Kinderdance International Inc

Kinderdance International Inc. is a franchisor of dance, motor development, gymnastics, and fitness programs for children aged 2-12. It was founded by Carol Kay Harsell and Bernard Friedman in 1979. The company’s corporate office is in Melbourne, Florida operating one corporate owned franchise with over 100 Kinderdance® Franchisees operating worldwide. Kinderdance® franchisees offer 5 programs which are Kinderdance® (ages 3-5), Kindergym® (ages 3-5), Kindertots® (age 2), Kindermotion® (ages 3-12), and Kindercombo™ (ages 6-9).
Kinderdance® is a member of NAECY, NCCA, AAFERD, IDEA, and IFA.
History
Carol Kay Harsell was running the American Academy of Dance she founded in Scottsdale, Arizona. After noticing that even though she had tripled enrollment of regular students she was not seeing an increase in the academy’s pre-school dance program, Kinderdance®. With the help of businessman Bernard Friedman they realized the reason for this was that the pre-school children we enrolled were in daycares and preschools and couldn’t make it to the classes at the academy. After this realization they decided to take the program to the children and after 6 months they were in more than 30 centers in the Phoenix area and the idea for the franchise took hold. Kinderdance® then incorporated in 1981 and in 1985 the first Kinderdance franchise opened in Houston, Texas.
Franchises
Kinderdance® is an “on-site” educational dance and movement program that takes educational dance classes to daycare centers and pre-schools in a franchisees area. By doing this it eliminates the hassle for parents of coordinating extracurricular activities as well as gives the Kinderdance® franchisee a better chance at success by cutting costs. They offer a six day training session at the corporate office in Melbourne, Florida for all new franchisees and hold a 3 day conference each year for continued training and franchisee networking.
Program Information
The Kinderdance® programs focus
“on the idea that children learn with their bodies and their minds by blending creative movement, gymnastics, fitness, acrobatics, and dance with colors, numbers, shapes, words, and songs to build physical and language skills, imagination, socialization, self confidence, and build self esteem.” (Bonds Top 100 Franchises - 2004 Edition, Page 286)
Kinderdance®: (ages 3-5) developmental dance, motor skills, movement, and fitness program taught in 3 levels, teaching the basics of ballet, tap, acrobatics, and creative movement while blending educational concepts
Kindercombo™: (ages 6-9) a developmentally designed combination of ballet, tap, modern dance, and fitness program
Kindergym®: (ages 3-5) is a developmental floor gymnastics program with emphasis on social and gross motor development, physical fitness, and movement education while learning numbers, colors, shapes, and words
Kindertots®: (age 2)designed to develop the total child through gross motor skills, movement creativity, physical development, and body awareness while learning numbers, colors, shapes, and songs
Kindermotion®: (ages 3-12) a developmentally designed education through motor skills, physical development, fitness, nutrition, and imagery program.
Criticism
Like many amateur dance businesses in the United States, Kinderdance has been criticized for having little to no academic or professional criteria for its instructors. Franchises are offered to anyone willing to pay franchise fees and attend a six-day course in Florida. The relatively low investment criteria are used to market Kinderdance franchises to minorities and people of middle to low income. The corporate office directs its efforts primarily at selling franchises rather than improving services.
Awards and recognition
*Franchise 500 Rank- 2009 (354); 2008 (324); 2007 (476); 2006 (362), 2005 (268)
*Top Low Cost Franchises - 2009 (81); 2008 (74); 2006 (99); 2005 (70)
*Top Home Based Franchise - 2009 (101); 2008 (70); 2005 (71)
*Essenece Magazine - May 2009 Issue -One of the Top 5 Affordable Franchises for Black Woman.
*Franchise 50 published by Franchise Business Review - 2008 (16); 2006 (24)
*Bond’s Top 100 Franchises- (2008); (2007); (2006); (2005); (2004)
*Bonds Top 50 Franchises - (2008); (2007); (2006); (2005); (2004)
*All Business - A D&B Company - AllStar Franchises 2009 (283)
*Minority Franchising Top 100 - 2009

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