The Dance Centre

What The Dance Centre does

The Dance Centre is a registered Canadian non-profit society (legal name: VDC Dance Centre Society) founded in 1986, operating British Columbia's flagship purpose-built dance facility at 677 Davie Street in downtown Vancouver. The 32,000-square-foot Arthur Erickson-designed building, which opened in 2001 and was brought under freehold ownership in April 2026 via a $6 million land purchase, contains six custom-designed studios, a 154-seat black box theatre (Faris Family Studio), boardroom, offices, and support spaces. The organization functions as a sector infrastructure provider, serving professional dance artists at all career stages, more than 40 resident dance companies and organizations, community audiences, and national/international dance presenters.

Its core product surface is a multi-sided platform: physical space rentals (studios, theatre, boardroom, offices, special events), artist development programs (Artist-in-Residence, Dancelab, 12 Minutes Max, Rising Together, Associate Artists, workshops), presentation and festival programming (Global Dance Connections series, biennial Dance In Vancouver festival, 12 Minutes Max showings), community outreach (Power of Dance, Discover Dance! for Schools, immigrant and refugee youth, seniors), recognition (Lola and Isadora Awards), and sector utilities (BC Dance Calendar, BC Dance Directory). Technology is functional infrastructure rather than software: purpose-built physical plant plus standard digital channels (website, bi-weekly newsletter, social, podcast, RSS).

Revenue mechanics are a hybrid non-profit model blending earned income (memberships, space rentals at presumably market rates, ticket sales in the $25-$65 range with sliding scale and youth/student/senior discounts) with diversified fundraising across government (Government of Canada, Province of BC, City of Vancouver, Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council), foundations, corporate sponsors (Corporate Leader's Circle), and individual donors (Choreographer's Circle, monthly, legacy, endowments). The 11-50 person staff is led by Executive Director Mirna Zagar with a board chaired by Selim Hasan.

Name

The Dance Centre

Legal name

VDC Dance Centre Society

Website

https://thedancecentre.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dance Centre is a Vancouver-based non-profit (founded 1986) that operates BC's flagship purpose-built 32,000 sq ft dance facility, providing studio and theatre rentals, artist residencies, performances, and community outreach to professional dance artists, 40+ resident companies, and the broader public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Facility Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Dance Companies (711120), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Dance facility rentals
• Artist residency programs
• Performing arts venue
• Community dance outreach
• Dance membership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership program providing dance artists access to programs, affordable studio space, resources, and subsidies. Members receive discounts on rentals and can apply for substantial subsidies.
2. Space Rentals: Rental of six studios, boardroom, black box theatre, and performance spaces for rehearsals, classes, workshops, performances, and special events.
3. Ticket Sales: Revenue from performances and events ticketing, with ticket prices ranging from $25-$59 for various events.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and foundations. Programs include Choreographer's Circle, Corporate Leader's Circle, Monthly Giving, Legacy Giving, and Endowments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Dance Centre operates a purpose-built 32,000 sq ft dance facility in downtown Vancouver providing studio, theatre, boardroom, and office space rentals to dance companies and artists. It complements these physical infrastructure rentals with artist development programs (residencies, Dancelab, workshops), performance programming (Global Dance Connections series, Dance In Vancouver Festival), community outreach (Power of Dance), industry recognition (Lola and Isadora Awards), and a membership program offering access to subsidized studio space and resources.

