What Pentacle's Gallery(Pentacle) does

Pentacle (DanceWorks, Inc.) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit management support organization serving performing artists, established in 1976. It provides four interlocking service lines: (1) Financial Services, including comprehensive fiscal administration for 501(c)(3) arts organizations and two fiscal sponsorship programs — the Foundation for Independent Artists (FIA, est. 1981) for full-service sponsorship and Unique Projects (est. 1988) for project-specific fundraising — plus consulting at $100/hour; (2) Booking/The Roster, a curated, invitation-only roster of six dance companies spanning contemporary, modern, Classical Indian, hip-hop, disability arts, and street dance; (3) Career & Professional Development through a 15-year-old Arts Administration Internship Program that has placed 200+ alumni and an Arts Admin Fellowship for mid-career workers; and (4) Programs such as Tour Ready Lab (launched August 2024 with 14 inaugural cohort members) and the Legacy Project.

Pentacle's underlying technology is minimal and not proprietary: it operates on Formstack for forms/applications, PayPal for donation processing, and Zoom for virtual programming; the 2021-launched nextSteps digital platform is its only internally developed software asset, and no API, SDK, or AI capabilities are disclosed. The organization is not a technology company but a human-services intermediary whose core offering is shared administrative infrastructure as an alternative to artists hiring in-house staff.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit structure: contributed revenue (donations, government grants from NEA/NYSCA/NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and foundation support from Howard Gilman, Harkness, Jerome Robbins, Jerome, Hyde and Watson, Con Edison, and others) anchors the budget, supplemented by earned revenue from fiscal sponsorship fees (7% of pass-through income plus a $100 annual fee for Unique Projects), consulting fees, and booking commissions. The Roster is invitation-only with no public revenue figures disclosed, operating from a Brooklyn headquarters relocated in 2024 to the Mark Morris Dance Center after 48 years in Manhattan. Customer segments include incorporated and unincorporated performing artists, small 501(c)(3) arts organizations, mid-career arts workers, and aspiring arts administrators across the U.S. with some international reach (Canada, India via roster).

Name

Pentacle's Gallery(Pentacle)

Legal name

DanceWorks, Inc.

Website

https://pentacle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pentacle (DanceWorks, Inc.) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 that provides fiscal sponsorship, booking representation, consulting, and career development services to performing artists and small arts organizations across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Administration Services

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchandising & D2C Management (Artists) (MPAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Arts administration services
• Fiscal sponsorship programs
• Performing arts booking
• Dance company management
• Nonprofit arts management

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Pentacle relies on community donations to support artists. The organization is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit and accepts tax-deductible donations.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: Fees for fiscal sponsorship programs. Unique Projects charges 7% of income plus an annual fee of $100.
3. Consulting Fees: Consultations cost $100 per hour with a minimum of one 1-hour meeting.
4. Government and Foundation Grants: Pentacle receives public funding from National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as private foundation support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pentacle is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit management support organization that provides performing artists and small dance companies with shared administrative infrastructure as an alternative to hiring in-house staff. Core offerings include fiscal administration for 501(c)(3) arts organizations, two fiscal sponsorship programs (Foundation for Independent Artists for comprehensive coverage and Unique Projects for project-based needs), one-on-one consulting in finance/grant writing/booking/marketing, and curated booking representation through its by-invitation Roster.

Product overview

Pentacle (DanceWorks, Inc.) is a not-for-profit management support organization for the performing arts established in 1976, offering a comprehensive suite of administrative and business support services to performing artists and arts organizations. The organization operates three main service areas: Financial Services (including Fiscal Administration, Foundation for Independent Artists/FIA fiscal sponsorship, Unique Projects fiscal sponsorship, and Consulting), Booking/The Roster (representing 6 curated dance companies in contemporary, modern, hip-hop, disability arts, and street dance forms), and Career & Professional Development Programs (Arts Administration Internship Program and Arts Admin Fellowship). Additional offerings include Tour Ready Lab (touring professional development), the Legacy Project, and support for hundreds of current and past artists spanning decades and diverse communities. The organization serves as a business partner for artists, providing infrastructure support as an alternative to in-house staffing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foundation for Independent Artists (FIA) Comprehensive fiscal sponsorship program that wraps performing artists and groups in 501(c)(3) equivalent status, with weekly dedicated administrator support, bookkeeping, payroll services, insurance access, and full financial administration.
• Unique Projects Basic fiscal sponsorship program that allows performing artists and organizations to receive tax-deductible donations and apply for foundation grants under Pentacle's 501(c)(3). Fees are 7% of gross charitable contributions/grants plus a $100 annual fee.
• Fiscal Administration All-inclusive fiscal administration program for incorporated 501(c)(3) performing arts organizations, providing dedicated administrators for bookkeeping, payroll, financial reporting, and bill payment.
• Consulting One-on-one paid consulting sessions with Pentacle staff experts covering financial planning, grant writing, administration, marketing, booking/touring, and self-producing for performing artists and organizations. Sessions are $100/hour with a minimum one-hour meeting, available as one-time or ongoing engagements.
• Booking / The Roster Booking and touring representation through Pentacle's curated Roster of dance companies. Artists are accepted by invitation only; the Roster represents companies whose work has been seen in every U.S. state and internationally, with recipients earning awards from Bessies to MacArthurs.
• Tour Ready Lab Five-month professional development cohort program providing workshops, mentorship, booking conference preparation, and APAP showcase opportunities to guide choreographers in expanding touring reach beyond their home base.
• Arts Administration Internship Program Long-running internship program that pairs aspiring arts administrators with individual artists and arts organizations, including hands-on experience and weekly professional development seminars. Over 200 individuals have completed the program since 2009.
• Arts Admin Fellowship Multi-year program providing mid-career arts workers with holistic, non-judgmental, non-hierarchical mentorship, including a monthly stipend, mentoring, professional development, and networking. Targets arts workers traditionally denied equitable access to job growth and professional development.
• Legacy Project Archival and storytelling initiative launched at Pentacle's 45th anniversary (2021) to preserve institutional history, capture artist and arts worker stories, and document Pentacle's impact on the performing arts field.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 individuals have completed Pentacle's Arts Administration Internship Program since 2009
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core partnership and supporting partnership.

• Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)core partnershipOthersPentacle is a member of APAP and participates in the annual APAP conference with roster showcases.
• Dance Manager's Collective (DMC)core partnershipOthersPentacle is a member of the Dance Manager's Collective which produces APAP showcases.
• Dance/USAcore partnershipOthersPentacle is a member of Dance/USA, the national service organization for dance.
• North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA)supporting partnershipOthersPentacle is a member of NAPAMA for performing arts managers and agents.
• Pennsylvania Presenterssupporting partnershipOthersPentacle maintains membership in Pennsylvania Presenters network.
• Western Arts Alliance (WAA)supporting partnershipOthersPentacle is a member of Western Arts Alliance for the western performing arts region.
• RUBBERBANDcore partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPentacle collaborates with RUBBERBAND on the Green Fund, an eco-touring initiative providing fee subsidies to presenters supporting environmentally responsible touring practices. This is the only grant of its kind supporting environmentally conscious touring.
• Counterpartcore partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounterpart is a member of the Dance Manager's Collective and produces APAP showcases at Ailey Citigroup Theatre and New York City Center Studios for Tour Ready Lab participants.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fractured Atlas: Fractured Atlas is the largest US fiscal sponsor for artists and arts organizations, providing 501(c)(3) status, fundraising tools, and insurance. It directly competes with Pentacle's Unique Projects program, but with broader project categories and a self-serve digital platform versus Pentacle's curated, high-touch approach.
• National Performance Network (NPN): NPN is a national network of performing arts presenters and artists that provides fiscal sponsorship, touring support, and community-building programs. Comparable to Pentacle in its performing-arts-specific support orientation and roster/touring facilitation, but operating at a national rather than NYC-anchored scale.
• MAP Fund: MAP Fund provides project-based grants to performing artists and is a key alternative funder that intersects with Pentacle's fiscal-sponsored projects. Many Unique Projects applicants ultimately receive MAP support, making MAP an ecosystem peer rather than a direct services competitor.
• The Field: The Field is a NYC-based performing arts service organization providing fiscal sponsorship, consulting, and professional development to dance, theater, and performance makers. It is a near-direct peer to Pentacle, serving a similar artist base with a comparable suite of capacity-building services.
• New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): NYFA provides fiscal sponsorship, grants, and professional development to NY-based artists and is one of Pentacle's closest geographic peers. Both serve performing artists in NYC with overlapping fiscal sponsorship and career development offerings, making them the most direct head-to-head competitor in this market.
• Creative Capital: Creative Capital provides multi-year grants and professional development to innovative artists across disciplines. While more grant-focused than Pentacle, it competes for the same pool of emerging/established performing artists seeking unrestricted funding and career support, and overlaps in professional development programming.
• Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA): FCA provides grants to artists working in dance, music, performance, and theater. It overlaps with Pentacle in serving performing artists with unrestricted and project support, though it operates purely as a grantmaker rather than as a multi-service management support organization.

Broad incumbents

• Dance/USA: Dance/USA is the national service organization for professional dance, of which Pentacle is a member. It is not a direct services competitor but operates in the same ecosystem, providing advocacy, research, and convening that complement Pentacle's roster and fiscal sponsorship work.
• Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation: Mid Atlantic Arts is a regional arts funder providing grants and touring support across multiple states. It overlaps with Pentacle's touring/Tour Ready Lab mission but operates at a regional funder level rather than as a direct management support organization.

Others

• Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP): APAP is the national membership organization for performing arts presenters, managers, and agents — Pentacle is an APAP member and showcases the Roster at APAP annually. APAP is an industry infrastructure peer (ecosystem enabler), not a competitor, but is the most relevant convener in Pentacle's go-to-market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PentacleDance
• Facebookfacebook.com/pentacle.danceworksinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pentacle-danceworks-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/pentacledance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Pentacle's Gallery(Pentacle)