Phoenix Dance Theatre

What Phoenix Dance Theatre does

Phoenix Dance Theatre is a UK registered charity (No. 516672) and private company founded in Leeds in 1981 by three Black British men, operating as the country's leading contemporary dance company outside London. The company produces and tours original contemporary dance productions nationally and internationally — recent works include Requiem: Journeys of the Soul (2023, co-produced with Opera North and South Africa's Jazzart Dance Theatre), Inside Giovanni's Room (2025), Susanna (2025), and Interplay (2026) — at major venues including Sadler's Wells East, Leeds Playhouse, Northern Stage, York Theatre Royal, and Liverpool Playhouse. Its 2023 Requiem production was filmed and broadcast on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer.

The company runs a substantial education and talent development programme anchored by Phoenix Youth Academies in five cities (Leeds, Doncaster, Oldham, Sheffield, York) for ages 13-18, a Saturday School for ages 4-18, Summer School and Graduate Summer Intensive programmes, and a Schools Partnership Scheme across Yorkshire that collectively reach over 6,800 young people annually. It also operates artist development programmes (Phoenix Fridays, Associate Artist Programme) and community projects (Kick Off Boys, NO BOUNDS, Healthy Holidays, ResTec, mass participation events).

Revenue is generated through five streams: ticket sales from touring productions, corporate sponsorship via the Phoenix Forward scheme (£50-£500/month tiers plus a £500 minimum founding donation), individual donations (JustGiving plus gift aid), education programme fees (e.g., Saturday School at £48-£60/term), and merchandise. Statutory funding from Arts Council England, Leeds City Council, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority is the primary underlying support. The company maintains a combined social media and newsletter reach of approximately 123,000 followers and has secured consistent 5-star reviews from The Times, Observer, Guardian, and Financial Times.

Name

Phoenix Dance Theatre

Legal name

Phoenix Dance Theatre

Website

https://phoenixdancetheatre.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phoenix Dance Theatre is a Leeds-based UK registered charity founded in 1981, producing and touring contemporary dance productions nationally and internationally while running five regional youth academies, Saturday School, and schools partnership programmes reaching over 6,800 young people annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Contemporary dance productions
• Dance education programs
• Youth dance training
• Professional dance performances
• School dance workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from touring productions, theatre performances, and special events. The company tours nationally to venues including Leeds Playhouse, Sadler's Wells East, and regional theatres.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate membership scheme (Phoenix Forward) starting at £500 minimum donation, with Bronze (£50/month), Silver (£250/month), and Gold (£500/month) sponsorship tiers supporting dancer development fund of approximately £20,000 annually.
3. Individual Donations: One-off and regular donations from individuals, including gift aid scheme adding 25% to donations, with thank-you benefits including exclusive content and early access to ticket sales.
4. Education Programs: Fees from Saturday School classes (£48-£60 per term), Summer School, Graduate Intensive, and other educational workshops for children and young people aged 4-18.
5. Merchandise: Sale of Phoenix Commemorative Book and other branded merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Phoenix Dance Theatre produces and tours contemporary dance productions across the UK, including major works such as Requiem, Inside Giovanni's Room, Susanna, and Interplay, performed at venues including Leeds Playhouse, Sadler's Wells East, and on national/international tours. Alongside professional performances, the company runs a youth dance training ecosystem (Saturday School, five Youth Academy satellites, Summer School, Graduate Intensives) and delivers school-based dance education, community engagement projects, and artist development programmes reaching over 6,800 young people annually.

