What Dance Ireland does

Dance Ireland is Ireland's national dance development organisation and the sector's designated representative body, operating as a registered charity (CHY No. 16193) and Company Limited by Guarantee (reg. no. 189346) under CEO Sheila Creevey. Founded in 1989 as the Association of Professional Dancers in Ireland and rebranded to Dance Ireland in 2006, the organisation provides professional development, advocacy, studio access, and residencies to professional and pre-professional dance artists across the island of Ireland.

Its core physical asset is DanceHouse, a purpose-built six-studio facility on Foley Street in Dublin 1 owned by Dublin City Council and operated by Dance Ireland under licence. The studios feature sprung floors, mirrors, and professional sound systems, and are supplemented by a production studio, meeting room, and equipment hire (digital cameras, projectors, ballet barres, sound recorders). Online booking is handled via the third-party Mindbody platform. Surrounding the venue, the product portfolio includes the Development Programme (HATCH awards, New Movements showings, professional morning classes, Outside the Studio career workshops), Residency Programmes (Dance Ireland Residency, Partnership Support Residency, National Dance Residency Partnership), Programme Partnerships with peer dance organisations in Ireland and Europe, the Dance Counts research and advocacy initiative, the REFUGE programme for displaced dance artists, and youth dance partnerships with Dublin Youth Dance Company and the Irish National Youth Ballet. A Member Directory and Artists' Resource Room (with archive of dance books, DVDs, journals) round out the offering.

The revenue model blends public-sector grants with earned income. Core funding comes from Arts Council Strategic Funding (awarded 2018) and annual Dublin City Council revenue funding, supplemented by project grants from Culture Ireland, Creative Europe, and Erasmus+. Earned income is generated through four membership tiers (Professional, Pre-Professional, Organisation, Associate), studio hire to members and non-members (including the discounted Members' Studio and last-minute Winging It! hire), evening classes in roughly a dozen dance styles, workshops, equipment hire, and individual donations. Distribution is community-led: direct studio hire (enterprise and mid-market), member self-serve booking, and B2C evening classes for the general public, all delivered through a small team of roughly nine staff plus Venue Officers, with governance from a non-executive Board of Directors.

Name

Dance Ireland

Legal name

Association of Professional Dancers in Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee

Website

https://danceireland.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dance Ireland is Ireland's national dance development organisation and registered charity, operating DanceHouse, a six-studio Dublin facility, to deliver professional development, residencies, studio hire, and advocacy services for professional and pre-professional dance artists, youth dance ensembles, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Development Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Dance Companies (711120)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD), Dance Floor, Staging & Platform Rentals (HSACAFAD), Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Dance studio facilities
• Professional dance development
• Artist residency programs
• Dance education classes
• Dance community membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Funding: Dance Ireland receives strategic funding from the Arts Council and annual revenue funding from Dublin City Council, enabling delivery of year-round programme and DanceHouse operations.
2. Membership Fees: Professional, Pre-Professional, Organisation, and Associate membership categories providing access to training, residencies, studio space, and professional development opportunities.
3. Studio Hire: DanceHouse studio hire for rehearsals, classes, workshops, auditions, filming, and performances. Includes standard studios, production studio, meeting room, and equipment hire.
4. Classes and Workshops: Evening classes in various dance styles, professional training morning classes, and workshops offered to the public at various skill levels.
5. Donations: Donations from individuals supporting the development of dance in Ireland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dance Ireland operates DanceHouse, Ireland's national home for dance, a purpose-built six-studio facility in Dublin. The organisation sells dance studio hire, professional development programmes, residency opportunities, evening and community dance classes, and membership subscriptions to professional dancers, dance students, dance organisations, and the general public. It also delivers artist development programmes including the HATCH incubation awards, New Movements showings, and the REFUGE support programme for displaced dance artists.

