Well, I guess we could say we saw this coming, couldn’t we?

It has only been 6 months since I asked, “Is Dance the New Playground for Private Equity?”

It’s looking a little less like a playground and more like a packed out Monopoly board as we head into the final months of 2026.

This wasn’t the slow and steady board game that takes days during blizzards.

This is a race to some unknown finish line that is happening in real life.

And, instead of lions, tigers, and bears, we could fill in those blanks with the groups leading the way for consolidation: DanceOne, Ensemble, and Varsity.

If you aren’t informed about what is happening in dance- as a studio owner, educator, choreographer, dancer, parent, or lover of the arts- now is the time to catch up.

The impact of private equity and consolidation on other youth activities is readily making the headlines.

Dance hasn’t hit the mainstream headlines just yet, but rest assured, we are on the same track as all of the others.

Just look at the consolidations already in motion:

DANCE ONE

Tagline:

Moving dance forward, together.

Companies:

Tours:

Ovation
Jump
Nuvo
24 Seven
Radix
KĀOS

(the former Break the Floor brands)

Starpower
Nexstar
Revolution
Believe
Imagine
Dreammaker

(the former Star Dance Alliance Brands)

Events:

Dancerpalooza
PowerPak
The DanceOne Summit
Wild
World Dance Championship
World Dance Pageant

Nationals:

The One Nationals

The Dance Awards

On the Dance One website, I found the following disclaimer particularly interesting:

** DanceOne is exclusively associated with the brands featured on its official website. Any conventions, competitions, or events not listed are not affiliated with DanceOne.

ENSEMBLE PERFORMING ARTS

Tagline:

Empowering artists by safeguarding the businesses that love them

Companies:

Competitions/ Conventions:

Showstopper
KAR (including its portfolio of brands- Rainbow, Ultra, Refresh, etc.)
REVEL
Thunderstruck (and its second brand, Storm Dance Challenge)
Prodigy
Accelerate

Membership:

Dance Studio Standard
More Than Just Great Dancing

Curriculum:

Acrobatic Arts
Tap Roots
Ready Set Dance (while they do not own it, they are responsible for North America sales)

Employment & Training Platform:

ArtsWrk

Software:

ClassKid

Plus, their portfolio of Ensemble Schools, which includes Broadway Dance Center and 100+ others, all which maintain their original name and branding.

VARSITY

Yes, the monolith Varsity of UDA/NDA infamy is also now a player with the acquisition of the following private dance sector brands:

Training

CLI

Competitions & Their Affiliated Brands

One Beat Dance Brands

-Beyond the Stars

-Groove

-Breakout

-Reverb

- The Studio Line

- USDR (United States Dance Regulators)

- Dance Forward

Spotlight Dance Cup
LEAP National Dance Competition

If you’re thinking, “wow, that’s a lot,” you’re right.

There’s no way this list is even all-compassing, it just reflects what we know right now.

Each pocket of consolidation will carry its own potential for influence.

Each conglomerate likely believes they are best to influence decision making and the trajectory of dance.

But, are they?

Did dance really get a say?

DanceOne has historically carried the most transparency.

The others?

Not so much.

Not yet, anyway.

To unpack the last 5 years of this conversation, I recorded a solo podcast episode where you could hear my thoughts and experiences, in my words.

Listen to it HERE.

Watch it HERE starting 11/3 at 6pm.

I hope this will prompt conversations in your community about how to steward your dance experiences, dollars, data, and advocacy- whatever position you hold.

This conversation has never been about any singular person.

It is about a process that seems somewhat removed from the true power of the performing arts.

And, it impacts children.

Our industry has shifted.

Many of you have reached out and shared that you don’t recognize what dance is becoming…

A lot of us feel this way.

These conversations are imperative for what happens next.

If you look at the trajectory of where the most acquisitions are happening, it is within dance competitions.

They’re high revenue (exponentially higher than dance studios) and low accountability- in one town on one weekend and off to another the next.

Their success is wholly dependent on the trust and participation of dance studios and their families.

So, to my fellow studio owners, educators and dance parents, do not lose sight of the power you have to ask questions, pivot and shift to advocate in the best interest of your dancers, families, staff, business, and yes- even yourself.

For over a decade, I’ve worked to build an excellent training program that is not reliant on dance competitions.

Are there still challenges?

Of course.

But, we can also normalize successful paths that don’t require competition.

Let’s not run dance education into the ground because of unrealistic demands of the “dance industry.”

The time and resources can be spent in so many other ways.

Because are you really “winning” if you’re paying the same company 5 different ways to be labeled a subjective “champion” at a multi-location “Nationals” that only represents one company?

When you’re looking at where you’re going to spend your dollars, think about the depth of ad spend for the conglomerates. Their presence in magazines. Their sponsorship of industry events. Their influence in the industry. Their perspective on why this is good.

The noise can suggest this is what we have to do… but, is it what we have to do?

I’ve been saying it for years:

Knowledge is power.

Advocacy is power.

Where you direct your dollars will help shape the future of dance.

That is also power.

Interested in continuing the conversation?

Check out our new Dance Local Community.