Armstrong Jazz Ballet
Armstrong Jazz Ballet is a Paris-based independent jazz dance company, founded in 1988 by Géraldine Armstrong, that performs a 30+ work repertoire rooted in Matt Mattox technique and Afro-Caribbean traditions at French public theatres, international festivals, and via professional dance workshops.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Armstrong Jazz Ballet does
Armstrong Jazz Ballet is a Paris-based independent jazz dance company founded in 1988 by Géraldine Armstrong, a Grenada-born choreographer trained under Matt Mattox in London. The company develops and performs a repertoire of over thirty works that fuse Matt Mattox jazz technique with Afro-Caribbean and Afro-American dance traditions, drawing on blues, gospel, and spiritual music and engaging with themes of diaspora, civil rights, and human resilience. Notable repertoire includes Donald McKayle's 1972 'Songs of the Disinherited' (revived 2008), Matt Mattox's 2004 'Basie's Instinct', and original works such as 'Been in the Storm' (2005) and the 2016 post-attacks creation 'AFTER WA-O-RDS'.
The company operates with an ensemble of approximately twelve dancers supported by two assistants, a technical director, costume and music staff, and an invited choreographer (Bruce Taylor). Its core product is live performance delivered through touring engagements at French public-sector venues (opéras, scènes nationales, theatres) and international festivals such as Tanzfestival Bielefeld in Germany. A secondary revenue stream is delivered via dance workshops and masterclasses, notably Easter intensives taught by Géraldine Armstrong and Rick Odums at the Centre International de Danse Jazz in Paris.
The business model is event-driven: revenue is generated from performance fees and ticket-driven venue income, supplemented by episodic public subsidies (e.g., Conseil Général de l'Essonne, 1992-1994) and co-productions with institutions such as Centre National de la Danse (CND) and Micadanses. All booking, diffusion, and commercial distribution are outsourced to Gruber Ballet Opéra (6 rue Rampon, Paris). The company has no disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, or external shareholders; it is founder-owned and self-sustaining through performance and workshop income. Marketing is limited to the company website and a Facebook page, with no paid acquisition channels documented.
Armstrong Jazz Ballet firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Armstrong Jazz Ballet
- Legal name
- Armstrong Jazz Ballet
- Website
- https://armstrongjazzballet.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Armstrong Jazz Ballet is a Paris-based independent jazz dance company, founded in 1988 by Géraldine Armstrong, that performs a 30+ work repertoire rooted in Matt Mattox technique and Afro-Caribbean traditions at French public theatres, international festivals, and via professional dance workshops.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Armstrong Jazz Ballet industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Dance Company
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (71112)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tap, Jazz & Musical Theatre Dance (MPAGADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC), Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD)
Keywords
Where Armstrong Jazz Ballet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Armstrong Jazz Ballet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Performance Revenue: The company generates revenue through ticket sales from theatre performances, festival appearances, and cultural venue bookings across France and internationally.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
Armstrong Jazz Ballet product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Armstrong Jazz Ballet is a Paris-based jazz dance company that develops, rehearses, and tours a repertoire of more than thirty choreographic works blending Matt Mattox jazz technique with Afro-Caribbean and Afro-American dance traditions. The company books performances at theatres, operas, festivals, and cultural venues across France and internationally, and additionally delivers professional dance workshops and masterclasses for dancers and choreographers.
Product overview
Armstrong Jazz Ballet is a jazz dance company founded in 1988 by Géraldine Armstrong, focused on developing and performing jazz dance works. The company maintains a repertoire of over thirty dance pieces spanning from 1988 to recent years. The portfolio includes works by founding director Géraldine Armstrong as well as collaborations with guest choreographers including Matt Mattox, Wayne Barbaste, Bruce Taylor, Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, and Donald McKayle. Performances range from solo pieces like GET HIGHER and RUN MAN RUN to ensemble works such as BEEN IN THE STORM and ZIR. The company also offers dance workshops and master classes. The company's artistic style blends jazz technique with Afro-Caribbean and Afro-American traditions, set to blues, gospel, and spiritual music.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hard Time Blues A dance piece created in 2015, exploring moments of life facing reality through the lens of blues music and African-American history; performed for theatre and cultural venue audiences.
