Dance St. Louis
Dance St. Louis is a nonprofit dance presenting organization that curates professional dance performances and education programs at the Touhill Performing Arts Center for St. Louis-area patrons, students, and corporate partners. One of only four dance-only nonprofit presenters in America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Dance St. Louis does
Dance St. Louis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dance presenting organization founded in 1966 in St. Louis, Missouri, originally as the Dance Concert Society by Washington University Professor of Dance Annelise Mertz. The organization curates and presents a season of professional dance performances at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, operating on a subscription-based model with 4-show, 3-show, and 2-show packages priced $174-$365 by zone, alongside single-ticket sales. Its flagship annual event is the SPRING TO DANCE Festival, presented by Whitaker Foundation, which features 12+ companies and 75+ dancers over Memorial Day Weekend and is recognized as the Midwest's most celebrated dance festival.
The organization also operates an education platform comprising the Bayer Fund Dance Education Residency Program (reaching ~200 students per semester at six named St. Louis-area middle and high schools), the Dance Career Awards, master classes hosted at partner campuses (Webster University, Washington University, COCA), Young People's Performances reaching ~1,400 children annually, and a semester-based internship program. Revenue derives from four streams: ticket sales and season subscriptions, individual donations across five annual funds, corporate sponsorship (Whitaker Foundation as flagship), and foundation grants (notably Bayer Fund).
Dance St. Louis is one of only four dance-only nonprofit presenters in America, holds the registered trademarks "GATEWAY TO WORLD DANCE" and "SPRING TO DANCE," and is led by Executive Director Rich Dee (14th season) and Artistic Director Michael Uthoff. Over 60 seasons, the organization has presented 500+ dance companies and 30,000+ artists. After near closure in 2017, it has achieved seven consecutive seasons in the black (2018-2024) and is currently presenting its 61st season.
Dance St. Louis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dance St. Louis
- Legal name
- Dance St. Louis
- Website
- https://dancestlouis.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Dance St. Louis is a nonprofit dance presenting organization that curates professional dance performances and education programs at the Touhill Performing Arts Center for St. Louis-area patrons, students, and corporate partners. One of only four dance-only nonprofit presenters in America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dance St. Louis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Presentation
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (71112)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)
Keywords
Where Dance St. Louis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dance St. Louis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales and Season Subscriptions: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets and season subscriptions to dance performances. Subscriptions are offered in 4-show, 3-show, and 2-show packages at varying price points ($174-$365 depending on package and zone). Single tickets sold for individual performances.
- Individual Donations: Annual Fund donations from patrons and donors, with five specific funds: From the Stage Annual Fund, SPRING TO DANCE Festival Annual Fund, Dance Education Residency Annual Fund, Dance Career Awards Annual Fund, and General Operating Annual Fund.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Sponsorship revenue from corporate partners for the 60th Anniversary season and SPRING TO DANCE Festival. Includes presenting sponsorship (Whitaker Foundation for SPRING TO DANCE) and program sponsorships.
- Foundation Grants: Grant funding for education programs, particularly the Bayer Fund Dance Education Residency Program which supports school-time dance instruction at public schools.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | 4-Show Season Subscription Package |
| Subscription | Annual | 3-Show Season Subscription Package |
| Subscription | Annual | 2-Show Season Subscription Package |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | SPRING TO DANCE Festival Company Honorarium |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Dance St. Louis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dance St. Louis is a nonprofit dance presenting organization that curates and stages seasons of professional dance performances by world-class companies at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. It complements the performance series with the SPRING TO DANCE Festival (a Memorial Day Weekend multi-company festival), the Bayer Fund Dance Education Residency Program for St. Louis-area schools, Dance Career Awards for talented high school students, master classes with visiting artists, and arts-administration internships.
Product overview
Dance St. Louis operates as a nonprofit dance presenting organization with a platform-plus-programs model. The core offering is presenting world-class professional dance companies through its Season Presentations at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Supporting programs include the SPRING TO DANCE Festival (an annual multi-company dance festival), the Bayer Fund Dance Education Residency Program, Dance Career Awards, Master Classes, and Internships. Together, these offerings position Dance St. Louis as the region's 'GATEWAY TO WORLD DANCE' and one of only four dance-only nonprofit presenters in America.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SPRING TO DANCE Festival: Annual dance festival held during Memorial Day Weekend at Touhill Performing Arts Center, featuring multiple dance companies from across America
- Bayer Fund Dance Education Residency Program
- Dance Career Awards
- Master Classes
Products and services
- Season Presentations Curated annual season of professional dance company performances at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, featuring globally renowned companies such as Ballet Hispánico New York, RUBBERBAND, and Parsons Dance. Offered to individual ticket buyers and season subscribers.
- SPRING TO DANCE Festival Annual multi-company dance festival held Memorial Day Weekend at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, featuring 12 companies and 75+ dancers performing over two days. Recognized as the Midwest's most celebrated dance festival and presented by the Whitaker Foundation.
- Bayer Fund Dance Education Residency Program Intensive three-week residency program placing teaching artists from visiting performing companies into St. Louis-area middle and high schools for semester-long dance instruction, serving approximately 200 students per semester and funded primarily by the Bayer Fund.
