Forklift Danceworks

What Forklift Danceworks does

Forklift Danceworks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization, legally Allison Orr Dance Inc (Tax ID 01-0812720), founded in 2001 and headquartered at 2023 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin, Texas. Its core offering is a proprietary, 25-year-refined methodology that transforms the everyday work movements of municipal employees, campus staff, and community members into site-specific theatrical performances. Signature productions include The Trash Project (2009, with Austin Resource Recovery), PowerUP (2013, with Austin Energy), the On Campus university series (Williams College 2018, Wake Forest 2019, Wesleyan), and the flagship The Way of Water global initiative spanning Austin, El Paso, Miami, Venice, and Braga. The work has produced measurable civic outcomes, including a contribution to passing a $40 million bond for Austin city pools and more than $250,000 in funding for historic Downs Field upgrades.

Name

Forklift Danceworks

Legal name

Allison Orr Dance Inc

Website

https://forkliftdanceworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forklift Danceworks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that uses a proprietary collaborative methodology to transform the work movements of municipal employees, campus staff, and community members into site-specific theatrical performances. It serves cities, universities, and cultural festivals across the US, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Team-Building & Offsite Services (HSACADAF)

Keywords

• Community-based dance
• Site-specific performance
• Civic engagement arts
• Creative collaboration methodology
• Nonprofit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Forklift Danceworks relies heavily on individual donations and contributions from supporters. The organization runs donation campaigns including their 'Help Forklift raise 50K for 25 Years' initiative.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Major funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Doris Duke Foundation, Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, and City of Austin Economic Development Department.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Season sponsors and corporate partners including H-E-B, Stantec, IBC Bank, Austin Parks Foundation, The Honor Roll, and in-kind sponsors provide financial and logistical support.
4. Book Sales and Speaking Engagements: Sales of 'Dance Works: Stories of Creative Collaboration' published by Wesleyan University Press, along with speaking engagements and keynotes on creative collaborations.
5. Commissioned Projects: International commissions such as 85.755t for Braga, Portugal's Desejar festival, and international projects in Venice, Rotterdam, and Kyoto.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Forklift Danceworks is a nonprofit performing arts organization that creates large-scale, site-specific dance performances co-created with non-traditional performers including municipal employees, university staff, and community members. Through its proprietary collaborative creative process, the organization transforms the everyday work movements of frontline workers into theatrical productions delivered as free public performances, university residencies, commissioned projects, and international initiatives. The core portfolio includes The Way of Water global initiative, signature works such as The Trash Project and PowerUP, the Co-Lab consulting service, and the On Campus university series.

Product overview

Forklift Danceworks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization based in Austin, Texas, that activates communities through a collaborative creative process. The organization offers a portfolio of community-based performances (The Way of Water – Global, The Trash Project, PowerUP, In Case of Fire), educational programs (On Campus, Co-Lab by Forklift™), digital experiences (Echoes audio walks), and publications (Dance Works book). The Way of Water serves as the flagship global initiative addressing climate-based water issues, while Co-Lab provides consulting and creative process services for external organizations. The organization's core offering is site-specific dance performances that feature non-traditional performers (firefighters, sanitation workers, campus employees) performing choreography derived from their daily work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Co-Lab by Forklift™: A creative process using inquiry and collaboration to deepen connection and find solutions to shared problems, supporting academic, business, governmental, and community organizations.

