TANNERY WORLD DANCE AND CULTURAL CENTER

What TANNERY WORLD DANCE AND CULTURAL CENTER does

Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center (TWDCC) is a Black-led 501(c)(3) non-profit dance education and cultural organization founded in 2011 and headquartered at the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz, California. The organization operates two studios (Studio A at approximately 3,200 sq ft with a 2,400 sq ft wood floor, and Studio 111 at 1,200 sq ft with a marley-topped floor) and delivers a multi-segment programming portfolio: a structured Youth Program serving ages 5-18 across levels 1-5 plus five pre-professional Youth Companies and a Ballet Company; an Adult Program of drop-in and short-course classes spanning contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop, 5Rhythms, Tai Chi, ecstatic dance, and African Diasporic forms (Senegalese, Haitian, Congolese, Afro-Brazilian, Cuban); the Diaspora Performance Project (launched 2018), which provides studio space, curatorial support, and performance opportunities to four professional Artists of the African Diaspora annually; the SCOPEDance scholarship program offering partial or full tuition assistance to low-income and under-represented youth in Santa Cruz County with a stated goal of 20 full scholarships per year; and a Summer Programs slate of intensives, bootcamps, and cultural camps.

TWDCC's business model is a multi-stream non-profit operating model rather than a product business. Tuition from the Youth Program is billed monthly through the Studio Director platform on a per-class-per-week subscription basis ($73/month for one class/week up to $394/month for nine or more classes/week), supplemented by a $30 annual registration fee per student, a $45 per-dancer performance fee, and $45 per-costume fees for the Spring Showcase. Adult classes are drop-in at $15-$20 per class, with optional 5-class card bundles. Studio rentals are priced hourly by studio, day of week, and time of day, with event flat rates starting at $250-$350. Summer programs use early-bird/regular two-tier pricing ($225-$1,200). Revenue is completed by individual donations via PayPal at $50/$100/$250/custom tiers, business sponsorships (Bay Fed/Verve Coffee, Humble Sea, Treehouse, Alderwood), and institutional grants from the California Arts Council and the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. Operations are supported by 1-10 staff and led by Executive & Artistic Director Micha Scott (a 13-year former soloist of Garth Fagan Dance).

Go-to-market is community-led rather than sales-led: TWDCC acquires students, audiences, donors, and renters through annual festivals (WinterDance Fest since 2017, Deep Roots Dance Fest, BBQueer Fest co-produced with Motion Pacific Dance and Gerald Casel Dance, World Arts Festival), social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), earned media in local press (Goodtimes, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Lookout Santa Cruz), email, and word-of-mouth among Santa Cruz and Bay Area families and artists. Notable institutional partnerships include Garth Fagan Dance (artist training pipeline, Company 5 bi-annual New York trips), Cheza Nami Foundation, the Tannery Arts Center (co-location and shared governance via overlapping board leadership), Arts Council Santa Cruz County, and the Black Health Matters Initiative. In 2024, TWDCC was recognized as a Best of GUISC Runner-Up by Goodtimes Santa Cruz.

Name

TANNERY WORLD DANCE AND CULTURAL CENTER

Legal name

Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center

Website

https://tanneryworlddance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dance education and cultural organization in Santa Cruz, California that provides structured youth and adult dance classes, pre-professional youth company training, studio rentals, community performances, and the SCOPEDance scholarship for under-represented youth, with a focus on BIPOC and African Diaspora artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Education and Performing Arts

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Dance Companies (711120), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

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), Dance Floor, Staging & Platform Rentals (HSACAFAD)

Keywords

• Dance education
• Cultural arts programming
• Studio rental services
• Youth dance scholarships
• Performance arts festivals

