WEST END ACADEMY OF DANCE, INC.

What WEST END ACADEMY OF DANCE, INC. does

West End Academy of Dance, Inc. (WEAD) is a privately held dance studio founded in 1976 in Henrico, Virginia, serving the greater Richmond metropolitan area. The studio offers in-person dance instruction across seven core disciplines — ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, modern, tap, and adult classes — structured from pre-ballet through advanced levels (Ballet VIII), supplemented by an Ensemble performance program, private lessons ($100/hour), themed summer dance camps ($275-$425/week), birthday party packages, and a recently launched Mommy & Me 'Baby Ballet' class for ages 2 and under.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: recurring annual tuition ($815-$1,075 per class depending on length, payable as semester or monthly subscriptions), one-time registration fees ($35/family plus 10% of annual tuition), recital costume charges ($75-$100 per costume billed in December), adult drop-in class cards ($13-$20 per class), private lessons, summer camp tuition, and birthday party bookings. The studio operates a 32-week school year with a 3-studio facility (~1,900 combined sq ft) in the Gleneagles Shopping Center. Marketing is community-driven — website, parent testimonials, Instagram/Facebook, and email newsletter — with no paid acquisition or venture funding evident.

Technology is operationally light: registration, scheduling, and billing run on third-party DanceStudio-Pro (and the newer goStudioPro) platforms. WEAD does not maintain a proprietary mobile app or API surface. The business is owner-operated under Madison Ellington (Owner & Studio Director, a former WEAD student who took ownership in 2021) with Artistic Director Lisa Rumbauskas overseeing curriculum. Faculty includes ~20 part-time/contract instructors alongside a small full-time operations team.

Name

WEST END ACADEMY OF DANCE, INC.

Legal name

West End Academy of Dance, Inc.

Website

https://westendacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

West End Academy of Dance is a 48-year-old privately held dance studio in Henrico, Virginia offering in-person ballet, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary, and hip-hop classes for ages 2 through adult, along with summer camps and private lessons to Richmond-area families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Studio Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI), Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Dance instruction
• Ballet classes
• Dance education
• Summer dance camps
• Youth dance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Henrico

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dance Class Tuition: Full year tuition broken into two semester payments (August and December), or monthly payment plans. Tuition ranges from $815 (0.75 hour) to $1,075 (1.75 hours) annually per class.
2. Registration Fees: $35 per family annually, plus 10% of annual tuition due at registration.
3. Adult Class Cards: Drop-in style adult classes with class card purchases: 4 classes ($80), 8 classes ($144), 10 classes ($160), 16 classes ($208). Adult classes as low as $13 per class.
4. Private Lessons: Individual and group private lessons at $100 per person per hour. Ideal for weddings, birthday parties, corporate events, and additional training.
5. Summer Dance Camps: Week-long themed dance camps ranging from $275 (half-day, ages 3-8) to $425 (full-day intensive, ages 12-18). Camps include Peppa Pig, Bluey, Disney Dreams, Angelina Ballerina, Broadway Bound, Giselle Ballet Boot Camp, and more.
6. Recital Costumes: Costumes billed in December, typically ranging from $75-$100 per costume per class enrolled.
7. Birthday Parties: Birthday parties offered for all ages, including ballet and hip hop options for ages 7 and up, and partnered parties for ages 4 and under with Miss Anne's Music & Movement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

West End Academy of Dance is a neighborhood dance studio that sells in-person dance instruction across multiple disciplines (ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, modern, tap) for children, teens, and adults. The studio supplements its core classes with add-on services including private lessons, themed week-long summer dance camps, birthday party packages, and an Ensemble performance program, all delivered at its three-studio facility in Henrico, Virginia.

