Leela Kan Llc
Leela Kan LLC operates as Leela Institute of Kathak, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit running a classical Indian dance academy, touring company, youth ensemble, and endowment across U.S. studios and India affiliates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Leela Kan Llc does
Leela Kan LLC operates as Leela Institute of Kathak, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 and structured around four operating units: Leela Academy (kathak education), Leela Dance Collective (touring professional company), Leela Foundation (endowment), and Leela Youth Dance Company. The organization preserves and advances the California Gharana pedagogy of kathak classical dance from North India as developed by Pandit Chitresh Das, with artistic leadership held by his direct disciples.
The Academy runs class instruction across four primary studio cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, New York) plus affiliate centers in Boston, Toronto, and India, and an online studio. The Dance Collective produces original full-length works, including SPEAK, and tours internationally, frequently collaborating with artists from other genres such as tap dance. The Foundation functions as the endowment vehicle for long-term sustainability, while the Youth Company develops the next pipeline of student performers.
The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack: per-term class tuition across physical and online studios (distributed, low-ticket), performance ticket sales and touring fees (project-based), individual donations (long tail), and institutional grants plus government arts funding (concentrated, lumpy). There are no disclosed unit economics, headcount figures, or audited revenue numbers, which limits quantitative triangulation.
Leela Kan Llc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Leela Kan Llc
- Legal name
- Leela Institute of Kathak
- Website
- https://leela.dance
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Leela Kan LLC operates as Leela Institute of Kathak, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit running a classical Indian dance academy, touring company, youth ensemble, and endowment across U.S. studios and India affiliates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Leela Kan Llc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Education & Dance
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Dance Companies (711120)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)
Keywords
Where Leela Kan Llc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Leela Kan Llc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Dance Training and Class Fees: Leela Academy generates revenue through fees for kathak dance instruction across its studio locations. Programs span adult training, children and youth training, and pre-professional youth company.
- Performance Revenue and Bookings: Leela Dance Collective operates as an internationally touring company generating revenue from performance engagements, venue bookings, and co-presenter arrangements at theaters and festivals.
- Individual Patron Donations: Individual patrons and community members support the organization through charitable contributions. Leela Institute of Kathak operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
- Institutional Grants and Government Funding: The organization receives funding from foundation and government partners including support for arts education programs and the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund in California.
- Leela Foundation / Endowment: Leela Foundation is described as the first U.S.-based endowment for Indian classical dance and music, building financial infrastructure to sustain the organization's long-term operations and advance India's artistic traditions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Leela Kan Llc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Leela Institute of Kathak is a nonprofit performing arts organization that delivers kathak dance education through its Leela Academy (in-person studios across four U.S. cities plus online classes), produces and tours original dance productions through Leela Dance Collective, and sustains the tradition via the Leela Foundation endowment. Programs span adult training, youth training, a pre-professional Leela Youth Dance Company, school-based arts education, and touring performances at venues such as 92nd Street Y, YBCA, and the Royal Opera House Mumbai.
Product overview
Leela Kan LLC operates as a multi-faceted performing arts organization comprising three primary divisions: Leela Dance Collective (touring performance company), Leela Academy (educational institution), and Leela Foundation (endowment). The Leela Dance Collective presents productions including SPEAK (a kathak-tap collaboration) and Son of the Wind (dance drama). Leela Academy provides kathak instruction across four U.S. cities with affiliate centers in Boston, Toronto, and India, plus online programming. The Leela Foundation is the first U.S.-based endowment for Indian classical dance and music. Additional offerings include the Leela Youth Dance Company (pre-professional training) and Arts Education outreach programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Leela Academy (Kathak Dance Training)
Quantifiable outcome
- Son of the Wind premiered at Green Center 2017, ODC Theatre 2018, Royal Opera House Mumbai 2019, Ford Theater Hollywood 2019 — demonstrating international venue prestige.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Leela Kan Llc
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Leela Kan Llc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Leela Kan Llc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 92nd Street Y (92NY)core92nd Street Y is presenting SPEAK as part of its 2025-26 Harkness Mainstage Dance Series, Women Move the World. This marks the New York premiere of the kathak-tap collaboration co-created by Leela's co-artistic directors. SPEAK is scheduled for February 21, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
- Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)coreCAAM provided backing and guidance for the production of Upaj, a documentary on Pandit Chitresh Das and Jason Samuels Smith's India Jazz Suites collaboration. Executive Producer Rukhmani Mehta worked at CAAM as Development Director when the documentary was initiated. CAAM helped secure funding and production support.
- Chhandam Nritya BharaticoreSeema Mehta's institution in Mumbai, India — one of India's leading kathak institutions with affiliate schools in North America. Affiliated with Chhandam and Leela's lineage under Pandit Das. Provides training, outreach programs, and performances in India, collaborating with Leela on international exchanges.
- New Light Foundation (Kolkata)minorFounded by Urmi Basu, New Light Foundation operates a shelter for children of sex workers in Kolkata's Kalighat red light district. Pandit Das invested time training young women from the shelter in kathak, with some later receiving travel grants to perform internationally. Seema Mehta continues outreach programs through Chhandam Nritya Bharati.
