What Pack Dance does

Pack Dance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional dance company and community education center headquartered at 465 North Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, with a stated team of 12 employees and a network of over 30 teaching artists. Founded by Arica Nyamsi and formerly known as Consuming Kinetics Dance Company (CKDC), the organization was rebranded to Pack Dance and has run since at least 2009. It operates as a Kranzberg Arts Foundation Resident and a member of the .ZACK Incubator. The mission centers on accessible, judgment-free dance education and community-building across all ages, body types, abilities, and experience levels.

The company operates across five core service categories: adult drop-in classes (K-pop, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Stretch, Movement Lab), youth arts education for ages 0-19 (Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, Adaptive), adaptive dance programs for children with disabilities, private lessons and dance-themed parties, and themed professional dance concerts (recent themes: Woman, Disruption, IRL). Additional revenue and community services include summer camps (in partnership with St. Louis Public Library), studio and costume sharing, gift cards, and two annual fundraising events (Pack: After Dark and heART Fest). The technology stack is composed of off-the-shelf SaaS: Mindbody for registration and scheduling, Squarespace for the website, Google Forms for applications, and Venmo/CashApp for payments. There is no proprietary technology or AI/ML capability.

The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue (drop-in classes, youth tuition, private lessons, camps, concerts, parties, studio rental) and contributed revenue (foundation grants from Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, Arts & Education Council, Veterans United Foundation, Dana Brown Charitable Trust, Clark-Fox Family Foundation; individual donations via a sustaining member program). Pricing is intentionally held below traditional studios: adult drop-in classes at $20-25, youth monthly tuition at $65-175, costume fees at $40-50 versus peers' $65-200, and class cards that never expire. Customer segments span busy adults, youth and families, individuals with disabilities, event celebration buyers, private instruction seekers, and caregivers with toddlers. The geographic focus is the St. Louis metropolitan region, with international artistic performance work in France, Zimbabwe, Korea, Kenya, Italy, Russia, and Poland.

Name

Pack Dance

Legal name

Pack Dance

Website

https://packdance.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pack Dance is a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional dance company and community education center offering drop-in adult classes, youth arts education (ages 0-19), adaptive dance, private lessons, themed concerts, and camps, serving the St. Louis metro region across all ages, abilities, and experience levels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI), Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ), Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH)

Keywords

• Community dance education
• Adult drop-in classes
• Youth dance training
• Adaptive dance programs
• Professional dance performances

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adult Drop-In Classes: Drop-in dance classes for adults offered in various styles (K-pop, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Stretch, Movement Lab). Revenue generated through class card purchases and drop-in fees at point of sale.
2. Youth Dance Education Programs: Semester-based youth dance classes (ages 0-19) with monthly tuition or class card payment options. Includes family discount pricing with sibling fees. Revenue is recurring on monthly basis during academic seasons.
3. Private Lessons: One-on-one and small group dance instruction (Solo, Duet, Trio, Quartet) at hourly rates. Wedding choreography services available. Revenue generated per session with package discounts for multi-session bookings.
4. Dance Camp Programs: Summer and seasonal dance camps for youth. Revenue from registration fees and camp passes with various duration options.
5. Student Dance Concerts: Bi-annual student dance concerts (spring informal, fall formal) generating ticket revenue. Additional revenue from concert ad sales in program.
6. heART Fest Fundraiser: Annual fundraising event featuring live performances, maker's market, and community celebration. Ticket sales and vendor table fees support operations.
7. Pack: After Dark Fundraiser: Annual glow-in-the-dark fundraiser dance party. Tiered ticket pricing with donations supporting Pack Dance operations.
8. Birthday Parties and Events: Dance-themed birthday parties and events for all ages. Custom pricing based on location, duration, and group size. Revenue varies by event specification.
9. Individual Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization receiving support from Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, Missouri Arts Council, and individual donors. Sustainers program for recurring donations.
10. Studio Rental: Studio space rental for other artists and organizations. Costume sharing program also available for other dance organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pack Dance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional dance company and community education center that delivers in-person dance classes, performances, and community programs for all ages and skill levels. Core offerings include adult drop-in classes, youth semester-based arts education (ages 0-19), adaptive dance for children with disabilities, private lessons, family programs, summer camps, and themed dance concerts. The organization serves the St. Louis metro area with a team of over 30 teaching artists and is supported by foundation grants and individual donations.

