Peoria Ballet
Peoria Ballet Company is a 60-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Peoria, Illinois that produces classical ballet performances with live orchestral accompaniment and operates a dance education Academy serving 170+ students across 50+ weekly classes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersPeoria, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Peoria Ballet does
Peoria Ballet Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1965 and headquartered at 809 W Detweiller Dr, Suite C, Peoria, Illinois. It operates two integrated lines of activity: a professional performance company that mounts classical ballet productions including an iconic annual staging of The Nutcracker and seasonal works such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Coppelia at venues including the Peoria Civic Center and Five Points Washington; and a dance education Academy that delivers more than 50 weekly classes in ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, tap, and hip hop to over 170 students aged three through adult. Productions feature live orchestral accompaniment delivered through collaborations with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and Heartland Festival Orchestra, and include professional guest artists from New York City. The Academy follows the Cecchetti and Vaganova methodologies with ABT National Training Curriculum-certified instruction, and alumni have progressed to companies including Kansas City Ballet II, Atlanta Ballet II, Rochester City Ballet, Ballet Memphis, and Ballet West.
The organization's business model blends three revenue streams. Ticket sales operate on unit pricing — $25-$55 for general adult admission with $20 student pricing — across a handful of major productions each year. The Academy generates recurring tuition revenue from year-round class enrollment with mid-semester prorating, distributed across children, youth, and adult segments. Contributions come through individual donations structured at $50, $100, $250, $1,000, and $2,500 tiers plus custom amounts, donor packages (e.g., a $225 Swan Lake package), and institutional grants from the Gilmore Foundation and Illinois Arts Council. Educational outreach to area schools and public libraries reached 3,500+ students during the 2024-2025 season and functions as a top-of-funnel channel for both Academy recruitment and audience development.
The organization is led by Executive Director Wendy Thomasson and Artistic Director Ian Thatcher (a Canada National Ballet School graduate with prior professional dancing credits at San Francisco Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, and Pacific Northwest Ballet), supported by Associate Artistic Director Molly Daly and an 11+ member faculty. Governance rests with a Board of Directors. Operating scope is regional — Central Illinois — with no national or international footprint. The current 2025-2026 season marks the company's 60th anniversary, with Swan Lake featuring live Peoria Symphony Orchestra accompaniment on May 2, 2026 as the signature event.
Peoria Ballet firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Peoria Ballet
- Legal name
- Peoria Ballet Company
- Website
- https://peoriaballet.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Peoria Ballet Company is a 60-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Peoria, Illinois that produces classical ballet performances with live orchestral accompaniment and operates a dance education Academy serving 170+ students across 50+ weekly classes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Peoria Ballet industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts and Dance Education
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112), Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Classical Ballet (Full-Length & Repertoire) (MPAGADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)
Keywords
Where Peoria Ballet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Peoria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Peoria Ballet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from performances including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and other seasonal productions at venues like Peoria Civic Center and Five Points Washington. Tickets range from $25-$55 for general admission with student pricing at $20.
- Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations at various levels ($50, $100, $250, $1000, $2500), donor packages for special events ($225 Swan Lake donor package), and grant funding from foundations.
- Academy Tuition: Year-round dance education programs offering over 50 classes per week to more than 170 students. Classes include ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, tap, and hip hop for ages 3 through adult.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Swan Lake general admission tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Swan Lake tickets (press release) |
| Subscription | Annual | Swan Lake donor package |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | General donations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The Nutcracker Tea event |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Peoria Ballet product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Peoria Ballet Company is a nonprofit performing arts organization that produces classical ballet productions (most notably The Nutcracker and Swan Lake) and operates a year-round dance Academy offering ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, tap, and hip hop instruction to students ages 3 through adult. Performances feature live orchestral music and professional guest artists at major regional venues including Peoria Civic Center and Five Points Washington.
Product overview
Peoria Ballet Company is a nonprofit performing arts organization offering a unified portfolio of ballet performances and dance education. The core offerings consist of professional ballet productions (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia) and the Academy dance education program. Performances feature live orchestral music collaborations with orchestras like the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and Heartland Festival Orchestra, while the Academy provides over 50 weekly classes in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern, and contemporary dance to students ages 3 through adult. Additional offerings include community events like The Nutcracker Tea and educational outreach programs at local schools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ballet Performances
Quantifiable outcome
- 3500+ students reached annually through educational outreach programs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Peoria Ballet
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Peoria Ballet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Peoria Ballet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- Peoria Symphony OrchestracoreCollaboration with Peoria Symphony Orchestra for live orchestral performances of Swan Lake on May 2, 2026. The PSO performs Tchaikovsky's iconic score live, creating an immersive experience for audiences. This partnership represents the type of meaningful collaboration that has sustained arts in Greater Peoria for decades.
