Notes in Motion

What Notes in Motion does

Notes in Motion, legally Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre, is a New York City-based nonprofit arts education organization founded in 2000 by Artistic/Executive Director Amanda Selwyn. Its core function is delivering in-person dance education to New York City public school students from 3K through 12th grade across all five boroughs, plus Long Island, as an approved vendor of the New York City Department of Education. Programs are delivered by an Education Ensemble of approximately 50 Teaching Artists with advanced degrees and multi-style performance backgrounds, unified under the organization's proprietary Movement Exchange Method, which combines technical dance instruction with creative skill-building and collaborative learning aligned to the NYC DOE Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts. The organization also runs the Amanda Selwyn Dance Studio at 412 Broadway in Tribeca, offering youth and adult classes, and has produced 19 original evening-length works and 135+ productions at major NYC venues including Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, New York Live Arts, and the Mark Morris Dance Center.

The business model is a nonprofit funding stack composed of: (1) direct school partnership fees from NYC DOE and Long Island public schools for residencies and long-term programs, (2) government grants including FY2026 awards of $25,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts and $74,510 from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Development Fund, (3) individual donations solicited via the Network for Good donation platform, and (4) corporate giving plus recurring fundraising events such as the annual Season Gala and Golf Outing. Cumulatively, the organization reports reaching 428,133 NYC children across 167 schools since inception, with 50 active schools and approximately 2,000 active students served today. Student demographics skew toward economically disadvantaged (77%), Hispanic (44%), Black (24%), multilingual learners (20%), and students with disabilities (21%). There is no public pricing disclosure; programs are booked via website inquiry forms and contracted bilaterally with schools under DOE-vendor status.

Name

Notes in Motion

Legal name

Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre

Website

https://notesinmotion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Notes in Motion (legally Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre) is a NYC-based nonprofit founded in 2000 that delivers in-person dance education to public school students (3K-12) across all five boroughs via its 50-Teaching Artist Education Ensemble, using a proprietary Movement Exchange Method aligned with NYC DOE arts standards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB), Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD), Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Dance education programs
• Arts education nonprofit
• School dance residencies
• Performing arts education
• Youth dance classes

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Notes in Motion receives government funding including grants from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Cultural Development Fund. These grants support arts and culture programming across New York City.
2. Individual Donations: The organization solicits individual donations from the public to support dance education programs and inspire NYC children through the arts.
3. School Partnership Fees: Programs are contracted directly with NYC public schools as a DOE-approved vendor, generating revenue through school partnership agreements for dance residencies and education programs.
4. Corporate Giving: The organization has a Corporate Giving program, indicating revenue from corporate sponsorships and donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Notes in Motion delivers in-school dance education programs to NYC public schools (3K-12) through long-term partnerships, residencies, community performances, and educator professional development. Programs are taught by an Education Ensemble of 50 Teaching Artists and unified by the proprietary Movement Exchange Method. The organization also runs a Tribeca-based dance studio offering youth and adult classes to the general public.

Product overview

Notes in Motion is a dance education organization offering inclusive dance programs in NYC public schools. The core offering is a unified dance education program model that combines technical instruction with creative skill-building and collaborative learning, delivered through multiple program types including Dance Residencies, School Partnerships, Community Events and Performances, Professional Development, and Youth/Adult Dance Classes. The organization operates an Education Ensemble of 50 Teaching Artists and utilizes The Movement Exchange Method as its proprietary educational approach. Programs serve students from 3K-12th grade across all five NYC boroughs, with custom-tailored offerings for each school partner.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Movement Exchange Method: The organization's singular approach to dance education that combines technical instruction with creative skill-building and collaborative learning.

Products and services

• Dance Residencies In-school dance education programs for NYC public schools that combine technical instruction with creative skill-building and collaborative learning, custom-tailored to each school's specific needs.
• School Partnerships
• Community Events and Performances
• Professional Development
• Teaching Artist Workshop Series
• Youth Dance Classes
• Adult Dance Classes

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 428,133 NYC children inspired through dance education programs since 2000.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NYC Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNotes in Motion is an approved vendor of the NYC Department of Education, enabling direct contracting with public schools across all five NYC boroughs. All programs reflect the learning standards outlined in the NYC DOE's Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts. Programs are offered to schools in all five boroughs including Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Major NYC dance organization running one of the largest dance education programs in the country, including AileyCamp and in-school residencies — a much larger incumbent operating in the same NYC public-school arts-education space as Notes in Motion.
• Mark Morris Dance Group: Brooklyn-based dance company with an active school and community education program (including in-school residencies) — comparable nonprofit model combining performance, school partnerships, and dance instruction, though at a larger scale.
• American Dance Festival: Long-running national dance organization hosting festivals, professional training, and educational programs — comparable as a major dance-education and performance nonprofit, though geographically separate from Notes in Motion's NYC-only footprint.

Direct peers

• Steps on Broadway: Large NYC dance studio offering youth and adult dance classes across multiple styles — comparable consumer-facing dance education offering to Notes in Motion's Tribeca studio program.
• Peridance Contemporary Dance Company: NYC-based dance school and company with both studio classes and community outreach programs — comparable as a hybrid dance-education-and-performance nonprofit serving NYC youth and adults.
• Battery Dance: NYC-based nonprofit delivering dance education programs in public schools and community settings; the closest direct comparable to Notes in Motion given its parallel mission of in-school dance residencies, Teaching Artist model, and NYC DOE contracting.
• Dance Theatre of Harlem: Harlem-based dance company and education organization offering in-school residencies, community programs, and professional training — comparable NYC dance education nonprofit with a similar mix of performance and school-partnership revenue streams.
• Gibney: NYC dance and social justice nonprofit operating studios, performance programs, and community education initiatives including school and youth programs — directly comparable mission, scale, and downtown-NYC positioning to Notes in Motion.
• Young Audiences Arts for Learning (NYC chapter): National nonprofit running school-based arts residencies across disciplines including dance; NYC chapter directly competes for DOE vendor contracts and school partnership budgets serving K-12 students.

Others

• Pentacle (Dance Service Organization): NYC-based nonprofit providing management and administrative support to dance companies and artists; relevant ecosystem peer for a small NYC dance nonprofit seeking back-office infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/channels/notesinmotiondance
• Facebookfacebook.com/NotesinMotionDance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/notes-in-motion
• Instagraminstagram.com/notesinmotiondance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Notes in Motion