In the United States, dance is offered in privately-owned small businesses in which dance is taught to students, usually age 2-adult, in a variety of genres. Dance studios may serve students whose interests are recreational (that is, not having professional dance ambitions), competitive (that is, participating in dance competitions, regardless of professional ambitions), or pre-professional (that is, training for a professional dance career as a performer, teacher, or choreographer).

According to the IBIS World, as of 2021, there were approximately 66,266 dance studios operating in the U.S. Dance programs in the independent sector are essential to providing access to dance education for millions of students each year. These students experience the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive benefits of dance, and use the knowledge and skills they develop through their dance training to make a difference in their families, schools, and communities.

There are no state or federal licensing or certification programs for dance in the independent, private or nonprofit sectors. However, many dance programs in these sectors follow nationally recognized curricula and standards for teaching and learning in dance, including NDEO’s 2005 Standards for Learning and Teaching Dance in the Arts and the 2014 National Core Arts Standards in Dance.

PreK-12 Schools

Colleges/Universities

Performing Arts Orgs/Community Centers

Evidence Report