Dance West Network
Dance West Network is a Vancouver-based non-profit arts service organization founded in 2005 that connects BC contemporary dance artists with theatre presenters, IBPOC residency programs, and rural communities through a province-wide network of Community Dance Connectors, funded primarily by government arts grants and foundations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Dance West Network does
Dance West Network (DWN) is a Vancouver-based non-profit arts service organization founded in 2005-2006 that operates as a provincial intermediary between BC-based contemporary dance artists, theatre presenters, and communities. It runs four core program lines: Mainstage (a touring showcase connecting artists with a network of BC theatre presenters), Re-Centering/Margins Creative Residency (launched 2019 to support emerging IBPOC — Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour — dance artists), DADAO — Des Arts Dehors/Arts Outside (launched 2016, supporting French and English-speaking artists working in outdoor and alternative sites), and Community Engagement (delivered through a network of Community Dance Connectors in roughly ten BC communities). It also maintains publications and a digital library, most notably the 2026 anthology 'Conversations and Essays on Dance in British Columbia' co-published with Dance Collection Danse and Simon Fraser University.
DWN operates with a small core staff (5 employees) and relies on a distributed network of Community Dance Connectors, presenters, and venue partners (Rotary Centre for the Arts, Bulkley Valley Concert Association, Arts Revelstoke, Crimson Coast Dance Society, Method Dance Society, Alliance Française Vancouver, PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Dance Centre, among others). It has no proprietary technology platform; the asset base is fundamentally relational and programmatic rather than technological.
The revenue model is grant-funded rather than commercial. Income derives from government arts councils (BC Arts Council, Canada Arts Presentation Fund), foundation grants (Hamber Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, Deux Mille Foundation), individual donations via CanadaHelps, and project-based co-production funding. No fees are charged to artists for participation, and no commercial pricing or transaction revenue is disclosed. GTM motion is community-led: DWN activates demand through CDCs, presenter relationships, open-call submissions, and participation in industry events (Pacific Contact, PuSh, Festival TransAmériques) rather than direct sales or marketing-driven acquisition.
Dance West Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dance West Network
- Legal name
- Dance West Network
- Website
- https://dancewest.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Dance West Network is a Vancouver-based non-profit arts service organization founded in 2005 that connects BC contemporary dance artists with theatre presenters, IBPOC residency programs, and rural communities through a province-wide network of Community Dance Connectors, funded primarily by government arts grants and foundations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dance West Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Service Organization / Dance Services
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (71112), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)
Keywords
Where Dance West Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dance West Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grants and Funding: Dance West Network relies on government arts grants (BC Arts Council, Canada Arts Presentation Fund), foundation support (Hamber Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, Deux Mille Foundation), and public donations to fund operations and programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Dance West Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dance West Network is a nonprofit provincial arts service organization that connects BC-based dance artists with theatre presenters and communities across British Columbia through touring showcases, an annual residency for emerging IBPOC artists, outdoor/alternative site performance programs, and a province-wide network of Community Dance Connectors. It also produces publications and digital library content documenting dance history and supporting professional development.
Product overview
Dance West Network operates as a provincial arts service organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs supporting dance artists and communities in British Columbia. The core offerings include the Mainstage touring program (connecting artists with presenters), the Re-Centering/Margins Creative Residency (supporting emerging IBPOC artists), DADAO (outdoor/alternative site dance work), and Community Engagement initiatives through Community Dance Connectors. Additionally, DWN produces publications including the 2026 anthology 'Conversations and Essays on Dance in British Columbia' and maintains a digital library of artist resources. The organization celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025-26.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mainstage: Provincial touring showcase program connecting BC-based dance artists with theatre presenters
- Re-Centering/Margins Creative Residency
- DADAO - Des Arts Dehors/Arts Outside
- Community Dance Connectors
- Conversations and Essays on Dance in British Columbia
Products and services
- Mainstage A touring showcase program that connects established and up-and-coming BC-based dance artists with a network of theatre presenters in the province and beyond, providing curated showcase events and industry pitch sessions for touring opportunities.
- Re-Centering/Margins Creative Residency An annual residency program supporting emerging IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, and People of Color) dance artists with mentoring support, performance opportunities, documentation, and professional development to create contemporary works.
- DADAO (Des Arts Dehors/Arts Outside) A program supporting French and English-speaking artists who create work for outdoors and alternative sites beyond traditional theatre settings, providing touring support and professional development for site-specific work.
- Community Engagement Dance events, workshops, performances, and community engagement activities offered in multiple BC communities through Community Dance Connectors (CDCs) - local dance champions who facilitate peer-to-peer networking and community-engaged dance projects.
- Special Projects Collaborative special projects with artists, presenters, and Community Dance Connectors, often centring IBPOC dance artists and equity-seeking communities, delivered as funding permits.
