Akada
Dance studio software for registration, scheduling, billing, and recitals
About Akada
Akada Software (formerly sold as DanceWorks) is a family-owned dance studio management platform that has served studio owners since 1994. It handles online class registration with waitlists, season scheduling with conflict alerts, family account tuition billing, recital and costume planning, and two-way texting, with a parent portal app and an instructor app included. Every feature is included in one flat $60 per month price.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Flat $60/month price includes every feature, so small studios get recital, costume, and billing tools that competitors often tier by student count
- Recital and costume tools go deep for dance: show ordering, costume-change spacing, sibling grouping, measurements, vendor size tables, and costume charges posted to accounts
- Two included mobile apps cover both sides: Akada Portal for parents to register and pay, Akada Studio for teachers to take attendance and message families
- Free texting and two-way messaging are built in rather than sold as an add-on
- Family-owned company with 30+ years in dance studio software and 1:1 onboarding help for studios switching platforms
Cons
- Built for dance studios only, so multi-activity centers (gymnastics, swim, martial arts) may find it less flexible than general class-management tools
- Review volume is small and mixed; Capterra's rating sits around 3.2/5, with customer support scored lowest
- Some long-time users find the web version less intuitive than the legacy desktop DanceWorks experience
- Recurring card billing depends on enabling Stripe, and there is no public free plan
Key Features
Online Registration and Enrollment
Families register dancers and pick classes through a customizable online form; the studio reviews each submission and approves, rejects, or waitlists individual class selections before enrollment is finalized.
Class Waitlists
Each class has a managed waitlist, and the dashboard shows waitlisted students alongside class details, open spaces, and the date each student joined the list.
Season Scheduling with Conflict Detection
Set up classes, workshops, and private lessons for a season; as classes fill, Akada flags conflicts among students, instructors, and rooms.
Family Accounts and Tuition Billing
Each family has an account page that consolidates its dancers, contacts, charges, and notes. Enter tuition amounts once, auto-calculate charges for the whole studio, and batch-process credit card payments, with Stripe-powered saved cards for recurring tuition.
Recital Planning
Create recitals, order songs and classes into a show schedule, set rehearsal and picture dates, and apply costume-change criteria so dancers have enough numbers between appearances and siblings can perform in the same show.
Costume Management
Record student measurements, manage costume vendors and size tables, assign costumes to whole classes, post costume charges to family accounts, and run costume worksheet and vendor reports.
Akada Portal Parent App
A customer-facing portal and iOS/Android app where families register for classes, view schedules, pay open invoices, update payment details, and message the studio.
Akada Studio Instructor App
A companion app for owners and teachers to take attendance, view rosters and enrollment, accept payments, and send two-way messages from the classroom.
Free Texting and Two-Way Messaging
Send studio-wide announcements, broadcasts to active, inactive, or prospect accounts, or one-on-one messages; parents reply directly from their phone or the portal. Built-in email is included, or you can connect Mailchimp or HubSpot.
Staff Time Tracking and 200+ Reports
Log staff hours by hour or by class for payroll reports, and pull from more than 200 reports covering finances, enrollment, attendance, accounts, students, and recitals.
Pricing
- Every feature included, no tiers or locked features
- Online registration, scheduling, and waitlists
- Tuition billing and digital payments
- Recital and costume management
- Free texting and two-way messaging
- Akada Portal (families) and Akada Studio (instructors) apps
- 200+ reports and staff time tracking
- 1:1 onboarding calls and transition guide
Best For
Running registration season
Open online registration, review each family's class picks, approve or waitlist full classes, and let the system flag student, teacher, and room conflicts as the schedule fills.
Producing the annual recital
Build the show order, keep enough songs between a dancer's numbers for costume changes, group siblings into the same show, assign costumes by class, and bill costume fees to family accounts.
Automating monthly tuition
Auto-calculate tuition for every enrolled family, batch-run saved card payments, and let parents check balances and pay through the Akada Portal app.
Keeping parents informed
Text class cancellations, send studio-wide announcements, or message a single family, with replies landing back in the studio's inbox.
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