimum order of 10 garments, with wholesale discounts applied to all items in the ZEM Dancewear section.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• RS AtelierminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian company designing and making high-end dancewear for practice and competitions. Partnership allows ZEM Dancesport UK to offer RS Atelier products including menswear for Ballroom and Latin.
• Ray RosecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturer of professional dance shoes praised by competitive dancers for high quality, soft shoes. Ray Rose shoes were Bryan Watson's and Carmen's favorite throughout their professional careers, helping them win World Championship title 9 times.
• SupadancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDance shoe manufacturer available with choice of traditional or hook buckles. No special order surcharges on Supadance shoes. Stockists of Supadance Black sequin training shoes.
• International Dance ShoescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDance shoe manufacturer offering wide range of fittings including Wide, Xtra Wide, Xtra Xtra Wide, Narrow, Xtra Narrow. Any model can be ordered with Vegan soles (6 week production time).
• Freed of LondonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrestigious UK-based dance shoe manufacturer. ZEM Dancesport offers Freed of London Ballroom shoes for ladies and men.
• DANSportminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBudget range dance shoes for ladies and men including Ballroom, Latin, and girls/boys shoes at competitive price points.
• DSI (Dance Sport International)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDance shoes brand including ballroom, latin, practice and social dance styles for ladies, men, and boys.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Discount Dance Supply: Large US-based dancewear and shoe retailer serving primarily the North American market. Comparable product breadth and category focus to ZEM, but in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Elegance Dancewear: UK retailer specializing in ballroom and Latin dancewear including bespoke dress-making. Comparable to ZEM's own custom production and competitive dancewear offering.
• World Dance Supplies: UK-based dance apparel, footwear and accessories retailer targeting social and competitive dancers. Comparable e-commerce positioning and product breadth to Dancesport.
• Dance Direct: UK dance shoe and dancewear retailer carrying multiple brands. Direct competitor to ZEM Dancesport in the multi-brand dance shoe marketplace category.
• Just For Dancewear: Online dance shoe and dancewear retailer in the UK serving ballroom, Latin, salsa, and other dance styles. Directly comparable category and customer base to Dancesport.
• Dancewear Central: UK-based online retailer of dancewear and dance shoes for ballroom, Latin, ballet and other styles. Closely comparable to Dancesport in product mix, target market, and e-commerce-only GTM.

Emerging players

• International Dance Shoes: Manufacturer and direct seller of dance shoes with wide fitting options (one of Dancesport's brand partners). Competes on specialty fittings and customization at the brand level.
• Supadance: Manufacturer and DTC seller of dance shoes (one of Dancesport's core brand partners). Vertical integration from the supplier side makes it a competitor at the brand level, not just a partner.
• Ray Rose Dance Shoes: Premium dance shoe brand and DTC operator (also stocked by ZEM). A potential competitor at the high-end of the ballroom/Latin shoe market and a vertical threat to multi-brand retailers.

Broad incumbents

• Freed of London: Established UK dance shoe manufacturer with own DTC and wholesale channels. Sells through ZEM but also competes directly via its own retail operations and authorized resellers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=P4_oxkfE6gU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dancesport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Dancesport