Products and services

• The Way of Water - Global Multi-year global arts-based initiative bringing together communities, civic organizations, and advocacy groups to address climate-based water issues through theatrical productions co-created with local partners and frontline workers, currently active across Austin TX, El Paso TX, Miami FL, Venice Italy, and other global cities.
• Co-Lab by Forklift Transformative creative process using inquiry and collaboration to deepen connection and find solutions to shared problems, serving academic, business, governmental, and community organizations through keynotes, workshops, and creative project design.
• The Trash Project Site-specific dance featuring 24 City of Austin Sanitation Department employees and 16 large sanitation vehicles, celebrating sanitation workers and the artistry in their work; premiered in 2009 and re-mounted in 2011.
• PowerUP Site-specific performance featuring 50+ Austin Energy linemen, electrical technicians, and employees with utility poles, trucks, and cranes at the Decker Power Plant, performed for 6,000+ audience members.
• In Case of Fire Forklift's first production, a dance for thirteen City of Austin Firefighters from stations 11 and 17, performed at the AFD Training Tower marking Fire Prevention Week.
• On Campus Touring series of multi-visit collaborative residencies at U.S. universities featuring campus employees (dining, facilities, custodial, maintenance, landscaping staff) creating dances that highlight the virtuosic work of staff performed by the employees themselves.
• Echoes of the Watershed Audio Walk Immersive audio walk experience using the Echoes Interactive App, allowing audiences to explore locations like Onion Creek watershed with location-triggered audio content continuing The Way of Water series.
• Dance Works: Stories of Creative Collaboration Memoir and guide published by Wesleyan University Press reflecting on major collaborations and sharing interviews with people who performed in Forklift dances over two decades, sold alongside speaking engagements and keynotes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of PowerUP performing employees agreed the performance improved public understanding of their work and improved AE's public image.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Bailey College of the Environment at Wesleyan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in National Convening on Community-Based Practice (September 2026) and ongoing collaborator on environmental and water-related projects including The Way of Water global initiative.
• Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at AustincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue partner for National Convening on Community-Based Practice at Thompson Center, University of Texas at Austin.
• Frontera ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for National Convening on Community-Based Practice, bringing multidisciplinary field expertise.
• Austin Community College Dance & Drama DepartmentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner contributing to National Convening on Community-Based Practice.
• Planet Texas 2050minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUT Austin initiative partner for National Convening on Community-Based Practice.
• Austin Water and Watershed Protection UtilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey municipal partner for The Way of Water global initiative, providing access to employees and water systems for collaborative performances.
• Miami-Dade CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for The Way of Water - Miami (2023-2025), featuring county water employees in large-scale outdoor performance.
• Venice International UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partner for The Way of Water global initiative (2023-2026), contributing to water stewardship programming.
• H-E-BcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSeason sponsor providing support for Forklift performances and community events including The Way of Water series.
• IBC BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSeason sponsor supporting Forklift Danceworks performances and community engagement programs.
• StantecminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeason sponsor and professional services firm supporting Forklift's community-based performances.
• Austin Parks FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting Forklift performances at Austin parks including The Way of Water - Onion Creek.
• The Honor RollminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeason sponsor and co-founding organization supporting Forklift's community initiatives.
• Cofer ConnellyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeason sponsor supporting Forklift Danceworks programs.
• King & SpaldingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeason sponsor providing support for Forklift's community-based dance performances.
• Austin EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal utility partner for PowerUP (2013), featuring 50+ linemen and electrical technicians in large-scale performance for 6,000+ audience. Community partner providing access to employees and equipment.
• Applied MaterialscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTerawatt Presenting Sponsor for PowerUP, providing major financial support for the performance.
• AFSCME Local 1624coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union representing municipal workers, supporting PowerUP and The Trash Project performances.
• Waterloo GreenwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner venue for The Way of Water: Waller Creek at the Waller Creek Tunnel Inlet Facility. Provided performance space for 1,500+ audience.
• Williams College '62 Center for Theatre and DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue and funder for Served (2018), the first in the On Campus series, featuring Williams College Dining Services staff.
• Wake Forest Department of Theatre and DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost department for From the Ground Up (2019), featuring Wake Forest Facilities and Campus Services employees.
• Interdisciplinary Performance and the Liberal Arts Center (IPLACe) at Wake Forest UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting partner for From the Ground Up, bringing campus staff performances to Wake Forest University.
• South ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional arts organization serving as networking partner for National Convening on Community-Based Practice.
• Austin WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal water utility partner for The Way of Water - Colorado River (2025), featuring utility personnel in three-part performance series.
• Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty cultural agency supporting The Way of Water - Miami production at Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center.
• University of Texas at El Paso Department of Theatre and DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-director Melissa Melpignano from UTEP collaborated on The Way of Water - El Paso (2025), bringing students together with local water experts.
• Desajar Festival (Braga, Portugal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned by Braga's Desejar festival for 85.755t (2025), part of Braga's year-long cultural capital celebration. Featuring 50+ municipal sanitation workers.
• Agere (Braga Sanitation Department)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal sanitation department in Braga, Portugal providing 50+ employees for 85.755t performance.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Urban Bush Women: A Brooklyn-based dance company that activates communities through performance and community engagement, with a strong emphasis on civic dialogue, social justice, and using the body to address community issues — closely paralleling Forklift's mission.
• Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company: An award-winning, socially engaged dance company whose work blends personal and civic narratives with rigorous contemporary choreography. Comparable to Forklift in using performance to address social issues and engage communities beyond traditional audiences.
• Liz Lerman & the Dance Exchange: A community-based dance company that builds performances from the stories and movements of non-professional participants across generations. Liz Lerman's methodology is the closest direct predecessor and conceptual analogue to Forklift's collaborative, civic-engaged model.
• A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham: Abraham.InMotion is a contemporary dance company whose work engages community identity and social themes. Its blend of personal narrative, community involvement, and high-profile touring makes it a strong analogue to Forklift's community-rooted performance model.
• Ragamala Dance Company: A Minneapolis-based Bharatanatyam dance company whose work explores cultural identity and community storytelling. Comparable as a culturally rooted dance company with community engagement at the core of its mission.
• David Dorfman Dance: A New York-based contemporary dance company known for socially engaged work that often involves community collaborators and addresses civic themes. Comparable to Forklift in combining rigorous choreography with community-based creation.

Broad incumbents

• Pilobolus: A larger, well-established dance company known for inventive collaborative choreography, commercial work, and international touring. Comparable to Forklift in its collaborative-creation ethos, but operates at significantly larger scale with commercial revenue streams.

Emerging players

• Pig Iron Theatre Company: A Philadelphia-based devised theater company whose ensemble-driven, site-specific, and community-engaged work overlaps with Forklift's collaborative creation model, though Pig Iron works primarily in theater rather than dance.
• SITI Company: A Brooklyn-based theater company known for site-specific, ensemble-devised work with strong international touring and training programs. Comparable to Forklift in collaborative methodology and global residency-based production.
• STREB: An action-based dance company known for extreme movement, site-specific and architectural performances, and audience-engaging public work. Comparable to Forklift in using non-traditional venues and equipment-as-prop performance aesthetics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/forkliftdanceworks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forklift-danceworks
• Instagraminstagram.com/forkliftdanceworks/?hl=en
• Xx.com/ForkliftDance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Forklift Danceworks