Product overview

Dance Ireland is Ireland's national dance development organization operating as a platform-plus-services model. The core offering is DanceHouse, a six-studio facility in Dublin providing professional dance spaces. The organization delivers a comprehensive portfolio of services including: Artist Development programmes (residencies, HATCH awards, New Movements, professional classes); Dance & Youth partnerships (Dublin Youth Dance Company, Irish National Youth Ballet); Research and advocacy through Dance Counts; REFUGE support for displaced artists; Evening and Community Classes for public engagement; and Membership network connecting dance professionals. Studio hire options range from hourly Members' Studio access to long-term Production Studio rental, supported by Equipment Hire and Meeting Room facilities. The Development Programme and Programme Partnerships provide continuous professional development nationally and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DanceHouse Studios Six professional studios with sprung floors, mirrors, and professional sound systems available for hire by professional dancers, dance companies, and organisations for rehearsals, classes, residencies, auditions, photoshoots, filming, and performances.
• Dance Ireland Membership Annual subscription membership with four categories (Professional, Pre-Professional, Organisation, Associate) providing access to training, residencies, awards, studio space, professional development, discounted class and equipment hire rates, and sector representation.
• Development Programme Continuous professional development offering including Professional Practice (morning classes and workshops), HATCH incubation awards (€15,000 plus staff support and mentoring), New Movements showings, and Outside the Studio career workshops for dance artists.
• Residency Programmes Residency offerings including Partnership Support Residency for members with funding, Dance Ireland Residency providing resourced studio space, and the National Dance Residency Partnership supporting choreographers with rehearsal time and financial award.
• Evening Classes Public dance classes covering African, Afro-Brazilian, Aikido, Ballet, Barre Workout, Contemporary, Irish Dance, Jazz, K-Pop, Street Jazz, Swing, and Urban Contemporary styles from beginner to advanced levels.
• Members' Studio Short-term afternoon and evening studio access for Professional and Pre-Professional members for artistic research and self-practice, available Tuesday evenings, Thursdays and Fridays, up to 20 hours per membership year.
• Winging It! Last-Minute Studio Hire Discounted last-minute studio hire for Pre-Professional, Professional and Associate members bookable up to 48 hours in advance through the Mindbody platform, with insurance included.
• Meeting Room / Artists' Resource Room Meeting and study space accommodating up to 30 people with Wi-Fi, large screen TV, DVD player, and access to an archive collection of dance books, DVDs, journals and magazines. Free for members and studio hirers; hourly/daily fee for non-members.
• Production Studio Long-term studio rental of the Joanna Banks Production Studio with full sound system, lighting rig, upright piano, curtains to cover mirrors, and WiFi for exclusive use.
• Equipment Hire Hireable equipment including dance floors, ballet barres, digital camcorder, digital camera, projectors, projector screens, and sound recorder for dance productions and events.
• REFUGE Support Programme Support programme offering free membership, professional classes, studio space support, and community connection for dance artists seeking refuge in Ireland.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25,000 visitors annually to DanceHouse
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• European Dance Development Network (EDN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance Ireland is a member of EDN, a network of trust and collaboration between European dance development organisations sharing common vision for dance art development across borders.
• Dance Base ScotlandflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering the Eadrainn/Between Us international exchange programme, providing opportunities for artists from both organisations to develop work in cultural venues and build creative relationships.
• Trois C-L LuxembourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond year partnership delivering international exchange opportunities for Irish dance artists through residencies and professional development.
• Dance LimerickcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Dance Residency Partnership (NDRP) partner providing choreographers with rehearsal time, financial support, and artistic staff support across the country.
• Dance Cork Firkin CranecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDRP partner contributing to networked support for choreographers in development and production of new dance work.
• Galway DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDRP partner supporting the development of new dance work through residencies and artistic support.
• Tipperary DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDRP partner providing residency and professional development opportunities. Recipient attends Tipperary Dance Festival as part of NDRP award.
• Dublin Youth Dance CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIreland's premiere contemporary youth-dance group supported by Dance Ireland through studio space. Aims to offer talented young dancers opportunity to participate in creation, production and performance of contemporary dance works.
• Irish National Youth BalletcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported by Dance Ireland through studio space. Aims to provide world class training for young Irish Ballet dancers with highest artistic standards.
• Dublin Dance FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering Originate programme and professional development workshops. Co-host of Dance Think Tank 2020.
• Irish Modern Dance TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering workshops, masterclasses and events for Dancer from the Dance festival.
• The Lir (National Academy of Dramatic Art)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering Lighting Design for Dance project, combining expertise in theatre and dance.
• CoisCéim Dance TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBENCH performance series partner presenting double-bill works and Shared Perspectives masterclass.
• Performing Arts Forum IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member working collaboratively to advance and advocate for dance in Ireland.
• National Campaign for the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member advocating for arts sector support and development.
• Dance2Connect Festival / Human CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Lab partnership providing creative exchange opportunities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sadler's Wells: Major international dance presenting and producing organisation with multiple UK venues, talent development, and touring programmes. Useful upper-bound comparator for Dance Ireland's national dance centre ambitions, though substantially larger and more production-oriented.
• The Place: London's leading dance development and presenting organisation, operating theatres, studios, and artist programmes. Larger and broader in scope than Dance Ireland, but a useful comparator for the dance-house-and-development model that Dance Ireland aspires to scale.

Direct peers

• Dance City: UK national/regional dance development organisation based in Newcastle, delivering residencies, classes, and artist programmes. Comparable scale and mission as a UK dance-house model analogous to Dance Ireland's DanceHouse.
• South East Dance: Brighton-based UK dance development organisation supporting artists, producers, and audiences. Comparable mission of regional dance sector development with residencies and artist support services analogous to Dance Ireland's HATCH and New Movements.
• Dance Limerick: Regional dance development organisation and National Dance Residency Partnership (NDRP) partner of Dance Ireland. Comparable mission (artist development, residencies, studio provision, and sector advocacy) in a similar Irish regional context.
• Yorkshire Dance: Leeds-based UK dance development organisation with studios, residencies, professional development, and community programmes. Functionally aligned to Dance Ireland's combination of facility, artist development, and participation work.
• Dance Cork Firkin Crane: Cork-based dance development organisation and NDRP partner of Dance Ireland. Operates studios, residencies, and artist development programmes in a regionally focused model analogous to Dance Ireland's national offering.
• Galway Dance: Western Ireland dance development organisation and NDRP partner. Provides residencies and artistic support from a regional dance-house base, comparable to Dance Ireland's HATCH and NDRP programmes.
• Tipperary Dance: Tipperary-based dance organisation and NDRP partner of Dance Ireland. Comparable focus on residency provision and artist development for choreographers working at regional scale within Ireland.
• Dance Base Scotland: Scotland's national dance development organisation and Dance Ireland's named exchange partner (Eadrainn/Between Us). Operates a similar studio-and-programme model from a national dance centre, making it the closest functional comparator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dance-ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Dance Ireland