Product overview

The Dance Centre operates as a purpose-built dance facility and resource centre, offering a platform of interconnected services. The core offering includes studio, theatre, boardroom, and office space rentals (the physical infrastructure), complemented by artist development programs (Artist-in-Residence, Dancelab, Associate Artists, Dance Workshops), presentation programs (Global Dance Connections Series, Dance In Vancouver Festival, 12 Minutes Max), community engagement (Power of Dance outreach, BC Dance Calendar, BC Dance Directory), and recognition (Lola Award, Isadora Award). The membership program provides access to all these offerings with discounts and subsidies. The 32,000 sq. ft. facility at 677 Davie Street in Vancouver houses six studios, a 154-seat theatre, and support spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dance Studio Rentals Rental of six custom-designed dance studios for rehearsals, classes, workshops, and special events. Members receive discounts and can apply for substantial subsidies. For dance artists, companies, and organizations.
• Theatre Rentals Rental of the 154-seat Faris Family Studio black box theatre and production space for performances and special events. For dance companies, choreographers, and event organizers.
• Boardroom Rentals Rental of boardroom space within the facility for meetings, board meetings, and small gatherings by dance organizations and arts groups.
• Office Space Rentals Office space rental within The Dance Centre facility for dance organizations and resident artists requiring administrative space.
• Special Event Rentals Rental of The Dance Centre's facilities for special events including galas, launches, receptions, and corporate functions.
• Membership Program Annual membership providing dance professionals access to programs, affordable studio space, resources, discounts on rentals, and ability to apply for substantial subsidies. Open to professionals working in all dance forms at every career stage.
• Artist-in-Residence Program Residency program providing studio and theatre space for choreographers to develop and create new works, with support for research, production, and presentation. For professional dance artists and choreographers.
• Dancelab Research lab program supporting experimental dance development and creative exploration by dance artists.
• 12 Minutes Max Program fostering experimentation and development of new dance works through studio showings with critical feedback and community dialogue, scheduled through multiple sessions per season.
• Global Dance Connections Series Performance series featuring dance works by artists from across Canada, presenting world premieres and acclaimed contemporary dance. Subscription packages offer up to 30% savings on single ticket prices.
• Dance In Vancouver Festival Biennial international dance festival drawing presenters from across the globe, showcasing Canadian and international dance works and offering curated access for national and international programmers.
• Power of Dance Community outreach program including Immigrant and Refugee Youth Program, Discover Dance! for Schools, Elementary School Program, High School Program, and Seniors programming, expanding access to dance education.
• Dance Workshops Professional development workshops for dance artists at various career stages, offered as part of ongoing programming.
• Associate Artists Program Program recognizing and supporting established dance artists with ongoing affiliation, resources, and curatorial support at The Dance Centre.
• Rising Together Program supporting dance artists and collaborative projects, focused on community building among artists.
• BC Dance Calendar Online community calendar listing dance performances, events, classes, workshops, and auditions across British Columbia, with member submission capability.
• BC Dance Directory Directory of dance organizations, companies, and artists in British Columbia, maintained as a community resource by The Dance Centre.
• Lola Award Biennial $10,000 award to encourage work of mid-career and senior choreographers, supported by the Lola McLaughlin Endowment Fund with the Vancouver Foundation.
• Isadora Award Annual award recognizing achievements of BC dance professionals; recipient receives a specially-designed award by Mary Filer, studio/theatre space up to $4,000 value, and $1,000 cash.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• The Dance FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Sister society that co-fundraised for the $6 million land purchase. Now moving into next phase fundraising for essential building upgrades ($1.5 million already raised).
• PuSh International Performing Arts FestivalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of The Brutal Joy by Justine A. Chambers and Catching Up to the Future of Our Past by Plastic Orchid Factory.
• National Arts Centre (Ottawa)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of MY HOUSE by FakeKnot alongside Urban Ink and Queer Arts Festival.
• Music on MainmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of WAIL by Action at a Distance / Vanessa Goodman.
• Vancouver International Dance Festival (VIDF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of Show Gone by Ame Henderson Projects + Provincija.
• Kalāvāṇī InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting Ānanda Arangetram performance by Triya Tessa Ramburn.
• Vancouver Tagore SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting Ānanda Arangetram performance.
• Urban InkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of MY HOUSE alongside National Arts Centre and Queer Arts Festival.
• Queer Arts FestivalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of MY HOUSE alongside National Arts Centre and Urban Ink.
• IATSE Local 118coreOthersThe Dance Centre is an IATSE 118 Union house, with venue staff covered under collective agreement.
• The Polygon GallerymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner with Dance//Novella for Emerging Artist Program providing mentorship, creation support, and performance opportunities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheDanceCentreBC
• Facebookfacebook.com/thedancecentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/thedancecentrebc
• TikToktiktok.com/@thedancecentrebc
• Xx.com/dancecentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-dance-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 The Dance Centre