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: TWDCC is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Individual donations are solicited via its website with PayPal integration, with tiers at $50, $100, $250, and custom amounts. Donors receive priority access to festivals, events, guest artist showings, and opportunities to meet visiting dance artists and choreographers.
2. Studio Rentals: TWDCC rents its two studios (Studio A at 3200 sq ft and Studio 111 at 1200 sq ft) to external artists, teachers, and organizations for classes, rehearsals, photoshoots, performances, and events. Rental income is earned through hourly fees across different time slots and day types (weekday vs. weekend) and event flat-rate packages.
3. Youth Program Tuition: Youth dance education is delivered through a per-class-per-week subscription model billed monthly. Tuition tiers range from $73/month (1 class/week) to $394/month (9+ classes/week), with additional registration fees, performance fees, and costume fees. The SCOPEDance scholarship provides partial or full tuition assistance for qualifying low-income families.
4. Adult Drop-in Classes: Adult classes are offered on a drop-in basis with per-class fees (e.g., $15/class, $20 for Senegalese dance, $15 for Dance Medicine in Studio A). Some classes offer discounted class card bundles (e.g., 5-class packs for $60).
5. Summer Programs Fees: TWDCC runs summer intensive programs (Preteen, Teen, Film Project, Ballet Bootcamps, DanceArts Camps) with registration fees at early-bird and regular pricing. Programs include Preteen Intensive ($400–$450), Teen Intensive ($725–$800), Film Project ($315–$350), Ballet Bootcamps ($225–$250), and DanceArts Camps (bundled pricing from $400 to $1,200). SCOPE fees apply separately.
6. Government and Foundation Grants: TWDCC receives grant funding from government and private foundations including the California Arts Council (CAC General Operating Relief Grant) and the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TWDCC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dance studio and cultural center that delivers multi-disciplinary dance education, performance programming, and studio rental services at the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz. It runs an Adult Program of drop-in classes across contemporary, African Diasporic, and movement traditions; a structured Youth Program with five progressive levels, five pre-professional Youth Companies, and Summer Intensives; the Diaspora Performance Project supporting professional Artists of the African Diaspora; the SCOPEDance scholarship program for low-income youth; annual festivals; and rental of two professionally equipped dance studios.

Product overview

Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center (TWDCC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dance studio and cultural center that functions as a platform of integrated services rather than a single product. The core offering consists of dance education programs across multiple delivery channels: an Adult Program providing ongoing dance and cultural classes (5Rhythms, Tai Chi, Contemporary, Senegalese, Haitian, African, Congolese Dance, and Ecstatic Dance); a structured Youth Program with levels 1-5 plus Youth Companies and Ballet Company training; and studio rentals in two facilities (Studio A and Studio 111). Supporting programs include the Diaspora Performance Project supporting African Diaspora artists (launched 2018), SCOPEDance scholarship for under-represented youth, and annual performance events (WinterDance Fest, Deep Roots Dance Fest, World Arts Festival, BBQueer Fest). Summer programming includes intensives, boot camps, and cultural camps for youth ages 5-18. The center serves as a home for professional world and contemporary dance artists while providing dance education committed to access, equity, and excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WinterDance Fest: An annual celebration of contemporary dance on the Santa Cruz Stage since 2017
• Deep Roots Dance Fest
• BBQueer Fest
• World Arts Festival

Products and services

• Adult Program Dance Classes Drop-in dance and cultural education classes for adult students and teachers across traditions including 5Rhythms, Tai Chi, Contemporary, Senegalese, Haitian, African Dance, Congolese Dance, Ecstatic Dance, Worldanz, and Self-Defense.
• Youth Program Dance Classes Structured progressive dance education for ages 5-18 across Levels 1-5 in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Contemporary Jazz, Hip Hop, Creative Dance, Modern Expressive, and Level Up Tech, taught by accomplished teaching artists and culminating in an annual Spring Showcase.
• TWDCC Youth Companies Pre-professional dance training program comprising five Youth Companies and a Ballet Company that provides comprehensive professional-level education through technical training, creative expression, and performance experience with guest artists from companies including DawsonDanceSF and Garth Fagan Dance.
• Diaspora Performance Project Artist residency and professional development program supporting four selected Artists of the African Diaspora annually through studio space, curatorial support, performance opportunities, and community connection.
• Studio Rentals Rental of two professionally equipped studios (Studio A at 3,200 sq ft with 2,400 sq ft wood dance floor; Studio 111 at 1,200 sq ft marley-topped floor) for classes, rehearsals, photoshoots, performances, events, conferences, workshops, music shows, yoga retreats, galas, film screenings, and parties.
• SCOPEDance Scholarship Program Scholarship program that brings dance to low-income and under-represented youth in Santa Cruz County, providing partial or full tuition assistance for dance study with a stated goal of 20 full scholarships per year.
• Performance Events and Festivals Annual performance programming including WinterDance Fest (since 2017), Deep Roots Dance Fest, BBQueer Fest (co-produced with Motion Pacific Dance and Gerald Casel Dance), World Arts Festival, Halloween Bash, and Youth Company Showcase, elevating BIPOC voices across multiple platforms.
• Youth Summer Programs Summer intensive and camp programs for youth ages 5-18, including Preteen Intensive (ages 10-12), Teen Intensive (ages 13-18), Ballet Bootcamps (Intermediate/Advanced), DanceArts Camps (ages 5-10 with cultural themes including Congo, Mexico, Brazil), and Film Project, taught by professional faculty.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 full scholarships per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship co-producer, founding partner, key cultural partner, core host institution, key community partner, minor sponsor and key artistic partner.