- Broad Stage (The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage)Ann Petersen, a founding member of the Broad Stage board, facilitated connections that led to presenting SPEAK at the venue. The Broad Stage had previously worked with Michelle Dorrance and was enthusiastic about the kathak-tap concept. Donor Ann Petersen was instrumental in championing the production.
- Music Center on Tour (Los Angeles County)minorRukhmani Mehta developed an arts education performance program with the prestigious Music Center on Tour program that introduces school children across Los Angeles County to the artistic and cultural heritage of India.
- Alliance of California Traditional ArtsminorSeibi Lee was recognized as a Master Artist by the Alliance of California Traditional Arts in 2016, acknowledging her contributions to traditional arts in California.
- Sureela (Leela Denver)coreSureela, founded by Sarah Morelli in 2016, is Leela's Denver affiliate school offering kathak classes to the broader Front Range community. Operates with two weekly classes and connects Denver students with the broader kathak community through retreats and performances.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Leela Kan Llc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dance Theatre of Harlem: Touring ballet company with an affiliated school and community education programs. Comparable to Leela in operating a combined touring company + school + outreach model within a culturally specific dance tradition under a nonprofit structure.
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Large U.S. dance institution with a world-touring company, The Ailey School, and extensive arts-in-education/outreach programming. Comparable to Leela as a vertically integrated dance nonprofit combining performance, instruction, and community engagement, though at much greater scale and broader genre.
- Mark Morris Dance Group: Major U.S. modern dance organization combining a touring company, a school, and community engagement programs. Comparable to Leela in combining performing and educational arms under a single nonprofit, though operating at substantially larger scale in a Western genre.
- Akram Khan Company: UK-based, internationally touring contemporary dance company rooted in South Asian (kathak and other) classical traditions. Compares to Leela as a larger, more established player combining rigorous classical lineage with cross-genre, large-venue productions and educational outreach.
Direct peers
- Battery Dance Company: New York-based nonprofit dance company that combines international touring, an in-house school, and a global arts-education outreach program. Comparable to Leela in scale and structure (touring company + academy + community/education programming) though in contemporary rather than classical Indian dance.
- Chhandam Nritya Bharati: Mumbai-based kathak institution led by Leela director Seema Mehta and affiliated with the same Pandit Das lineage. Operates training, outreach, and international exchange programming that overlaps directly with Leela's Academy and Collective activities.
- Chitresh Das Dance Company: The predecessor Bay Area kathak organization founded by Pandit Chitresh Das from which Leela's leaders graduated as principal dancers. Operates the same California Gharana pedagogy and historically toured with cross-genre works like India Jazz Suites, making it the closest lineage and product peer.
Regional players
- Nrityagram Dance Ensemble: India-based residential dance village and touring ensemble producing classical Indian dance (Odissi and Kathak) with full-time company structure, academy, and international tours. Closely mirrors Leela's combined Academy + touring company model, but operates primarily from India.
Others
- Asia Society: Major U.S. cultural institution presenting Asian performing arts, including Indian classical dance, alongside policy and education programming. Functions as a venue, presenter, and programmatic peer that books and contextualizes work like Leela's for mainstream audiences.
- Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival: National historic landmark dance festival and residency presenting diverse dance companies including South Asian and cross-genre work. Comparable to Leela as a presenting/residency ecosystem where companies like Leela Dance Collective develop and stage productions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Leela Kan Llc social profiles
Digital presenceLeela Kan Llc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Leela Kan Llc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Leela Kan Llc subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Leela Kan Llc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Leela Kan Llc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Leela Kan Llc
What does Leela Kan Llc do?
Leela Institute of Kathak is a nonprofit performing arts organization that delivers kathak dance education through its Leela Academy (in-person studios across four U.S. cities plus online classes), produces and tours original dance productions through Leela Dance Collective, and sustains the tradition via the Leela Foundation endowment. Programs span adult training, youth training, a pre-professional Leela Youth Dance Company, school-based arts education, and touring performances at venues such as 92nd Street Y, YBCA, and the Royal Opera House Mumbai.
Is Leela Kan Llc a public or private company?
Leela Kan Llc is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Leela Kan Llc founded?
Leela Kan Llc was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Leela Kan Llc based?
Leela Kan Llc is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Leela Kan Llc make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dance Training and Class Fees are the primary driver. The others are performance Revenue and Bookings, individual Patron Donations, institutional Grants and Government Funding and leela Foundation / Endowment.
Who are Leela Kan Llc's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group and Akram Khan Company. Direct peers are Battery Dance Company, Chhandam Nritya Bharati and Chitresh Das Dance Company. Nrityagram Dance Ensemble is listed as a regional player. Others are Asia Society and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.
Does Leela Kan Llc have an API?
No public API is recorded for Leela Kan Llc.
What industry is Leela Kan Llc in?
Leela Kan Llc's product category is Performing Arts Education & Dance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAH, Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance), with a secondary code of BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs. Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 8200.