dancemakers

What dancemakers does

DanceMakers Inc. is a privately held U.S. event company founded in 1978 that organizes touring dance conventions and competitions. Its principal customers are dance studios—which register students in groups and must provide teacher representation to compete—and individual dancers from ages 3-6 through senior divisions. The company is owned by Brad and Felicia Taylor, who purchased it in 2014.

Core offerings include 32 regional tour stops, an annual six-day Nationals championship in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, scholarships, awards, and the Collective and Collective JV elite programs. Distribution is event-driven: studios and individual dancers register directly through dancemakersinc.io, with the regional tour functioning as the primary acquisition and engagement channel.

Service delivery combines in-person programming with online registration accounts that support music uploads, waivers, score and critique delivery, and studio media access. DanceMakers also provides competition and awards live streaming and distributes professional photos and videos through studio accounts within 3-5 business days. Commercialization is transaction-based through per-attendee convention fees, per-routine competition charges, and per-dancer media fees, supplemented by teacher benefits and multi-city attendance incentives.

Name

dancemakers

Legal name

DanceMakers Inc.

Website

https://dancemakersinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DanceMakers operates touring dance conventions and competitions for U.S. dance studios and young dancers through 32 regional stops, an annual Nationals event, online registration, live streaming, paid media services, and scholarship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Convention and Competition Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Dance conventions
• Dance competitions
• Dance education events
• Touring dance events
• Dance scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Convention Fees: Registration fees for dancers attending convention classes, ranging from $215 for Camp Dance (ages 3-6) to $340 for Teachers, with late fees of $20 applied after cutoff dates. Convention includes multiple class sessions across ballroom venues.
2. Competition Fees: Per-routine fees for competition participation: Solo $190, Duo/Trio $90, Group/Line/Extended Line/Production $70. Includes $50 non-refundable deposit per routine. Competition categories include Solo (1 dancer), Duo/Trio (2-3), Group (4-9), Line (10-15), Extended Line (16-24), Production (25+).
3. Media Fees: $35 per competing dancer (not per routine) at regional events, $45 at Nationals. Includes all media captured during competition distributed within 3-5 business days post-event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DanceMakers organizes and operates a touring circuit of dance convention and competition events across 32+ US cities annually, plus a week-long Nationals championship in Myrtle Beach, SC. The company sells weekend event registrations covering multi-style dance instruction, adjudicated competition routines, scholarships, and an elite dancer mentorship program (The Collective) to dance studios and individual dancers.

Product overview

DanceMakers is a dance convention and competition company offering a unified product portfolio centered on regional tour events (32 cities), an annual Nationals championship in Myrtle Beach, SC, and associated programs. The core offerings include dance conventions with instructional classes across multiple age divisions and dance styles, competitive events with various routine categories, comprehensive scholarship programs including the elite Collective mentorship program, and media services. The company operates as a single integrated platform where dancers register for conventions and competitions, receive adjudication, compete for awards, and potentially qualify for scholarships or The Collective elite program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Collective: Elite group of dancers chosen by DanceMakers faculty as outstanding representatives. Members receive year scholarships to all conventions, complimentary apparel, letterman jacket, free trip to Collective Weekend with headshots and choreography, and travel/accommodations for at least seven cities per dancer.
• The Collective JV
• Camp Dance

Products and services

• Regional Tour Events

Quantifiable outcome

• Dancers scoring 80+ points qualify for Nationals competition
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pace UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanceMakers has an ongoing college partnership with Pace University offering scholarships to dancers. At Nationals, a Pace Scholarship Audition class is held for rising juniors and seniors in high school. Recipients can receive up to $100,000 toward Pace University's Commercial Dance Program, with multiple dancers receiving these opportunities annually. The partnership also includes fall dance intensive scholarships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NUVO Dance Convention: NUVO operates a national tour of dance conventions and competitions for studio dancers. Comparable to DanceMakers in convention + competition format, pricing structure, and elite dancer recognition programs.
• Hollywood Vibe Dance Convention: Hollywood Vibe operates national dance convention and competition tours targeting studios and dancers. Comparable in tour-based delivery, multi-style curriculum, and competition adjudication model.
• NYCDA (National Dance Competition): NYCDA runs national dance convention and competition tours across the US, focusing on studio-based dancers. Comparable to DanceMakers in product mix, regional tour format, age divisions, and scholarship/award structures.
• Jump Dance Convention: Jump runs national dance convention and competition events for studios and dancers. Directly competes with DanceMakers in tour-based event format, multiple age divisions, and faculty-led instruction.
• KAR Dance (KAR Productions): KAR runs regional and national dance conventions and competitions across the US. Comparable to DanceMakers in event-based product offering, studio customer base, and scholarship recognition programs.
• 24/7 Dance Convention (Groove Dance Competition): 24/7/Groove runs national dance competitions and conventions with regional tour stops. Comparable to DanceMakers in studio-centric model, multi-category competitions, and national finals format.
• The Dance Awards (Star Dance Alliance): Star Dance Alliance organizes dance competitions and The Dance Awards national finals. Comparable to DanceMakers' Nationals event in aggregating top regional talent for a championship showcase with scholarships and prizes.
• Tremaine Dance Convention: Tremaine is one of the largest US dance convention and competition operators with multi-city national tours. Directly comparable to DanceMakers across product (conventions + competitions), target customer (dance studios and dancers), and faculty-driven model - and historically connected via former director Doug Shaffer.

Emerging players

• Joffrey Ballet School (Tour Programs): Joffrey's tour-based summer intensive and convention-style programs target serious dance students with multi-city delivery. Comparable in faculty prestige, scholarship pathways, and tour-based delivery to studio dancers.

Broad incumbents

• Break the Floor Productions: Break the Floor is a large-scale dance event producer that owns multiple convention brands including Tremaine. Comparable as a parent-level incumbent operating overlapping dance convention/competition products across the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dancemakersinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 dancemakers