Starstruck Dance Academy

What Starstruck Dance Academy does

Starstruck Dance Academy is a privately-held dance instruction studio founded in September 2003 by Emily Suing in Lincoln, Nebraska. The studio offers weekly dance classes for students ranging from age 1.5 through adult, covering a broad style portfolio that includes tap, ballet, jazz, pointe, hip hop, lyrical, modern, contemporary, musical theatre, cheer, clogging, and Irish dance. Classes are organized into progressive skill levels (B/T 1-4 through Levels 5-9), and the academy operates a competitive performing team known as the Stars, alongside an adult competition team introduced in the 2022-2023 season. Annual recitals are staged at Lincoln Northwest, and the studio offers in-house costume alterations as a support service.

The business operates as a single-location direct-to-consumer service from 700 Van Dorn St., Suite 3, Lincoln, NE, with viewing windows, sprung marley dance floors, free parking, and a peanut-free environment. Its underlying technology stack is modest: a Squarespace-hosted marketing website and the Jackrabbit Class parent portal (orgID 541490) for online enrollment, scheduling, and automated billing. There are no proprietary technology platforms, mobile apps, or AI/ML components; the operating model is fundamentally labor- and facility-driven rather than technology-driven.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring monthly tuition billed on the 5th of each month, supplemented by one-time registration fees, annual recital and costume fees, and a Refer-a-Dancer program that issues $40 in dance credit per successful referral. Customers are individual families and adult dancers in the Lincoln, NE market, acquired via the website, email newsletters, and word-of-mouth referrals. The company is founder-owned, has no institutional investment, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and operates without public revenue disclosure.

Name

Starstruck Dance Academy

Legal name

Starstruck Dance Academy

Website

https://danceatstarstruck.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Starstruck Dance Academy is a privately-held Lincoln, Nebraska dance studio offering weekly recreational and competitive dance classes in multiple styles for students ages 1.5 through adult, operated as a single-location direct-to-consumer service since 2003.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Studio Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), 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 Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Dance instruction
• Dance studio classes
• Competitive dance teams
• Children dance education
• Ballet tap jazz training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Dance Class Tuition: Monthly tuition charges for dance classes. Tuition is charged on the 5th of each month, with first month processed upon enrollment. Payment accepted via credit card (auto-charged) or cash/check by the 2nd of the month.
2. Registration Fees: Registration fees charged upon enrollment, plus first month's tuition at time of processing.
3. Recital and Costume Fees: Fees associated with annual dance recitals and recital costumes, including in-house alterations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Starstruck Dance Academy delivers weekly group dance instruction for students ages 1.5 through adult in styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, modern, pointe, contemporary, musical theatre, cheer, and clogging, organized into progressive skill levels. Beyond classes, the studio runs the Stars Performing competitive team, hosts an annual recital at Lincoln Northwest with in-house costume alterations, and organizes themed family dance events. Core revenue is driven by monthly tuition subscriptions, with supplemental revenue from registration fees and recital/costume fees.

Product overview

Starstruck Dance Academy is a dance instruction studio offering a single, unified service model centered around weekly dance classes for ages 1.5 through adult. The studio provides instruction in multiple dance styles (ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, modern, pointe, contemporary, musical theatre, cheer, clogging) organized into progressive skill levels. Beyond regular classes, the academy operates the Stars Performing Team for competitive dancers, hosts annual recitals with professional production values, organizes family dance community events, and provides in-house costume alteration services. The studio also runs a referral loyalty program. The product portfolio is structured around class instruction as the core offering, with supplementary competitive team, performance events, and support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dance Classes (Ages 1.5-Adult) Weekly group dance instruction classes offered for children starting at age 1.5 through adults, covering styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, modern, pointe, contemporary, musical theatre, cheer, and clogging. Classes are structured in levels (B/T 1-4, Levels 5-9) based on age and skill, charged as monthly tuition.
• Stars Performing Team The competitive dance team that performs at various competitions and venues. Team members are coached by instructors and participate in local and regional dance competitions.
• Annual Dance Recital Annual year-end performance event held at Lincoln Northwest where students showcase their learned choreography. Includes dress rehearsals and professional production.
• Family Dance Events Themed dance events for enrolled families, such as the 'Family Dance 2026 - Zoo!' event, providing opportunities for family participation and community building.
• Costume Services In-house alterations for recital costumes, providing costume fitting and adjustment services for dancers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Little Gym: National franchise offering structured children's movement and enrichment classes with a subscription model. Comparable to Starstruck in DTC, parent-observed, curriculum-based youth programming and recurring billing, though focused on broader motor-skill development rather than dance specifically.
• School of Rock: Franchised music education business with subscription-based lessons, performances, and a developmental progression model. Comparable to Starstruck in structured curriculum, performance-based milestones, and recurring tuition, but in music rather than dance.
• Arthur Murray Dance Studios: Long-established dance instruction franchise with both adult and youth programs. Comparable to Starstruck in subscription-based class delivery and structured progression, but scoped primarily to social/ballroom dance with a national footprint.
• Club Pilates: National franchise with subscription-based class instruction in a group studio setting. Comparable to Starstruck in subscription/membership billing, scheduled class delivery, and standardized curriculum, though in fitness rather than performing arts.
• Gymboree Play & Music: Early-childhood enrichment program for young children and parents, structured by age and offering recurring classes. Comparable to Starstruck's youngest segment (ages 1.5+) and parent-observation model, though broader in scope than dance.
• Joffrey Ballet School: Premier dance education institution offering structured multi-style training, with recreational through pre-professional tracks. Comparable to Starstruck's structured progression from beginner to advanced levels and multi-style curriculum, though at significantly higher scale and prestige.
• Fred Astaire Dance Studios: National ballroom and social dance franchise offering instruction across a broad age range. Comparable to Starstruck as a multi-style dance instruction company with a recurring class model, but operating at franchise scale and primarily in ballroom/social dance rather than the studio's recreational/competitive youth focus.

Direct peers

• Nebraska Dance Center: Lincoln, Nebraska-based dance studio offering recreational and competitive dance instruction. Direct geographic peer competing for the same Lincoln-area family and adult student pool across similar dance styles.
• Creations Dance Studio: Local Lincoln-area dance studio offering recreational and competitive dance instruction for children and adults. Direct geographic peer competing for the same Lincoln-area student base across similar dance styles and program structures.

Regional players

• The Dance Factory: Multi-location recreational and competitive dance studio chain (Midwest footprint). Comparable via curriculum structure, multi-style offerings, and competitive team operations, though geographically broader than Starstruck.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starstruck-dance-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Starstruck Dance Academy