Encore Dance Academy

What Encore Dance Academy does

Encore Dance Academy is a privately held, founder-owned dance studio founded in 2008 by Erica Couto and headquartered in Reading, Massachusetts. The studio operates from two Main Street locations and delivers in-person dance instruction across ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, contemporary, and acrobatics for students ages 18 months through adult, organized into age-based levels from Baby Dance through Teen Combo. Beyond recreational classes, the studio runs a competitive Dance Company that participates in regional and national competitions, a S.T.A.R. student-teacher mentorship program for ages 10+, structured summer programs, in-studio convention series, recital showcases, apparel e-commerce, birthday party hosting, and studio space rentals.

The studio's technology stack is non-proprietary and limited to third-party infrastructure: JackRabbitClass handles online class registration, scheduling, and the parent portal, while a mobile app for iOS and Android supports parent engagement and class management. There is no disclosed proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, and no integrations beyond the registration platform.

The business model is predominantly subscription-recurring, anchored by monthly tuition ranging from $85 for a 45-minute weekly class up to $225 for a four-hour weekly commitment, with a one-time registration fee of $55 per student or $65 per family. Secondary revenue streams include one-time recital costume and photo package fees, seasonal summer program tuition ($90-$305), EDA-branded apparel sales through an e-commerce storefront, and studio rental income from private lessons, birthday parties, and external events. Customer acquisition relies on free trial classes, word-of-mouth referrals from families with 5-10 year tenures, community event participation, and an organic social media presence across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. The studio's revenue is concentrated in a single suburban market with no disclosed institutional investment, M&A history, or multi-location expansion beyond Reading, MA.

Name

Encore Dance Academy

Legal name

Encore Dance Academy

Website

https://encoredanceacademy.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Encore Dance Academy is a privately held, founder-owned dance studio in Reading, MA, offering recreational and competitive dance instruction for ages 18 months through adult across two Main Street locations, with subscription tuition, recital programs, summer intensives, and apparel sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Studio / Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Dance Companies (71112)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB), Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Dance instruction services
• Recreational dance classes
• Competitive dance programs
• Summer dance camps
• Dance studio education

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Monthly Tuition: Recurring monthly tuition payments based on class duration. Rates range from $85/month for 45-minute classes to $225/month for 4-hour weekly commitment. One-time registration fee of $55 per student or $65 per family.
2. Recital and Performance Fees: Additional revenue from recital costume deposits and balances, recital photo packages ($75 per routine), and multiple show attendance requirements for families with multiple enrolled dancers.
3. Summer Programs: Seasonal program fees including dance camps ($300 for ages 4-7), technique classes ($90-$305 depending on program length), and specialty summer intensives.
4. Apparel Store: EDA-branded merchandise and dance apparel sold through the shop.encoredanceacademy.net e-commerce platform.
5. Studio Rentals and Birthday Parties: Revenue from renting studio space for private events, birthday parties, private lessons, and fitness classes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Encore Dance Academy is a brick-and-mortar dance studio providing in-person dance instruction across ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and acrobatics for students aged 18 months through adult. Core offerings include recreational dance classes organized by age and skill level, a competitive Dance Company program, seasonal summer camps and intensives, and a student-teacher mentorship program (S.T.A.R.), all delivered at two Reading, MA studio locations. Supplementary revenue comes from recital fees, branded apparel, and studio space rental.

Product overview

Encore Dance Academy operates as a dance studio offering a unified suite of in-person instructional programs centered around recreational and competitive dance education. The core offering is age-stratified dance classes (recreational) spanning ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and acrobatics from ages 18 months through adult. This is supplemented by the 2026 Summer Programs with seasonal camps and technique intensives; the competitive Dance Company for aspiring performers; the S.T.A.R. Program for student mentorship; and add-on services including studio space rental, birthday parties, recital photo packages, an apparel store, and in-studio convention series. All programs are delivered at the studio's two Reading, MA locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dance Classes (Recreational) In-studio dance instruction across multiple disciplines including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, and acrobatics for ages 18 months through adult, organized by age-based levels from Baby Dance through Teen Combo.
• 2026 Summer Programs Seasonal summer curriculum including Tip Toe Tumble for ages 2-5, Children's Dance Camps for ages 4-7, Tiny Tot Technique Classes for ages 6-9, and Technique Classes for ages 10+.
• Dance Company (Competitive Program) Competitive dance team program with auditions held annually in April, requiring participation in 4 competitions per year plus one convention. Members compete regionally and nationally, with programs starting at age 6.
• S.T.A.R. Program Student Teacher Assistant Role program for dancers ages 10 and older, providing mentorship opportunities working alongside faculty to develop leadership skills.
• Studio Space Rental Rental of studio facilities for private lessons, events, birthday parties, and fitness classes at the Reading, MA locations.
• Birthday Parties Birthday party hosting services at the studio, with customizable options for dance-themed celebrations.
• In-Studio Convention Series Master classes and convention events held at the studio, providing intensive training workshops.
• EDA Apparel Store E-commerce shop for branded dance wear and studio merchandise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 115,000 routines scored higher than internationally in Star Dance Alliance Power Rankings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Boston Ballet School: New England institution providing recreational and pre-professional ballet training. Comparable as a regional dance education brand with youth programming, though it operates as an affiliate of a major ballet company and serves a broader geography.
• Urbanity Dance: Boston-based dance organization with classes and a professional company. Natalie Bronfine (Encore intermediate instructor) previously worked with Urbanity, evidencing direct talent overlap and curriculum comparability in the New England youth dance market.

Direct peers

• Peridance Capezio Center: New York City-based dance school offering recreational and pre-professional classes across multiple disciplines. Directly comparable to Encore as a multi-style, multi-level dance school with strong faculty and competition-adjacent programming.
• Steps on Broadway: Iconic NYC open-level dance studio offering drop-in and class-card dance instruction across ballet, contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop. Directly comparable in offering structure (multi-discipline, faculty-driven, in-person), though at a different scale.
• Studio 4 Dance: New England-area dance studio offering recreational and competitive programs for youth. Comparable regional footprint, multi-discipline curriculum, and competition-circuit participation as Encore.
• Pulse Performing Arts Center: Suburban multi-discipline dance studio with a strong competition program similar to Encore's Dance Company. Both compete in Star Dance Alliance and similar circuits, with comparable family-retention and award-driven marketing.
• Center Stage Dance Studio: Mid-size regional dance studio offering recreational and competition programs across multiple styles. Closely mirrors Encore's mix of youth recreational classes, summer intensives, and a competition team.

Broad incumbents

• Fred Astaire Dance Studios: National franchised dance studio chain with a similar multi-site, instructor-led model. Comparable in business model (subscription lessons, multi-location) but Encore specializes in youth competition while Fred Astaire focuses on adult ballroom.
• Joffrey Ballet School: Nationally recognized dance training institution offering recreational through pre-professional programs. Comparable as a multi-discipline youth dance education brand with strong competitive reputation, though anchored to a major ballet company.
• Arthur Murray Dance Studios: Largest franchised dance studio chain in North America offering group and private lessons across many styles. Comparable to Encore as a multi-location dance instruction business, but focuses on adult social/ballroom dance rather than youth competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EncoreDanceChannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/EncoreDanceAcademyReading
• Instagraminstagram.com/encore_dance_academy_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/encore-dance-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Encore Dance Academy