Arts in Schools Collaborative

What it reported doing in 2025

Musicopia dance follows the standards-based curriculum of the dancing classrooms global program established in 1994 in New York city by four-time show dance world champion pierre dulaine and the american ballroom theater company, as seen in the award-winning documentary mad hot ballroom. The primary musicopia dance initiative is in-school residencies with professional artists who teach ballroom dances (rumba, swing, tango, foxtrot, waltz, and merengue), and non-competitive dances (heel-toe polka, the stomp, salsa, and the electric slide). Lessons take place during the school day in 45-minute sessions twice weekly for ten weeks. An entire fifth or eighth grade student body, and their classroom teachers, participate. Curriculum assignments occur throughout each residency, which connect the ballroom dance experience to the students personal and academic lives. Each residency concludes in a culminating public event where all students demonstrate the dances they learned. Select students go on to semifinal competitions. Winners of the semifinals participate in the colors of the rainbow team match final, with teams representing schools throughout the philadelphia region. The musicopia dance academy offers students who have experienced a dancing classrooms in-school residency the opportunity to advance their ballroom dance training on saturday mornings with professional teaching artists. Classes are held in fall and spring sessions at a location in philadelphia.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 99.6%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 93.1%; rating input score 93
• Fundraising efficiency: $369.11 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -7%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 18.7%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 20th percentile among comparable filings