- Dance Career Awards Recognition and support program for talented local high school dancers, providing guidance, support, and financial assistance to students pursuing professional dance careers.
- Master Classes Instructional sessions led by artistic directors, ballet masters, and soloists from visiting dance companies for local students and teachers of dance at partner campuses including Webster University, Washington University, and COCA.
- Internships Semester-based internship tracks in Education, Marketing & PR, and Operations & Box Office for students and professionals seeking arts administration career development.
Quantifiable outcome
- 7 straight seasons in the black (2018-2024) after near closure in 2017
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Dance St. Louis
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Dance St. Louis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Dance St. Louis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Kranzberg Arts FoundationcoreOperates The Marcelle, the building where Dance St. Louis is located in the Grand Center Arts District. Provides operational space and supports the arts ecosystem.
- Webster UniversitysupportingCollege partner hosting master classes with visiting dance companies and their artistic directors, ballet masters, and soloists.
- Washington UniversitysupportingCollege partner hosting master classes with visiting dance companies. Historical partnership from Edison Theatre OVATIONS! series era.
- COCA (Center of Creative Arts)supportingLocal arts organization hosting master classes with visiting dance companies for local students and dance teachers.
- Touhill Performing Arts CentercorePrimary venue for all Dance St. Louis presentations. Located at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Provides the 1,500-seat Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall and technical staff for productions.
- MetroTixsupportingTicket distribution partner for online season subscription and single ticket sales for Dance St. Louis performances.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Dance St. Louis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Segerstrom Center for the Arts: A large multi-disciplinary performing arts center in Costa Mesa, California. Comparable as a regional presenter with a multi-genre season including dance, but operating at substantially larger scale and with broader programming mandate than dance-only Dance St. Louis.
- Kennedy Center: The national performing arts center in Washington, DC. Comparable as a venue-based presenter with dance programming and education programs, but operates at a vastly larger scale as a multi-genre national institution rather than a dance-focused regional presenter.
Direct peers
- Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts: University of Pennsylvania's presenting organization. Comparable as a university venue-based presenter with dance seasons, master classes, and educational programming for a regional audience with similar subscription and donor-driven economics.
- Fall for Dance (New York City Center): An accessible multi-company dance festival presented at New York City Center. Comparable as a curated festival-format presentation of multiple dance companies over a short run, similar in concept to Dance St. Louis's SPRING TO DANCE Festival model.
- Dance Place: A nonprofit dance presenting and education organization in Washington, DC. Comparable as a regional dance presenter combining performance programming with studio-based education, similar in mission breadth and community focus to Dance St. Louis.
- The Joyce Theater: A nonprofit dance-only presenter in New York City with a similar single-venue model. Directly comparable as a dedicated dance presenter curating season programming by leading international companies, with educational and community engagement programming.
- Cal Performances: The University of California, Berkeley's presenting organization. Comparable as a university-affiliated presenter that curates dance and performing arts seasons with educational outreach, similar in scale and programming philosophy to Dance St. Louis's Touhill partnership.
- Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival: A national dance presenting organization and festival in Becket, MA. Comparable as a multi-company dance festival platform with educational programming, presenting 50+ companies annually to a regional audience, similar in mission and operating model to Dance St. Louis.
Regional players
- COCA (Center of Creative Arts): A St. Louis-based arts education and presenting organization. Comparable as a regional dance and arts education provider that hosts Dance St. Louis master classes, with overlapping mission in dance education though focused on instruction rather than professional performance presenting.
Others
- Webster University (Conservatory of Theatre Arts): A partner institution that hosts Dance St. Louis master classes. Comparable as a higher-education arts training provider in the St. Louis region with overlapping dance education and audience development interests, relevant as a partner rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dance St. Louis social profiles
Digital presenceDance St. Louis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dance St. Louis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Dance St. Louis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dance St. Louis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dance St. Louis
What does Dance St. Louis do?
Dance St. Louis is a nonprofit dance presenting organization that curates and stages seasons of professional dance performances by world-class companies at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. It complements the performance series with the SPRING TO DANCE Festival (a Memorial Day Weekend multi-company festival), the Bayer Fund Dance Education Residency Program for St. Louis-area schools, Dance Career Awards for talented high school students, master classes with visiting artists, and arts-administration internships.
Is Dance St. Louis a public or private company?
Dance St. Louis is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Dance St. Louis founded?
Dance St. Louis was founded in 1966. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dance St. Louis based?
Dance St. Louis is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dance St. Louis make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales and Season Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, corporate Sponsorship and foundation Grants.
Who are Dance St. Louis's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Kennedy Center. Direct peers are Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Fall for Dance (New York City Center), Dance Place, The Joyce Theater, Cal Performances and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. COCA (Center of Creative Arts) is listed as a regional player. Webster University (Conservatory of Theatre Arts) is listed as an others.
Does Dance St. Louis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dance St. Louis.
What industry is Dance St. Louis in?
Dance St. Louis's product category is Performing Arts Presentation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAB, Contemporary & Modern Dance, with a secondary code of MPAGAEAH, Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local). Its NAICS code is 71112 and its SIC code is 7900.