Urban Bush Women

What Urban Bush Women does

Urban Bush Women is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatrical dance company and social activism ensemble founded in 1984 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs: the touring UBW Company performances featuring a repertory of more than 40 pioneering works centered on Black women's stories; the BOLD (Builders, Organizers & Leaders through Dance) workshops that combine dialogue facilitation and movement for educational institutions, community organizations, and corporate workplaces; the annual Summer Leadership Institute, a 10-day intensive that builds a global network of community arts practitioners; the Choreographic Center Initiative (CCI) supporting women choreographers of color; and the CCI 2.0 Producing Program, a Mellon-funded 65-week paid fellowship cultivating Women+ of color producers. Its methodology blends African diaspora movement traditions with embodied learning, dialogue facilitation, and community organizing, positioning cultural expression as a catalyst for social change.

The organization reaches approximately 25,000 people annually through performances and programs, touring domestically and internationally to venues in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America, with past presenting relationships at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, BAM, Joyce Theater, Spoleto, Harlem Stage, and Dance Umbrella UK. UBW has earned multiple Bessie Awards, Ford Foundation's "America's Cultural Treasures" designation (2021), and MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships for its founder. Operations are supported by roughly 15-16 staff members under a restructured creative leadership of Co-Artistic Directors Mame Diarra Speis and Chanon Judson.

Revenue is generated through performance booking fees, BOLD workshop fees (quote-based), merchandise sales ($7-$45 per item) via the online shop, and donations and institutional grants. Funding partners include MacKenzie Scott ($3M gift in 2021), Ford Foundation, Mellon Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, and the U.S. Department of State. Distribution runs through direct performance bookings (managed by the Director of Production, Booking & Touring), BOLD workshop bookings, e-commerce on Squarespace with Stripe/PayPal payment processing, Eventbrite for events, and eTapestry/Blackbaud for donation management.

Name

Urban Bush Women

Legal name

Urban Bush Women

Website

https://urbanbushwomen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Urban Bush Women is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 that operates a Black women-led theatrical dance company touring internationally and offering BOLD workshops, the Summer Leadership Institute, and the Choreographic Center Initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Performance Bookings: UBW Company creates, performs, and tours dance productions nationally and internationally. Revenue generated through booking fees for performances at venues, festivals, and institutions.
2. BOLD Workshop Fees: BOLD workshops are available for groups, schools, workplaces, and organizations for a fee. Contact via [email protected] to book workshops.
3. Merchandise Sales: UBW sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, caps, enamel pins, journals, umbrellas, shopping bags, and archival coloring books through their online shop. Prices range from $7-$45.
4. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, UBW relies on donations and fundraising. They accept donations through their shop and received a $3M gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in 2021. Funding provided by New York State Council on the Arts, Ford Foundation, and other institutional funders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Urban Bush Women is a Black women-led theatrical dance company and social activism ensemble that creates, performs, and tours dance productions while delivering educational workshops and community leadership programs. The organization operates a touring company presenting dance works, facilitates BOLD (Builders, Organizers, & Leaders through Dance) workshops for organizations and schools, runs the annual Summer Leadership Institute, and develops women choreographers and producers of color through the Choreographic Center Initiative (CCI) programs.

Product overview

Urban Bush Women is a Black women-led theatrical dance company and social activism ensemble offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and performances. Core offerings include the UBW Company touring performances featuring works by founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and guest choreographers; BOLD (Builders, Organizers & Leaders through Dance) workshops combining dialogue and movement for community engagement; the annual Summer Leadership Institute intensive; and the Choreographic Center Initiative (CCI) with its Phase Two CCI 2.0 Producing Program supporting Women+ choreographers and producers. Available touring productions include SCAT!... The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar, Haint Blu, and the Mixed Repertory Program. The organization also operates a merchandise line featuring branded apparel and accessories. All programs are built around the organization's mission of amplifying Black women's stories through dance and social activism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BOLD (Builders, Organizers, & Leaders through Dance): UBW's unique approach to facilitating dialogue within organizations through a blend of dialogue and movement workshops, activating intersections of professional and community art-making, civic engagement, leadership, and group dynamics for over two decades.
• CCI - Choreographic Center Initiative
• CCI 2.0 Producing Program
• Summer Leadership Institute (SLI)

