Movement Research

What Movement Research does

Movement Research is a New York City-based non-profit organization founded in 1978 that supports experimental dance and movement-based artistic practice. It serves a community of choreographers, dancers, performing artists, students, and audiences through a portfolio of programs including performance festivals (notably the Movement Research Festival), classes, workshops, residencies, and the A.M.P. artist residency, supported by an associated publication and community engagement work.

Its core 'product' is curated live programming and artist development rather than a software platform. Programs share fixed infrastructure at the recently completed 122 Community Center (122CC) facility, which functions as the operational and presentation hub. There is no notable underlying technology stack or proprietary platform described in the available material — the organization's outputs are experiential (performances, classes, residencies, published writing) and the technology surface is conventional non-profit administrative and ticketing tooling.

Movement Research operates a diversified non-profit revenue model. Income is drawn from government grants, foundation grants, program and class fees, an annual gala, a 'Friends' individual giving program, and a separate capital campaign tied to the 122CC build-out. Its customer base is correspondingly heterogeneous: individual artists and students, presenting audiences, foundation and government funders, and individual donors — with no single fee-paying customer segment dominating earned revenue.

Name

Movement Research

Legal name

Movement Research, Inc.

Website

https://movementresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Movement Research is a New York City non-profit founded in 1978 that supports experimental dance through festivals, classes, workshops, residencies, and community engagement programs serving choreographers, dancers, and presenting audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Experimental dance programs
• Movement arts education
• Artist residency programs
• Dance performance series
• Dance publications

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Movement Research receives public funding from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Materials for the Arts (NYC program), and City Council Member Carlina Rivera.
2. Foundation Support: Private foundation grants from Mellon Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Howard Gilman Foundation, James E. Robison Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Lotos Foundation, Marta Heflin Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Trust for Mutual Understanding, and Dance/NYC's New York City Dance Rehearsal Space Subsidy Program.
3. Program Fees: Revenue from class cards, workshop registrations, and MELT intensive registrations. The organization offers sliding scale and subsidized pricing to maintain accessibility.
4. Annual Gala: The annual Movement Research Gala serves as both a fundraising event and recognition ceremony, generating revenue through ticket sales and donations. The 2026 Gala takes place May 19 at Judson Church.
5. Friends Program: Individual donor program called 'Friends of Movement Research' where individuals contribute financial support on an ongoing basis.
6. Capital Campaign: Capital Campaign fundraising for the build-out of permanent studio spaces at 122 Cultural Center. The campaign aims to raise $200,000, with $22,000 remaining as of the most recent report.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Movement Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit artist services organization that delivers free and low-cost programming for experimental dance and movement-based artists, including ongoing classes and workshops, MELT summer and winter intensives, artist residencies, subsidized rehearsal space, performance series (MR at the Judson Church, Open Performance, Studies Projects), national and international exchange programs (MRX/GPS), and publications (Critical Correspondence and the Movement Research Performance Journal). Programming is delivered at its permanent home in 122 Cultural Center in New York City and at partner venues, supported by public and private foundation grants, individual donors, and program fees.

