Rejoice Ministries

What Rejoice Ministries does

Rejoice Ministries, operating as Rejoice School of Ballet, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dance education organization founded in 1993 by Patricia Cross and officially launched in fall 2000 with 14 students in East Nashville, Tennessee. The organization delivers classical ballet training to youth ages 4-18 through a Children's Division (ages 4-10) and a Ballet Division (ages 9-18), supplemented by summer ballet camps, a Variation Workshop, a Read to Me Dance With Me community program, and a Rejoice Youth Ensemble performance troupe. Programs are delivered at four Nashville locations, including the main East Nashville studio and three community center partner sites (Smith Springs, Hadley Park, and Barefoot Republic) operated in coordination with Metro Nashville Parks.

The business model is a hybrid sliding-scale tuition and philanthropic funding model. Tuition is set on a sliding scale based on household income and starts at $16 per month, with the highest tier priced 40-70% below comparable Nashville ballet schools, and the organization recovers only a portion of program costs from tuition. Free dancewear, costumes, and uniforms are provided to every enrolled student at an annual program cost of approximately $8,500, and need-based scholarships are available for families facing financial hardship. The remainder of operations is funded through charitable donations, corporate and family foundation grants (Tennessee Arts Commission, Holloway Family Foundation, Carolyn Smith Foundation, Geodis Foundation), community fundraising events (notably the annual Bowling for Ballet), and partner-driven fundraising (Kroger Community Awards).

Growth has been material: the organization has served more than 2,000 students since 2000, experienced a 70% post-pandemic enrollment increase, and recently completed a studio transformation project supported by a $10,000 matching grant from the Carolyn Smith Foundation. The school is governed by a Board of Directors and currently led by Executive Director Sharyn Mahoney. Strategic partnerships include an official mentor school relationship with Nashville Ballet providing youth cast and scholarship pathways, a co-development arrangement with Centennial Youth Ballet, university partnerships (Belmont University Federal Work Study, Trevecca Nazarene University film program), and a dancewear partnership with Bellissimo Dance Boutique for complimentary pointe shoe fittings. The first alumni placement into a professional ballet company, Emmaline Weedman joining Lexington Ballet for the 2025-2026 season, signals the maturation of the training-to-career pathway.

Name

Rejoice Ministries

Legal name

Rejoice Ministries

Website

https://rejoiceballet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Rejoice Ministries (dba Rejoice School of Ballet) is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides subsidized classical ballet training to youth ages 4-18 through four community locations, funded by sliding-scale tuition, donations, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Dance Education

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAAAH

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

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Arts & Creative Enrichment (Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance)

Keywords

• Ballet education programs
• Youth dance training
• Community dance school
• Nonprofit arts education
• Sliding scale tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition (sliding scale): Rejoice operates a sliding-scale tuition model based on household income, with rates as low as $16/month. Tuition is 40-70% below local market rates. This is a partial cost-recovery stream supplemented by donor funding.
2. Donations and grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Rejoice relies heavily on charitable donations, corporate grants (TN Arts Commission, Holloway Family Foundation, Carolyn Smith Foundation), and community fundraising events (Bowling for Ballet). Grants support specific programs including the Variation Workshop and studio improvements.
3. Uniform and dancewear program (in-kind): Dancewear and costumes are provided free to all enrolled students. This is a cost-recovery funded initiative, not a revenue stream. Costs (~$8,500 annually) are covered by donor support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Rejoice School of Ballet provides classical ballet and dance training to children ages 4-18 through year-round Children's Division (ages 4-10) and Ballet Division (ages 9-18) classes, summer camps and classes, and the Classical Variation Workshop, all taught by a professional faculty. Programs are delivered at four Nashville studio locations and offered on a sliding-scale tuition basis (as low as $16/month), with free dancewear, costumes, and need-based scholarships removing financial barriers for families.