Product overview

West End Academy of Dance (WEAD) is a dance studio offering a comprehensive suite of in-studio dance instruction services. The core offerings consist of multiple dance discipline classes (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, Modern, Tap, and Adult Classes) that progress through multiple proficiency levels. The studio supplements its core classes with add-on services including Private Lessons for individualized instruction, Summer Dance Camps with themed programming, Birthday Party packages, and an Ensemble Program for serious-minded dancers seeking additional performance opportunities. All programs share a traditional approach to dance education with a non-competitive philosophy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ballet Classes Classical ballet instruction across multiple proficiency levels (Pre-Ballet through Ballet VIII), including pointe work for advanced students. Classes cover barre work, center combinations, across-the-floor exercises, with emphasis on alignment, posture, and technique. For children, teens, and adults in the Richmond area.
• Contemporary Classes Contemporary dance instruction combining classical ballet technique with modern dance floor work and dynamics, with commercial variations for intermediate through advanced dancers.
• Hip Hop Classes Hip hop dance instruction for ages 7+ covering fundamental movements, musicality, coordination, footwork, improvisation, and style. Offered at multiple levels including introductory, intermediate, and advanced.
• Jazz Classes Jazz dance instruction for ages 5+ including warm-up, isolations, across-the-floor progressions, and stylized movement. Multiple levels from introductory through advanced, including teen jazz and musical theatre dance.
• Modern Classes Modern dance instruction focusing on fundamental concepts of space, time, and energy through modern dance techniques. Includes floor work, partnering, and improvisation for intermediate through advanced dancers.
• Tap Classes Tap dance instruction for ages 7+ emphasizing rhythm, sound clarity, musicality, timing, and phrasing. Structured in traditional tap format with warm-up, technique, and progressive movements.
• Adult Classes Drop-in style dance classes for adults ages 18+ across multiple genres including Adult Ballet, Adult Musical Theater Dance, and Adult Contemporary. Class cards available for purchase with discounted rates starting at $13 per class.
• Private Lessons Individual and group private dance lessons for additional preparation and training, offered across all dance styles at $100 per person per hour. Ideal for weddings, birthday parties, and corporate events.
• Summer Dance Camps Week-long themed dance camps for ages 3-18 including Peppa Pig Camp, Bluey Camp, Disney Dreams Dance Camp, Angelina Ballerina Camp, Sleeping Beauty Camp, Broadway Bound Camp, Christmas in July Camp, Candy Land Camp, Giselle Ballet Boot Camp (ages 12-18), and K-Pop Hip Hop Boot Camp. Pricing ranges from $275 (half-day) to $425 (full-day intensive) per week.
• Birthday Parties Dance-themed birthday party packages for children ages 4+, including ballet and hip hop options for ages 7+, and partnered parties for ages 4 and under with Miss Anne's Music & Movement.
• Ensemble Program Performance group providing additional performance opportunities and experiences to passionate and dedicated dancers. Ensemble members participate in multiple dance genres and function as a company in a non-competitive, safe environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4-generation community legacy spanning 40+ years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ellman's DancewearminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWEAD is proud to partner with local dance retailer Ellman's Dancewear, located on Patterson Avenue in Richmond. Ellman's is Richmond's largest dance retailer offering over 7,000 pairs of dance shoes in stock. WEAD provides families with specific color, brand, style, and item numbers for dress code requirements, and families may shop in person or order online through Ellman's website.
• Miss Anne's Music & MovementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor ages 4 and under, WEAD partners with Miss Anne's Music & Movement for birthday parties, offering combined music and dance programming for the youngest dancers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Dance Institute: Nonprofit organization providing accessible dance education with emphasis on community, creativity, and non-competitive learning. Compares to WEAD in mission orientation, multi-genre instruction, and focus on building lifelong appreciation of dance rather than competition-driven outcomes.
• Memphis Ballet School: School of Memphis Ballet offering graded ballet, contemporary, jazz, and tap for children, teens, and adults with recreational through pre-professional tracks. Comparable to WEAD in curriculum structure, segment breadth, and regional mid-size-market positioning.
• Debbie Allen Dance Academy: Long-running, non-competitive community dance academy founded by a celebrity choreographer. Closely comparable to WEAD in philosophy (non-competitive, multi-discipline, generational community), target segments (children through adults), and broad dance style coverage including ballet, jazz, tap, and hip hop.
• Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education: The educational arm of Atlanta Ballet offering graded ballet, contemporary, and other dance disciplines for children, teens, and adults. Directly comparable to WEAD's program structure (Pre-Ballet through advanced, multi-genre curriculum, annual recital) but at a larger regional scale with parent-company synergies.
• Pittsburgh Youth Ballet: Regional pre-professional ballet school serving children and teens in the Pittsburgh area with classical ballet foundation and multi-genre offerings. Similar to WEAD in regional scale, classical foundation with contemporary additions, and emphasis on technique over competition.
• School of Richmond Ballet: The training arm of Richmond Ballet, the city's preeminent professional dance organization. Directly comparable to WEAD as a Richmond-metro dance school offering classical ballet through advanced levels for children, teens, and adults. Operates in the same geography with overlapping target families and faculty pipelines.

Broad incumbents

• Steps on Broadway: Iconic NYC-based dance studio offering open classes across ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, tap, and hip hop for all ages and levels. Comparable to WEAD in multi-discipline curriculum and drop-in adult class model, though at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio including masterclasses and intensives.
• Joffrey Ballet School: Prestigious dance training institution offering ballet, contemporary, jazz, and other genres for children through pre-professional adults. Comparable to WEAD in curriculum structure (graded levels, multiple styles, pre-professional track) though with national reputation and broader geographic reach.
• Pacific Northwest Ballet School: School of Pacific Northwest Ballet, offering graded instruction in ballet, modern, and other genres. Comparable curriculum structure (Pre-Ballet through advanced, multi-genre, pre-professional pipeline) though operating at significantly larger scale and broader regional recognition.

Emerging players

• Tumblehouse Dance: Multi-discipline movement studio serving young children with focus on creative movement, dance, and tumbling. Comparable to WEAD's younger segment offerings (Pre-Ballet, Mommy & Me style classes) though with a narrower age range and more play-based curriculum rather than formal technique.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WestEndAcademyOfDance
• Instagraminstagram.com/weadance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-end-academy-of-dance-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 WEST END ACADEMY OF DANCE, INC.