- Quest-Chun A creation from September 2015 by Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish exploring the complexity of human relationships and couple dynamics set to rhythm and blues music; performed for theatre audiences.
- ZIR A 2014 choreography by Bruce Taylor affirming that each person is the architect of their life and learns to master their destiny; performed for theatre audiences.
- Run Man Run A 2014 piece created by Géraldine Armstrong that denounces a dehumanized system through intense movement and rhythm, depicting the chaos of modern life; performed for theatre audiences.
- Get Higher A 1988 piece choreographed by Wayne Barbaste in homage to Alvin Ailey, celebrating spirituality, humanity, and the constant search for elevation and unity; performed for theatre audiences.
- Et Si On S'aimait A 2011 choreography by Géraldine Armstrong exploring themes of love, solitude, and the journey toward dreams and freedom; performed for theatre audiences.
- Songs of the Disinherited A 1972 Donald McKayle ballet entered into the AJB repertoire in 2008, celebrating the Black Diaspora through four lyrical and passionate movements; performed for theatre audiences and as part of the Danse et Résistance project.
- Been in the Storm A 2005 creation honoring Rosa Parks, exploring themes of civil rights, roots, forgiveness, and the continuation of life; performed for theatre audiences.
- Basie's Instinct A 2004 choreography by Matt Mattox for AJB, immersing viewers in the 1930s swing universe with playful cat-like characters; performed for theatre audiences.
- Ancestor's Calling A 2002 piece choreographed by Géraldine Armstrong, Lionel Amadote, and Georges Momboye exploring the connection to ancestors through music and dance; performed for theatre audiences.
- After Wa-O-Rds A 2016 creation responding to the Paris attacks, using dance as a vector for social connection, healing, and resilience; performed for theatre audiences.
- Dance Workshops and Masterclasses Professional dance workshops led by Géraldine Armstrong and guest choreographers (including Rick Odums and Bruce Taylor), targeted at professional and pre-professional dancers seeking training in jazz dance technique and Afro-Caribbean and Afro-American traditions; held at venues such as Centre International de Danse Jazz in Paris.
Companies that use Armstrong Jazz Ballet
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Armstrong Jazz Ballet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Armstrong Jazz Ballet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Black Source Dance & ComajorCo-producer of 'Songs of the Disinherited' with CND Pantin and Gruber Ballet Opéra as part of the Black Dance Project / Danse et Résistance initiative.
- Gruber Ballet OpéracoreGruber Ballet Opéra handles the general organization, diffusion, and distribution of Armstrong Jazz Ballet performances. Located at 6 rue Rampon, Paris 75011, they manage bookings and communications on behalf of the company.
- Centre National de la Danse (CND)coreCND partnered with Armstrong Jazz Ballet for the 2008 reprise of Donald McKayle's 'Songs of the Disinherited' as part of the 'Danse et Résistance' project. Also involved in the 2009 Black Dance Project collaboration.
- MicadansescoreMicadanses, a dance center in Paris, provides residence space for Armstrong Jazz Ballet creations and hosts regular training sessions. Geraldine Armstrong conducts regular dance training at Micadanses for the dancer's regular training program.
- Conservatoire de MontreuilminorArmstrong Jazz Ballet was hosted in residence at the Conservatoire àrayonnement départmental de danse de Montreuil (93).
- Conservatoire de VillejuifminorArmstrong Jazz Ballet was hosted in residence at the Conservatoire àrayonnement intercommunal de danse de Villejuif (94).
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Armstrong Jazz Ballet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Tanzfestival Bielefeld / TanzOwl touring circuit: German festival circuit where AJB has historically performed. While not a peer company, it is a comparable venue/platform for jazz and contemporary dance programming decisions and operates in the same international touring market.
Direct peers
- Compagnie Off Jazz (Gianin Loringett): French jazz dance company where Géraldine Armstrong previously worked as a dancer/choreographer. Closely comparable to AJB in genre (jazz dance with modern/Afro influences), scale (small independent ensemble), and market (French cultural venues and festivals).