Products and services

• UBW Company Performances Professional touring dance performances by Urban Bush Women's ensemble, presenting works by founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and guest choreographers that explore Black women's stories through theatrical dance. Performances are booked at theaters, festivals, and institutions nationally and internationally.
• BOLD Workshops Builders, Organizers & Leaders through Dance workshops that facilitate dialogue within organizations using a unique blend of dialogue and movement, designed for community engagement, civic leadership, and group dynamics for groups, schools, workplaces, and organizations.
• Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) Annual intensive 10-day convening serving as the foundation for UBW's community engagement activities, building a global network of community arts practitioners through arts as a vehicle for social change.
• Choreographic Center Initiative (CCI) Multi-year investment in development of women choreographers of color through Phase One (2013-2016) convenings and fellowships, and Phase Two (2017-present) featuring the Choreographic Fellowship Program and Generative Dancer Workshops.
• CCI 2.0 Producing Program Cultivation program for next generation of Women+ of color producers offering 65 weeks of collaborative learning, weekly stipend, mentorship from established producers, and hands-on producing experience on CCI Alum projects.
• UBW Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, caps, enamel pins, journals, umbrellas, reusable bags, and archival coloring books featuring Urban Bush Women branding and artwork.
• THIS IS RISK Touring program celebrating four decades of UBW's work, featuring iconic works by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar including Shelter and Batty Moves, plus new commissions by guest choreographers.
• SCAT! The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar Dance-driven musical set in a fictional jazz club telling the love story of two people during the Great Migration, featuring an original jazz score performed by a live band.
• Haint Blu Ensemble dance-theater work using performance as healing, reflecting on what has been lost across generations and what can be restored, inspired by the Southern tradition of painting porches Haint Blu to ward off spirits.
• Mixed Repertory Program Evening program featuring new and iconic works by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar plus new commissions by guest choreographers, potentially including Shelter, Batty Moves, and Hep Hep Sweet Sweet.

Quantifiable outcome

• UBW Company impacts upwards of 25,000 people annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• The Apollo TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for CCI 2.0 program and venue for UBW performances including Legacy, Lineage, Liberation exhibition
• CIPA (Creative Independent Producer's Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for CCI 2.0 Producing Program
• HowlRound Theatre CommonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for CCI 2.0 Producing Program
• Junebug ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for CCI 2.0 Producing Program; co-sponsored 2021 Virtual SLI & BOLD Alumni Convening
• Producer's HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for CCI 2.0 Producing Program
• The Theater Leadership ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for CCI 2.0 Producing Program
• TPOC (Theater Producers of Color)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for CCI 2.0 Producing Program
• WOCA (Women of Color in the Arts)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for CCI 2.0 Producing Program; Stephanie Hughley serves as consultant
• U.S. Department of StatemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBW was one of three dance companies selected to launch DanceMotion USA cultural diplomacy initiative, touring South America in 2010
• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced DanceMotion USA cultural exchange program with U.S. Department of State; hosted UBW performances; presented 30th anniversary gala

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Paul Taylor Dance Company: Major American modern dance company with a substantial repertory, national touring, and Lincoln Center/BAM-level venue relationships—structurally similar to UBW in touring economics and nonprofit funding mix.
• Ronald K. Brown / Evidence: Black-led contemporary dance company rooted in African and African American dance traditions, with a repertory and touring cadence closely aligned to UBW's; shares mission-driven nonprofit structure and similar presenter network.
• Martha Graham Dance Company: Historic modern dance company with a deep repertory (comparable to UBW's 40+ works), global touring, and educational programs; similar nonprofit operating model and reliance on foundation and donor support.
• Dance Theatre of Harlem: Iconic Black-led dance company combining classical ballet with African diaspora influences and robust education/community programs; shares UBW's racial identity, mission-driven structure, and balance of performance with social impact programming.
• Complexions Contemporary Ballet: Contemporary dance company with broad touring, educational programming, and a multi-racial artistic identity; comparable to UBW in scale, repertory-driven touring model, and workshop/community engagement offerings.
• Camille A. Brown & Dancers: Black women-led contemporary dance company combining theatrical narrative work with social commentary and community engagement—closely mirrors UBW's intersection of dance, storytelling, and activism.
• Ailey II: The second company of Alvin Ailey, functioning as a touring and talent-development ensemble with repertory and educational programming; structurally analogous to UBW's touring company model with built-in artist development pipeline.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: One of the most prominent Black-led modern dance companies in the U.S., with a parallel mission of centering African diaspora dance traditions, a large repertory, and significant educational/community engagement programs—directly comparable to UBW in artistic identity, scale, and touring footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Mark Morris Dance Group: Large, established dance organization with national touring, educational programming, and significant institutional funding; broader stylistically than UBW but comparable in scale, nonprofit structure, and presenter relationships.
• Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival: Major dance presenting and residency organization that books dance companies and supports choreographers; functions both as peer (in supporting African diaspora and women choreographers) and as a key presenter channel that influences UBW's touring demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ubwdance
• Facebookfacebook.com/urbanbushwomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urbanbushwomen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban Bush Women