• Motion Pacific Danceflagship co-producerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the BBQueer Fest (Black, Brown, and Queer Fest), an annual dance and arts festival led by and for QTBIPOC artists. BBQueer Fest celebrates the transformative art-making power and embodied activism of Queer Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
• Gerald Casel Dancefounding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding organization partner for BBQueer Fest. Gerald Casel Dance curates and produces dance programs in Santa Cruz and serves as a founding institutional partner in the annual QTBIPOC festival.
• Cheza Nami Foundationkey cultural partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and arts programming. Dandha Da Hora serves as Artistic Director and Principal Artist for Cheza Nami, and Arnaud Loubayi is a partner artist for the Cultural Arts and Learning (CAL) school assembly program. TWDCC Diaspora artists collaborate with Cheza Nami on cultural programming.
• Tannery Arts Centercore host institutionStrategic or Co-development PartnerTWDCC is housed within and is a key programming partner of the Tannery Arts Center, a multi-disciplinary arts campus. George Newell serves as Executive Director of the Tannery Arts Center and as a TWDCC Board member. The campus provides shared infrastructure and cross-disciplinary visibility for TWDCC.
• Black Health Matters Initiativekey community partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCat Willis, TWDCC's founder and former Executive Director, now leads the Black Health Matters Initiative full-time. Micha Scott serves on the Advisory Board of the Black Health Matters Initiative. Angela Chambers co-founded and directs the Youth Ambassador program for this initiative. The organizations share community engagement and racial justice missions.
• Bay Fed / Verve Coffeeminor sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a sponsor of TWDCC with logo placement on the organization's donation page, indicating financial or in-kind sponsorship support.
• Humble Seaminor sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor listed on TWDCC's supporter page with logo and website link.
• Treehouseminor sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor listed on TWDCC's supporter page with logo and website link.
• Alderwood Santa Cruzminor sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor listed on TWDCC's supporter page with logo and website link.
• Garth Fagan Dancekey artistic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicha Scott is a former 13-year senior member and soloist of this world-renowned dance company. TWDCC Company 5 dancers take bi-annual trips to New York to study with Garth Fagan Dance. Summer intensives feature Bessie Award winner Sharon Skepple-Mayfield from the company. The relationship provides prestige, artistic mentorship, and international connections for TWDCC students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Broad incumbents

• Smuin Contemporary Ballet: Bay Area contemporary ballet company with school and performance programming. Comparable in operating a nonprofit dance company plus education arm at a meaningfully larger scale than TWDCC.
• Alonzo King LINES Ballet: Bay Area professional dance company with affiliated LINES School offering youth and adult training. Comparable dance education offering at larger scale and reputational depth; a broader incumbent in the same regional ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Berkeley Ballet Theater: East Bay ballet-focused nonprofit dance school with structured youth curriculum, performance companies, and community outreach. Comparable youth-company pipeline model and scholarship programs to TWDCC.
• ODC Dance: San Francisco-based dance institution operating ODC School and ODC Company with youth program, adult classes, and a performance season. Comparable multi-program nonprofit model combining education, performance, and studio rental.
• Gerald Casel Dance: Santa Cruz-based dance company curating programs and co-founding BBQueer Fest with TWDCC. Directly comparable small-scale dance presenting organization operating in the same geographic and artistic ecosystem.
• The 418 Project: Santa Cruz dance and movement organization offering classes, performances, and studio space. Directly comparable small-community nonprofit dance center; Board Treasurer Jim Brown previously led this organization.
• Cheza Nami Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to cultural diversity in arts programming, featuring TWDCC Diaspora artists. Directly comparable as a cultural-arts nonprofit with overlapping artist roster and shared commitment to African Diasporic dance programming.
• Shawl-Anderson Dance Center: East Bay dance studio offering year-round youth and adult classes across multiple disciplines plus studio rentals. Directly comparable operating model to TWDCC, including progressive level structure and community-based nonprofit positioning.
• Motion Pacific Dance: Santa Cruz-based dance organization co-producing BBQueer Fest with TWDCC. Directly comparable as a regional dance presenter, producer, and education provider sharing the same geographic market and overlapping artistic community.

Regional players

• CounterPulse: San Francisco performing arts hub supporting experimental dance, performance residencies, and community programming. Comparable nonprofit performing-arts presenting model with artist residency and community programming focus, though serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjIGQyWCA6W8RFZqNokHrIQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/TWDCC
• Instagraminstagram.com/twdcc_dance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tannery-world-dance-and-cultural-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 TANNERY WORLD DANCE AND CULTURAL CENTER