- Compagnie Maguy Marin: Long-running French contemporary dance company based in the same ecosystem of publicly funded venues. Competes directly with AJB for French cultural venue programming slots, festival invitations, and public subsidy pools, while operating at larger ensemble scale.
- Les Ballets Jazz Rick Odums / Compagnie Rick Odums: French jazz dance company directly comparable to Armstrong Jazz Ballet. Founder Géraldine Armstrong previously danced and choreographed for this company, and Cie Rick Odums collaborates with AJB on the Black Dance Project. Both companies perform jazz repertoire in French cultural venues, share Paris-based operations and overlapping audience.
- Ballet Jazz de Montréal: International reference jazz dance company. While larger and Canada-based, it operates in the same genre (jazz/contemporary hybrid with ethnic dance influences), performs at the same international festival venues, and competes for similar touring and educational programming slots.
- Black Source Dance & Co: Co-producer partner with AJB on 'Songs of the Disinherited' and the Black Dance Project. Same artistic territory (Afro-diasporic dance theatre) and overlapping festival circuit, making it a directly comparable French dance company.
Broad incumbents
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: The most prominent US jazz dance company, with strong overlap in Afro-diasporic repertoire (revivals of works like Donald McKayle's 'Songs of the Disinherited'). Comparable artistic DNA though at vastly larger scale, and source of the choreographic lineage AJB draws upon (Donald McKayle, Bruce Taylor's training).
- Lyon Opera Ballet / Compagnie Petits Pas: French ballet/dance institution that shares AJB\u2019s performance venues (e.g., Op\u00e9ra de Reims, Op\u00e9ra de Toulon) and competes for programming slots at sc\u00e8nes nationales and opera houses, though operates at substantially larger institutional scale.
Emerging players
- Compagnie Käfig / Mourad Merzouki: French hip-hop/urban dance company that contests the same cultural-venue programming slots and festival circuits as AJB. Comparable in institutional positioning (public funding, international touring) but operates in the contemporary urban dance genre that overlaps with AJB\u2019s blended-jazz niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Armstrong Jazz Ballet social profiles
Digital presenceArmstrong Jazz Ballet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Armstrong Jazz Ballet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Armstrong Jazz Ballet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Armstrong Jazz Ballet 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 Armstrong Jazz Ballet
What does Armstrong Jazz Ballet do?
Armstrong Jazz Ballet is a Paris-based jazz dance company that develops, rehearses, and tours a repertoire of more than thirty choreographic works blending Matt Mattox jazz technique with Afro-Caribbean and Afro-American dance traditions. The company books performances at theatres, operas, festivals, and cultural venues across France and internationally, and additionally delivers professional dance workshops and masterclasses for dancers and choreographers.
Is Armstrong Jazz Ballet a public or private company?
Armstrong Jazz Ballet is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Armstrong Jazz Ballet founded?
Armstrong Jazz Ballet was founded in 1988. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Armstrong Jazz Ballet based?
Armstrong Jazz Ballet is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Armstrong Jazz Ballet make money?
One revenue line is on record: performance Revenue.
Who are Armstrong Jazz Ballet's main competitors?
Tanzfestival Bielefeld / TanzOwl touring circuit is listed as an others. Direct peers are Compagnie Off Jazz (Gianin Loringett), Compagnie Maguy Marin, Les Ballets Jazz Rick Odums / Compagnie Rick Odums, Ballet Jazz de Montréal and Black Source Dance & Co. Broad incumbents are Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Lyon Opera Ballet / Compagnie Petits Pas. Compagnie Käfig / Mourad Merzouki is listed as an emerging player.
Does Armstrong Jazz Ballet have an API?
No public API is recorded for Armstrong Jazz Ballet.
What industry is Armstrong Jazz Ballet in?
Armstrong Jazz Ballet's product category is Performing Arts Dance Company. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAG, Tap, Jazz & Musical Theatre Dance, with a secondary code of MPAGADAC, Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental). Its NAICS code is 71112 and its SIC code is 7900.