Product overview

Phoenix Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company that operates as a single unified offering centered around producing and performing professional dance productions, supplemented by an extensive education and community engagement programme. The core product consists of touring contemporary dance productions (Requiem: Journeys of the Soul, Inside Giovanni's Room, Susanna, Interplay) performed at major UK venues including Sadler's Wells, Leeds Playhouse, and on international tours. Supporting the main productions is a comprehensive youth development ecosystem comprising five Phoenix Youth Academy satellite programmes (Leeds, Doncaster, Oldham, Sheffield, York) offering pre-vocational training for ages 13-18, Saturday School for ages 4-18, Summer School, and Graduate Summer Intensive. The company also delivers extensive community engagement through professional development programmes (Phoenix Fridays, Associate Artist Programme), educational workshops for schools (Shadow Workshops, Rep Workshops, Cross-Curricular Projects), youth dance projects (Kick Off Boys, NO BOUNDS, ResTec), holiday programmes (Healthy Holidays), and the Schools Partnership Scheme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Requiem: Journeys of the Soul A staged re-imagining of Mozart's Requiem, a dance-opera hybrid co-produced with Opera North, Jazzart Dance Theatre, and Cape Town Opera, premiering at Leeds Grand Theatre and touring to South Africa. Targeted at professional contemporary dance audiences.
• Inside Giovanni's Room A full-length contemporary dance production inspired by James Baldwin's 1956 novel, exploring love, sexuality, guilt, and self-acceptance in 1950s Paris. Performed for theatre audiences on a Spring 2025 national tour.
• Susanna A new collaboration between Opera North and Phoenix Dance Theatre based on Handel's English oratorio, reimagining the biblical Susanna story with contemporary resonance. Premiering October-November 2025 for theatre audiences.
• Interplay A dynamic mixed bill centered around the fusion of creative collaboration and the blending of distinct artistic voices, premiering on a national Spring 2026 tour for theatre audiences.
• Phoenix Youth Academy Leeds High-quality pre-vocational dance training programme founded in 2009 for aspiring dancers aged 13-18 in Leeds. Students meet twice weekly to develop contemporary dance techniques, performance skills, and progression pathways to leading conservatoires.
• Phoenix Youth Academy York Pre-vocational dance training programme in York for talented dancers aged 13-18, offering three hours per week of contemporary technique development with sessions on Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Phoenix Youth Academy Sheffield Satellite Youth Academy in Sheffield offering 90-minute weekly pre-vocational contemporary dance training sessions for talented young dancers aged 13-18, with venues rotating across Sheffield Springs Academy (Summer Term) and All Saints Catholic High School (Autumn & Spring Terms).
• Phoenix Youth Academy Oldham Satellite Youth Academy in Oldham, launched September 2023 in partnership with Oldham Sixth Form College, providing 90-minute weekly pre-vocational dance training for talented young dancers aged 13-18.
• Phoenix Youth Academy Doncaster Satellite Youth Academy in Doncaster, run in partnership with Cast Theatre, offering 90-minute weekly sessions at Astrea Academy Woodfields to develop contemporary technique and performance skills for dancers aged 13-18.
• Saturday School
• Summer School 2026
• Graduate Summer Intensive 2026
• Schools Partnership Scheme
• GCSE Dance Shadows Workshops
• Inside Phoenix: Shadows Event
• Cross-Curricular Projects Dance and literacy projects for primary schools and the Science in Motion project for KS2-KS4, designed to improve pupil engagement and achievement while building confidence through curriculum-linked dance activity.
• Rep Workshops Repertory workshops delivered alongside national tours to school students and youth groups, led by current or former company dancers to develop contemporary dance technique and learn Phoenix company repertoire.
• Phoenix Fridays Artist Residencies Artist development programme supporting Leeds-based freelance dance artists with in-kind studio space, time to research and create alongside company dancers, and guidance from artistic leadership.
• Associate Artist Programme Six-month programme offering emerging choreographers funding, in-kind studio space, and access to company dancers to develop their creative practice and research.
• Kick Off Boys Youth Dance Project Weekly boys-only youth dance sessions for ages 11-18 held at Leeds City College (Quarry Hill Campus) in partnership with NSCD and DAZL, providing performance opportunities and clear progression routes to further dance training.
• NO BOUNDS Boys Dance Classes Free weekly dance classes for boys aged 7-11 in Burley and at Temple Learning Academy, building physical strength, focus, confidence and dance skills. Made possible by Wade's Charity.
• Healthy Holidays Holiday activity programme providing affordable childcare through dance, combating holiday inactivity and isolation while offering respite for parents and carers. Free places for children eligible for free school meals.
• ResTec (Respect, Protect) Annual youth dance platform raising awareness of social issues through dance, with school workshops and national performance opportunities for participating youth groups.
• Mass Participation & Bespoke Events Bespoke large-scale dance events and commissions including Ghost Peloton for the Tour de France and Try Then/Try Now for Rugby League Cares at Wembley Stadium, designed for brand and community partners.
• Open Company Class Weekly open company classes for professional dancers and students in their final year of vocational training, led by guest artists exploring various choreographic styles and techniques.
• Phoenix Commemorative Book A commemorative hardback book documenting Phoenix Dance Theatre's history with over 125 images from leading dance photographers, recommended by Dance Europe Magazine. Sold as merchandise to supporters and the general public.
