Rise Up School of Dance

What Rise Up School of Dance does

Rise Up School of Dance (RUSD) is a 501c3 nonprofit dance school headquartered at 510 W. 200 N, Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 2015 by Alyssa Ruesch originally as Kid's Community Ballet, the organization provides weekly dance instruction in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, and Creative Movement for students ages 3 through adult, operating six days a week through its studio and school outreach programs. The curriculum is anchored in the ABT National Training Curriculum, with Assistant Director Savanna Hunter certified through Level 5, and Community & Events Director Amy Fry bringing Lines Ballet training to the program.

The business model is hybrid: tuition from weekly classes and summer camps provides recurring revenue, while individual donations, foundation grants (e.g., the Vern and Marva Wolcott Foundation), and a Smith's Inspiring Donations grocery-rewards program supply the majority of operating support. Ancillary monetization includes a referral arrangement with the Nimbly discount dancewear shop, whose transaction fees flow back to the Swap Shop free-dancewear program. Registration is handled through the JackRabbit Class online platform and volunteer coordination via Google Forms.

The organization's strategic emphasis is on removing socioeconomic barriers to dance education through unlimited need-based scholarships, the Swap Shop, and free community dance productions, complemented by wellness programming covering nutrition, mental health, injury prevention, and leadership. Leadership comprises Executive Director Heidi Cowan, Assistant Director Savanna Hunter, Development Director April Diaz, Administrative Director Shelley Bertleson, and Community & Events Director Amy Fry. With approximately 9 staff and a single physical location, RUSD operates as a small, mission-driven community nonprofit rather than a scalable commercial enterprise.

Name

Rise Up School of Dance

Legal name

Rise Up School of Dance

Website

https://riseupschoolofdance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rise Up School of Dance is a 501c3 nonprofit dance school in Salt Lake City providing ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary classes for ages 3 through adult. Founded in 2015, it offers unlimited need-based scholarships, a free-dancewear Swap Shop, and school outreach programs to remove barriers to dance education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Dance Companies (71112), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

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)

Keywords

• Dance education
• Ballet instruction
• Youth dance programs
• Community dance school
• Dance scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Dance Classes and Training: Revenue from weekly dance classes and summer camps for students ages 3 through adult, ranging from Creative Movement for 3-5 year olds to advanced ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary for older students and adults.
2. Donations and Grants: As a 501c3 nonprofit, Rise Up School of Dance relies on donations from individuals, sponsors, and foundation grants to fund operations and scholarships.
3. Dancewear Sales (Nimbly Shop): A portion of dancewear purchases through the Nimbly online shop returns to Rise Up's Swap Shop budget, supporting their free dancewear program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rise Up School of Dance is a nonprofit dance school that provides weekly dance classes (Creative Movement, Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, and Jazz) for students ages 3 through adult, supplemented by week-long summer camps and community dance productions. The school's core offering is grounded in the ABT National Training Curriculum and combines technique with wellness, mentorship, and inclusive programming, augmented by unlimited need-based scholarships and free dancewear through the Swap Shop.

Product overview

Rise Up School of Dance operates as a single-location nonprofit dance studio offering a unified program of dance education and community services. The core offering consists of weekly dance classes (Creative Movement, Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, and Jazz) for ages 3 through adult, supplemented by seasonal summer camps. Ancillary services include the Swap Shop (free gently used dancewear), the Nimbly Dancewear Shop (discount dancewear purchasing), original community productions, wellness/mentorship programming, and need-based scholarships—all designed to remove financial barriers and support holistic dancer development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dance Classes (Creative Movement, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary) Weekly dance instruction across multiple styles (Creative Movement for ages 3-5, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Contemporary for ages 6 through adult) at progressive levels, grounded in the ABT National Training Curriculum and offered six days a week at the Salt Lake City studio and through school outreach programs.
• Summer Camps & Classes 2026 ("Do you Believe in Magic") Seasonal summer program offering one-hour weekly classes and week-long daily camps that provide dance training and summer activities for students of all ages at the Salt Lake City studio.
• Swap Shop (Free Gently Used Dancewear) Free donation-and-exchange program that provides gently used tights, leotards, shoes, and costumes to all enrolled students at no cost, supporting the school's dress-code requirements and removing financial barriers.
• Nimbly Dancewear Shop Online discount dancewear shop where families purchase tights, dancewear, and shoes that comply with the studio's dress code; a percentage of sales returns to support the Swap Shop budget.
• Need-Based Scholarships Unlimited, non-competitive need-based scholarships that enable students of all financial backgrounds to participate in classes, summer camps, and programs at no cost.
• Community Dance Productions Original dance productions created to inspire personal growth and character development, offered free of charge to the West Side community of Salt Lake City.
• Wellness Classes and Mentorship Educational programming covering nutrition, mental health, injury prevention, conflict resolution, anatomy, and leadership, integrated with dance training to support holistic dancer development.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Schools and OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborations with local schools to provide dance education through outreach programs. Rise Up also welcomes guest teachers of various dance styles and organizational collaborations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Salt Lake Ballet Conservatory: Local pre-professional ballet training program in the Salt Lake City area. Overlaps directly on style (ballet), age range, and curriculum approach; Community Director Amy Fry also trained here.
• Ballet West Academy: Premier ballet training institution in Salt Lake City offering classes for all ages. Directly comparable geographic competitor with overlapping curriculum and student demographics; Rise Up's Community Director Amy Fry trained there.
• Dance Theatre of Harlem: Renowned dance company with extensive education and community access programs. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit combining performance and instruction with focus on breaking socioeconomic barriers in dance.
• National Dance Institute: Nonprofit organization delivering dance education to children through in-school and community programs. Shares Rise Up's nonprofit mission to make dance accessible, holistic pedagogy, and outreach-based delivery model.
• Alonzo King LINES Ballet / Baller Academy: Bay Area dance company with attached training programs emphasizing holistic dancer development. Amy Fry trained as a two-year trainee with LINES under Alonzo King, indicating strong curriculum and pedagogical overlap.

Broad incumbents

• American Ballet Theatre (ABT): National ballet organization whose ABT National Training Curriculum is used at Rise Up. While broader in scope, ABT sets the certification and curricular standards that Rise Up's Assistant Director Savanna Hunter is certified to teach (Pre-Primary through Level 5).
• Houston Ballet: Major ballet company with academy and community programs. Comparable as a large dance institution offering pre-professional training; Amy Fry completed summer intensives there.
• Joffrey Ballet / Joffrey Community Engagement: Major ballet company with significant community access and education programming. Comparable on combining performance with community-focused dance education, though at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Odyssey Dance Theater: Salt Lake City-based dance company offering performance and training. Comparable on style and geography; Amy Fry participated in Odyssey summer intensives, indicating curriculum and instructor network overlap.

Emerging players

• Motion Dance Center: Utah-based dance studio offering multi-style classes for youth and adults. Comparable on geographic market, multi-discipline instruction (ballet, jazz, contemporary), and age range, but operates as a for-profit rather than nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riseupschoolofdance

Compliance1 record

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 Rise Up School of Dance