What NW Dance Project does

NW Dance Project is a Portland, Oregon-based contemporary dance company and 501(c)-style nonprofit founded in 2004 by Sarah Slipper, a Royal Ballet School-trained former Royal Winnipeg Ballet dancer. The company performs an all-original repertoire from a select roster of accomplished and emerging choreographers (including Ihsan Rustem, Caroline Finn, Anne Plamondon, Ethan Colangelo, Mike Tyus, and Akira Uchida) at its mainstage venue, the Newmark Theatre in downtown Portland, and on national and international tours. NWDP has earned multiple international awards, including the 2012 Sadler's Wells Global Dance Contest, the 2017 Dance Magazine Readers' Choice Award for Best Collaboration, and a 2024 Best Physical Theater Award at the Fall United Solo Festival.

Name

NW Dance Project

Legal name

NW Dance Project

Website

https://nwdanceproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts - Contemporary Dance

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance company
• Professional dance performances
• Dance education programs
• Choreographic residency programs
• Community dance outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Performance Ticket Sales: Revenue from main stage performances at Newmark Theatre and other venues, season subscriptions, and touring productions. Box office at 503.828.8285 and online through ArtsPeople platform.
2. Dance Class Registration: Drop-in adult classes ($20/class), Class Cards (10 classes for $165, 20% savings), youth program tuition, and summer intensive registrations.
3. Summer Dance Intensives: Youth Summer Dance Intensive (ages 8-18) at $900-950, Summer Dance Platform (ages 15-24) at $2,375, with housing and meal plan add-ons available.
4. MOVE Professional Residency: Two-week professional dancer residency program (ages 21+) priced at $1,450, featuring mentorship with international choreographers and public showings.
5. ANNEX Second Company Program: Full-season professional development program (ages 18+) at $8,500, with installment payment options, offering immersion alongside company artists.
6. Studio Rentals: Rental of dance studio and conference space to individuals, groups, and visiting artists. Includes 1500 sq ft studio with professional amenities.
7. Individual Donations and Sponsorships: Relies on support from individual patrons, corporate sponsors, and foundation funders. All donations are tax-deductible and qualify for Oregon's Cultural Trust state tax credit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NW Dance Project is an award-winning contemporary dance company that performs an all-original repertoire by accomplished choreographers and emerging creators. It produces mainstage performances at Portland's Newmark Theatre and on tour, runs year-round youth and adult dance education programs, and operates professional development intensives including MOVE, Summer Dance Platform, and the ANNEX second company program.

Product overview

NW Dance Project is an award-winning contemporary dance company that operates a multi-faceted performing arts organization with a unified portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core offering comprises professional dance performances featuring original works from international choreographers. Supporting this are year-round education programs including Youth Dance (ages 4-18), Adult Drop-in Classes, and intensive summer programs (Summer Dance Platform, MOVE professional residency, Youth Summer Dance). The organization also operates an ANNEX second-company program, offers studio rentals, and provides community outreach through Dance Moves. Ticket sales, donations, program tuition, and class cards are facilitated through integrated third-party platforms (Arts-People for ticketing, StudioWorks for registration). The portfolio spans the full spectrum from performance to education to community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MOVE: A two-week creative residency program for professional dancers (21+) featuring mentorship with international choreographers and culminating in public showings.
• Summer Dance Platform
• ANNEX
• Dance Moves

Products and services

• NW Dance Project Performances

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2021, twelve dancers have received company contracts from their participation in MOVE residency.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Portland State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing on-campus housing (Ondine Hall) for Summer Dance Platform participants. Includes amenities, meal plans, and resident assistant support.
• Botanica Floral DesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Portland florist providing floral arrangements for events and performances.
• Bud's LitesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLighting equipment provider for performances.
• Mark Spencer HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Portland hotel providing accommodation support for visiting artists and choreographers.
• Oregon ArtsWatchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOregon arts publication providing performance reviews and critical coverage.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alonzo King LINES Ballet: San Francisco contemporary ballet company known for original works by a resident choreographer and a parallel training program (LINES Training Program). Highly comparable artistic model and BANG dance center facility parallel to NWDP's Creative Center.
• ODC/Dance: San Francisco-based contemporary dance company with a similar profile: original choreography, year-round school, professional company, and touring productions. Closely comparable in mission, scale, and operational structure to NW Dance Project.
• Pilobolus: Original-choreography-focused dance company with touring productions, education programs, and creative residencies. Comparable operating model emphasizing innovative contemporary work and broad audience reach.
• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Mid-size contemporary dance company with a strong choreographic commissioning program, education/outreach, and national/international touring. Comparable in professional company size and audience-development approach.
• Whim W'Him: Seattle-based contemporary dance company featuring original works by multiple choreographers, with a similar small-company scale and commissioning-driven model. Comparable in operational scale and west-coast regional positioning.

Emerging players

• Batsheva Dance Company: Internationally recognized contemporary dance company with a distinctive choreographic voice (Ohad Naharin) and parallel training programs (Batsheva Dancers Create). Comparable artistic-development model, though based outside the US market.

Regional players

• Ballet West: Regional ballet company with school, touring, and community engagement comparable to NWDP's regional model. Similar scale and audience-development approach, though more classical in repertoire.
• Oregon Ballet Theatre: Portland-based ballet company serving overlapping audiences and competing for the same regional donor pool and performance venues (e.g., Newmark Theatre). Comparable in regional footprint and funding-source competition, though more classical in repertoire.

Broad incumbents

• Mark Morris Dance Group: Larger, established contemporary dance organization with a resident company, school, and significant touring calendar. Comparable in mixing performance and education, but at materially greater scale and funding base.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Premier American modern dance institution with extensive touring, school, and community programs. Competes for similar donor funding and touring engagements, though at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NWDanceProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northwest-dance-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 NW Dance Project