• Virtual Gallery A free immersive and interactive online gallery exploring Phoenix Dance Theatre's first four decades, featuring more than 250 artefacts including photographs, video clips, programmes, posters and costumes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,800 young people supported annually through education programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Opera NorthflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2023Phoenix Dance Theatre's most significant collaboration partner, having worked together on multiple productions including The Rite of Spring (2019), West Side Story Symphonic Dances (2021), Requiem: Journeys of the Soul (2023), and Susanna (2025). Opera North is a leading opera company based in Leeds that co-commissions and co-produces major dance-opera hybrid productions with Phoenix.
• Jazzart Dance TheatreflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2023South African contemporary dance company based in Cape Town that partnered with Phoenix for the international Requiem production (2023). Jazzart celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, and the collaboration involved 16 dancers performing together, with Phoenix dancers traveling to South Africa for performances at Artscape Theatre.
• Cape Town OperacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2023South African opera company that partnered with Phoenix and Jazzart for the Requiem South Africa performances at Artscape Theatre in October 2023, providing soloists and chorus alongside the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
• LEEDS 2023coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Year of Culture initiative that co-commissioned Requiem: Journeys of the Soul as part of Leeds' year-long cultural celebration, providing significant funding and platform for the international production.
• The SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Production partner that co-produced Requiem with Opera North, supporting the creation and distribution of the dance-opera hybrid work.
• BBC ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023BBC Arts partnered with Opera North and Phoenix to produce Requiem, resulting in the 50-minute film version being broadcast on BBC Four and available on BBC iPlayer.
• Leeds City CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Education partner for the Kick Off Boys Youth Dance Project, hosting weekly sessions at the Quarry Hill Campus. Students from the college participate as peer role models to inspire and support younger participants.
• Oldham Sixth Form CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Education partner for Phoenix Youth Academy Oldham, launched in September 2023. The academy provides pre-vocational dance training for talented young dancers aged 13-18, with weekly 90-minute sessions held at the college.
• Cast Theatre DoncastercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre partner for Phoenix Youth Academy Doncaster, running a satellite academy programme where students attend weekly sessions to develop contemporary technique and performance skills.
• Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner in the Kick Off Boys project, combining resources with Phoenix and DAZL to offer weekly classes, half-term intensives, performance opportunities and film projects for young male dancers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Northern Ballet: Leeds-based dance company of similar scale, also operating outside London and combining professional touring productions with extensive education and community engagement programmes. The closest geographic and operational peer to Phoenix Dance Theatre.
• Rambert: One of the UK's leading contemporary dance companies, producing and touring full-scale contemporary works with a permanent company of dancers. Direct peer in the contemporary dance touring space, though larger and London-based.
• Akram Khan Company: Internationally renowned UK-based contemporary dance company producing large-scale dance-theatre works with extensive global touring. Peer in the contemporary dance touring and co-production space, though at a higher international profile tier.
• Hofesh Shechter Company: Internationally touring UK contemporary dance company creating large-scale theatrical productions, with growing education and participation programmes. Comparable in artistic ambition and production scale to Phoenix's flagship works.
• National Dance Company Wales: Wales's national dance company producing contemporary and dance-theatre works with national touring and education programmes. Comparable scale and operating model outside of London, with similar reliance on public arts funding.
• Jasmin Vardimon Company: UK contemporary dance company creating and touring full-length narrative dance productions, with associated education and community programmes. Strong overlap with Phoenix in the narrative-contemporary space and in combining touring with education work.
• Siobhan Davies Dance: London-based contemporary dance company producing original choreographic work and supporting independent artists, with a strong focus on arts education and audience engagement. Comparable in size and contemporary focus to Phoenix.

Emerging players

• Candoco Dance Company: UK contemporary dance company of disabled and non-disabled dancers, producing and touring original work alongside education and outreach programmes. Comparable scale and education focus, with thematic overlap in championing underrepresented voices in dance.

Broad incumbents

• English National Ballet: Major UK ballet company with extensive national and international touring, education programmes, and a broad classical-contemporary repertoire. Overlaps with Phoenix on the contemporary production and education side, though larger and more established.
• Scottish Ballet: Scotland's national ballet company producing a mix of classical and contemporary works with strong education programmes. Comparable in scale and mission but with a broader repertoire spanning ballet and contemporary dance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PhoenixLeeds
• Facebookfacebook.com/phoenixdancetheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/phoenixdancetheatre

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 Phoenix Dance Theatre