Product overview

Rejoice School of Ballet is a nonprofit dance education organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs for children ages 4-18. The Children's Division introduces young dancers (ages 4-10) to ballet fundamentals through creative movement and play, while the Ballet Division provides rigorous classical ballet training for ages 9+ with multiple levels. Summer programs include Ballet Camps (ages 4-8) and Ballet & Tap Summer Classes with flexible enrollment. The Variation Workshop offers classical variation instruction for developing artists (ages 9+) with professional mentorship and live piano accompaniment. Performance opportunities include the annual Ballet Stories/Youth Ensemble production, Children's and Spring Showcases, and partnerships with Nashville Ballet and Centennial Youth Ballet for youth cast opportunities. The organization removes financial barriers through sliding scale tuition (as low as $16/month), free dancewear and costumes, and need-based scholarships. Programs are delivered at four Nashville locations: East Nashville, Smith Springs, Barefoot Republic, and Hadley Park.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Children's Division Year-round dance education program introducing young dancers ages 4-10 to ballet and dance fundamentals through playful, imagination-based curriculum including Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Ballet I, Ballet II, and Tap I. Builds fine and gross motor skills, confidence, and social-emotional development. Offered at all four Rejoice Nashville locations (East Nashville, Smith Springs, Hadley Park, Barefoot Republic).
• Ballet Division Advanced ballet training program for dedicated students ages 9-18 with at least one year of ballet experience. Offers rigorous classical ballet training across Levels 1-3 plus Tap II, Modern, and Teen Ballet with extended hours and multiple classes per week at the Rejoice-East Nashville location. Faculty placement/assessment is required for enrollment.
• Ballet Camps

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 students served since 2000; 70% enrollment growth post-pandemic; 200+ students impacted annually by fundraising events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Nashville BalletcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRejoice is an official mentor school of Nashville Ballet. This partnership provides Rejoice students with scholarships, audition opportunities, and performance roles in professional productions (Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Peter Pan). Students work alongside Nashville Ballet professionals and perform at TPAC accompanied by the Nashville Symphony. Alumni receive full scholarships to the School of Nashville Ballet.
• Centennial Youth BalletsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRejoice collaborates with Centennial Youth Ballet on performance opportunities such as The Mini-Nutcracker. Rejoice dancers were invited to join Centennial's variation workshop, offering cross-school training experiences at no cost. Joint performances at Harpeth Hall School's Frances Bond Davis Theater.
• Belmont UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelmont University's Federal Work Study program places students at Rejoice as classroom assistants and support staff. Students Cadence (music therapy) and Arina (fashion merchandising) have served for three years, gaining real-world nonprofit experience while supporting Rejoice's mission.
• Trevecca Nazarene UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessor Seth Conley's film students produced a promotional video for Rejoice as a class project. Student team included Bethany Frigo (Director), Carlos Nunez (Assistant Director), Ariana Paz (Director of Photography), and Eliel Andrade (Editor). The project provided marketing assets in exchange for real-world learning experience.
• KrogerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKroger Community Awards program allows shoppers to link their Kroger Plus card to Rejoice. A percentage of qualifying purchases is donated to Rejoice, turning routine grocery shopping into ongoing fundraising.
• Bellissimo Dance BoutiqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides complimentary pointe shoe fittings for Rejoice students reaching that milestone. Supports the uniform initiative by making the first pair of pointe shoes a special, professionally fitted experience.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dance Theatre of Harlem (School & Company): Mission-driven organization that combines a community-focused ballet school with a professional touring company, with a long-standing emphasis on racial and socioeconomic diversity. Directly comparable to Rejoice as a diversity-centered pipeline from community classes to professional ballet careers.
• National Dance Institute: Nonprofit that brings dance education to children regardless of background, with a similar mission of removing barriers to classical dance. Comparable community-outreach programming, free performances, and school partnerships targeting underserved youth.

Peers

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Ailey School & AileyCamp):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/rejoiceschoolofballet
• Facebookfacebook.com/rejoiceschoolofballet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Rejoice Ministries