Product overview

Movement Research is a non-profit arts organization offering 11 interrelated core programs as a unified portfolio of services for experimental dance and movement-based artists. The core programs include: Classes & Workshops (daily drop-in classes and MELT summer/winter intensives), Performance Series (MR at the Judson Church, Open Performance, Studies Projects, GPS Chats), Artist Residencies (Artist-in-Residence program, A.M.P. Residency for disabled dance artists, Van Lier Fellowship), Exchange Programs (MRX and GPS global exchanges), Publications (Critical Correspondence web journal and Movement Research Performance Journal), Subsidized Rehearsal Space, Artists of Color Council, and the biannual Movement Research Festival. Programs are delivered at MR's home at 122 Cultural Center, Eden's Expressway, Judson Memorial Church, Danspace Project, and online. The organization provides free and low-cost access to support artists at all career stages through the entire arc of creative development from classes to performance to publication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classes and Workshops Daily drop-in classes and workshops in technique, somatics, improvisation, and composition for professional dancers and non-dancers, including Feldenkrais, Klein Technique, Alexander Technique, and specialized series such as Sounding Body. Accessed via Class Cards (subscription) or single-class registration at subsidized rates.
• MELT Intensives Multi-week series of daily workshops held each summer and winter covering technique, somatics, improvisation, composition, and other areas of movement investigation, with registration fees and an associated MELT Event performance series.
• Artist Residencies Year-long creative research support including rehearsal space, mentorship, performance opportunities, and career development, including the Artist-in-Residence program and the Van Lier Emerging Artist of Color Fellowship.
• Access. Movement. Play. (A.M.P.) Residency First-of-its-kind national residency program designed by and for multi-marginalized disabled dance artists, housed in Movement Research's fully ADA-compliant studios at 122 Cultural Center.
• Exchange Programs (MRX/GPS) National and international exchange programs connecting movement-based artists: MRX (Movement Research Exchange) and GPS (Global Practice Sharing), facilitating artist residencies and exchanges with partners in countries including Sweden, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Australia, Netherlands, France, and the MENA region.
• MR at the Judson Church Free Monday evening performance series presenting work-in-progress by artists, held at Judson Memorial Church, with open discussion between audience and artists following performances.
• Open Performance Monthly series for artists and students to present works-in-progress to small audiences, followed by open discussion of the work.
• Studies Projects Critically acclaimed discussion-based series featuring artists presenting work with moderator-led discourse on dance and movement-based forms.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Judson Memorial ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term hosting partner for MR at the Judson Church performance series. Church has been a beacon for free spirits in the arts since 1892.
• Danspace ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership venue for classes, workshops, and MELT intensives. Historic collaborator dating back to the Studies Project.
• 122 Cultural CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMovement Research's permanent home since 2019. Organization moved into 122CC at 150 First Avenue as its first long-term dedicated space.
• Coalition of Small Arts NYCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMovement Research is a member of this coalition supporting small arts organizations.
• Gibney Dance CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner at Gibney Dance Center's Chamber Street location since 2014. Provides additional studio and class space.
• MoMAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMovement Research was hosted by MoMA in 2019 for programming during the Judson Dance Theater exhibition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: East Village nonprofit nurturing experimental performing artists through residencies and productions. Comparable grant-funded artist-services model, NYC venue base, and commitment to free/subsidized access.
• New York Live Arts: Downtown NYC presenter of contemporary dance and performance, successor to the Dance Theater Workshop lineage. Comparable curatorial and residency programming serving overlapping artist communities.
• The Kitchen: Chelsea-based nonprofit presenting experimental performance across dance, music, video, and visual art. Comparable curatorial model, NYC venue base, and audience-overlap with MR's experimental programming.
• Performance Space New York: East Village nonprofit (formerly P.S.122) commissioning experimental live performance. Directly comparable artist-development focus and NYC experimental-performance audience overlap with MR's programming.
• Gibney: NYC dance and social-justice nonprofit operating studios, residencies, and performance programs across multiple locations. Shares MR's artist-services model, NYC studio infrastructure, and foundation-funding base.
• Danspace Project: NYC nonprofit presenting experimental dance through residencies, commissions, and publications at St. Mark's Church. Directly comparable platform and grant-funded model serving overlapping experimental-dance communities.
• Baryshnikov Arts Center: Hell's Kitchen residency and performance center supporting established and emerging artists. Comparable residency model and international artist-exchange programming.
• Abrons Arts Center: Lower East Side performing-arts venue and residency provider where MR previously operated. Shares MR's NYC studio-residency model and experimental-programming audience.

Broad incumbents

• Lower Manhattan Cultural Council: Larger NYC arts funder and workspace provider supporting residencies across disciplines. Comparable artist-services mandate at greater scale; MR has collaborated via shared space at 122CC and 55 Washington Square South.

Others

• Harkness Foundation for Dance: Private foundation that supports MR and other NYC dance organizations. Included as a key funding peer/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, illustrating the funder ecosystem MR operates within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MvmntResearch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/movementresearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/movementresearch
• Instagraminstagram.com/movementresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/movement-research-inc

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 Movement Research