- Peoria Civic CentercorePrimary performance venue for The Nutcracker and Swan Lake productions. Peoria Ballet has an established relationship with this major regional venue for their signature performances.
- Five Points WashingtonsupportingSpring season performance venue for Peoria Ballet's annual full-length theater productions.
- Youth Music IllinoisminorSuzuki School of Music students from Youth Music Illinois provide live music in the lobby before Swan Lake performances.
- Trailside Event CentersupportingVenue host for The Nutcracker Tea event on November 8, 2026, located at 4416 North Prospect Road in Peoria Heights.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Peoria Ballet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ballet West: Major regional ballet company with an associated academy and pre-professional program; Peoria alumni have joined Ballet West. Comparable in combining professional productions with classical training, though at a larger scale.
- Kansas City Ballet: Established regional ballet company with a comparable academy-to-company pathway — Peoria alumni have placed into Kansas City Ballet II. Larger scale but similar organizational structure (company + school).
- Pacific Northwest Ballet: Major US ballet company that Artistic Director Ian Thatcher danced with during his professional career. Larger and more prestigious, but a comparable institutional model combining full-length classical repertoire with a training academy.
- Atlanta Ballet: One of the largest US regional ballet organizations with a sizeable training academy; Peoria alumni have advanced into Atlanta Ballet II. Larger scope but serves as a destination employer and aspirational peer.
- Joffrey Ballet: Chicago-based ballet company that is the most prominent dance organization in Illinois. While significantly larger and operating at a national scale, it represents the broader Illinois dance ecosystem in which Peoria Ballet competes for audience and donor attention.
Direct peers
- Dayton Ballet: Smaller regional ballet company in Ohio that pairs professional-level productions with a community dance school. Closely comparable in scale and mission to Peoria Ballet's combined performance + academy model.
- Ballet Memphis: Regional nonprofit ballet company combining professional productions with academy programming; Peoria alumni have joined Ballet Memphis. Comparable scale, regional focus, and training pipeline model.
- Nashville Ballet: Mid-size regional nonprofit ballet company running both a professional company and a training academy for students of all ages. Closely comparable model combining performances, classical training, and community outreach in a secondary US market.
- Cincinnati Ballet: Mid-size regional nonprofit ballet company combining professional productions with a substantial training academy. Comparable in mission, multi-revenue model, and Midwestern market scale.
- Louisville Ballet: Regional nonprofit ballet presenting classical repertoire combined with a school program. Similar size, mission, and dependence on community/donor support in a comparable Midwestern/Southern market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Peoria Ballet social profiles
Digital presencePeoria Ballet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Peoria Ballet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Peoria Ballet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Peoria 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 Peoria Ballet
What does Peoria Ballet do?
Peoria Ballet Company is a nonprofit performing arts organization that produces classical ballet productions (most notably The Nutcracker and Swan Lake) and operates a year-round dance Academy offering ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, tap, and hip hop instruction to students ages 3 through adult. Performances feature live orchestral music and professional guest artists at major regional venues including Peoria Civic Center and Five Points Washington.
Is Peoria Ballet a public or private company?
Peoria Ballet is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Peoria Ballet founded?
Peoria Ballet was founded in 1965. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Peoria Ballet based?
Peoria Ballet is headquartered in Peoria, United States, in the North America region.
How does Peoria Ballet make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and academy Tuition.
Who are Peoria Ballet's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ballet West, Kansas City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Joffrey Ballet. Direct peers are Dayton Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Nashville Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet and Louisville Ballet.
Does Peoria Ballet have an API?
No public API is recorded for Peoria Ballet.
What industry is Peoria Ballet in?
Peoria Ballet's product category is Performing Arts and Dance Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAA, Classical Ballet (Full-Length & Repertoire), with a secondary code of EDAMAAAH, Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance). Its NAICS code is 711120 and its SIC code is 7900.