Product overview

Pack Dance is a 501(c)(3) professional dance company and community education center offering a comprehensive portfolio of dance programs and services. The organization operates primarily through five core service categories: (1) Professional dance concerts featuring socially-conscious themes; (2) Adult programming including drop-in classes, private lessons, and party services; (3) Youth education spanning ages 0-19 with multiple class types and professional development tracks; (4) Adaptive dance services for individuals with disabilities; and (5) Community engagement through costume sharing, studio rental, and fundraising events. The company also offers summer camps, family programs, and gift card products. As a nonprofit, the organization relies on donations and fundraising events including Pack: After Dark and heART Fest to support operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Costume fees kept at $40-50 compared to traditional studios charging $65-200 per dance plus $45-200 performance fees
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kranzberg Arts FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPack Dance is a Kranzberg Arts Foundation Resident company. Hosts Pack Dance studio at their facility and provides residency program support. Youth program residency activities take place at Kranzberg.
• .ZACK IncubatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPack Dance is a member of the .ZACK Incubator, accessing resources and network within St. Louis arts ecosystem. heART Fest events held at .ZACK venue.
• St. Louis Public Library (SLPL)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for summer dance camps. Pack Dance provides programming including Introduction to Modern Dancing and Disney dance camps through SLPL's Jumbula registration platform.
• CIC (Cortex Innovation Community)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Arica Nyamsi was member of 2023 Social Impact Cohort. Company is a coworking member of CIC community.
• The Grandel TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance venue for Tech Week and Fall Student Dance Concert. Located at 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis.
• The Marcelle TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance venue for IRL at The Marcelle (May 8-10, 2026) and past productions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mark Morris Dance Group: Major nonprofit professional dance company with strong community education programs, including dance for Parkinson's and youth classes. Comparable as a nonprofit combining socially-engaged performance with inclusive education, though at much larger scale.
• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Major Midwestern contemporary dance company with strong youth education and community engagement programs. Comparable as a nonprofit combining contemporary performance with inclusive community dance education in a Midwestern urban market.
• Nashville Ballet: Mid-size regional ballet company offering both professional performances and youth dance education. Comparable to Pack Dance's combined performance-and-education model, though more classically oriented and at larger scale.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Iconic nonprofit dance organization with premier professional company and extensive community education / Ailey Extension programming. Comparable in combining socially-engaged performance with broad community dance education, though at vastly larger scale.
• Broadway Dance Center: Large-scale NYC dance education center with extensive drop-in class offerings and professional workshops. Comparable peer in the adult drop-in dance education segment, though Pack Dance positions with a more community-inclusion rather than commercial training angle.

Regional players

• MADCO (Modern American Dance Company): St. Louis-based contemporary dance company producing professional concerts and educational programming. Highly comparable regional peer — Pack Dance Director Kevin Lee interned there. Both combine contemporary performance with community engagement in the same metro.
• Dance St. Louis: St. Louis-based dance presenting organization that curates performances and community programming across multiple companies. Comparable regional peer in the dance ecosystem, though focused on presenting and audience development rather than in-house production.
• Saint Louis Ballet: Regional professional ballet company in St. Louis offering youth training programs and ticketed performances. Comparable as a local dance institution combining professional performance with youth education, though Pack Dance is more community-focused and ballet-adjacent rather than classically positioned.

Direct peers

• COCA (Center of Creative Arts): St. Louis-based community arts education organization offering classes across multiple dance styles, theater, music, and visual arts. Most directly comparable to Pack Dance as both serve as community-focused arts education hubs with scholarship-driven accessibility models.
• Peridance Center: NYC-based dance education center offering open-level adult drop-in classes, youth programs, and professional training across multiple styles. Direct peer in the drop-in adult dance class model that Pack Dance has adapted for the St. Louis market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/packdance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Pack Dance