- Conversations and Essays on Dance in British Columbia: A Dance West Network Anthology A book published in 2026 by Dance Collection Danse Press/es in partnership with Simon Fraser University, commemorating DWN's 20th anniversary and featuring essays from artists who shaped DWN's legacy, centring Indigenous, racialized, and queer dance artists.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20 years of continuous operation connecting artists and communities
Companies that use Dance West Network
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Dance West Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Dance West Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Simon Fraser UniversitycoreCo-publishing partner for the 'Conversations and Essays on Dance in British Columbia: A Dance West Network Anthology' published in partnership with Simon Fraser University's School for the Contemporary Arts. Co-edited by Jane Gabriels (DWN Executive Director) and Peter Dickinson (Professor and Director, SCA).
- Dance Collection DansecorePartnered as the premiere dance publisher in Canada for the 20th anniversary anthology 'Conversations and Essays on Dance in British Columbia'.
- Bulkley Valley Concert AssociationcoreLongstanding partner in Smithers (Wet'suwet'en Territory) supporting Northern BC programming including the Re-Centering/Margins Residency. BVCA promotes and fosters performing arts in the Bulkley Valley since 1961.
- ChangeMakers' Education SocietycorePartner in Prince Rupert (Ts'msyen La'xyuup territory) supporting Northern BC Re-Centering/Margins Residency. Society dedicated to social change through literacy services, grassroots education, and experiential learning.
- Rotary Centre for the ArtscorePartner venue in Kelowna (Okanagan Nation Territory) hosting Dance Salon Series, performances, and community programs. CDC Claudia Moore collaborates with RCA on multiple initiatives.
- Alliance Française VancouversupportingCo-presenter of DADAO outdoor performances in Vancouver, supporting bilingual (French/English) programming.
- La danse sur les routes du QuébecsupportingInspiration and partnering organization for DADAO program, modeled after their Jouer Dehors program promoting francophone dance.
- PuSh International Performing Arts FestivalsupportingCo-presenter of anthology book launch and industry showcase events in Vancouver.
- Dance CentresupportingVancouver dance service organization partnering on in-person showcase programming.
- Crimson Coast Dance SocietysupportingPartner in Nanaimo (Snuneymuxw Territory) delivering Body Talk youth dance program through CDC Holly Bright.
- Method Dance SocietysupportingPartner in Prince George (Lheidli T'enneh Territory) producing Community Moves festival and supporting Northern BC programming.
- Arts RevelstokesupportingPartner in Revelstoke hosting dance workshops, performances, and Luna Festival through CDC Kenley Knock.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Dance West Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Arts Centre: Canada's national performing arts presenter and producer, including dance programming, with a national reach and federal funding base. Overlaps with DWN's artist-presentation mission but operates at far larger scale and across multiple disciplines rather than community-engaged dance specifically.
- PuSh International Performing Arts Festival: Vancouver-based international performing arts festival and named DWN partner (co-presenter of anthology launch and industry showcase events). Overlaps with DWN in connecting BC artists with presenters, but as a broader multi-discipline festival rather than a dance-specific service organization.
Regional players
- Dance Umbrella: London-based dance presenter and producer running an annual international festival and year-round programming, comparable as a dance presentation intermediary. Operates in a different geography with a more festival-led model versus DWN's community-engaged touring showcase approach.
- Battery Dance: New York-based dance organization producing international touring, education, and community engagement programs. Comparable combination of touring showcase and community-engaged programming, but operating in a US urban context with international rather than provincial scope.
Direct peers
- The Dance Centre: Vancouver-based dance service organization supporting the creation, presentation, and development of dance in BC. Most direct functional peer to DWN — both act as intermediaries connecting dance artists with presenters and audiences, although The Dance Centre operates from a downtown Vancouver facility and broader Greater Vancouver focus versus DWN's province-wide community-engagement mandate.
- La danse sur les routes du Québec: Quebec-based dance touring and presentation network explicitly cited as the inspiration and partner for DWN's DADAO program. Operates an analogous model of connecting dance artists with presenters across a Canadian province, with a focus on francophone and outdoor work.
- Canadian Dance Assembly: National service organization representing the Canadian dance community, advocating for dance artists and organizations across the country. Comparable advocacy and service mandate to DWN, but operating at the national rather than provincial level and without DWN's community-connector model.
- Dance Collection Danse: Canada's national dance archive, publisher, and service organization, and DWN's co-publisher for the 20th anniversary anthology. Comparable as a Canadian dance service/publishing organization with archival and equity-focused programming, although DCD operates nationally and emphasizes historical preservation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dance West Network social profiles
Digital presenceDance West Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dance West Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Dance West Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dance West Network 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 West Network
What does Dance West Network do?
Dance West Network is a nonprofit provincial arts service organization that connects BC-based dance artists with theatre presenters and communities across British Columbia through touring showcases, an annual residency for emerging IBPOC artists, outdoor/alternative site performance programs, and a province-wide network of Community Dance Connectors. It also produces publications and digital library content documenting dance history and supporting professional development.
Is Dance West Network a public or private company?
Dance West Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Dance West Network founded?
Dance West Network was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Dance West Network based?
Dance West Network is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Dance West Network make money?
One revenue line is on record: grants and Funding.
Who are Dance West Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Arts Centre and PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. Regional players are Dance Umbrella and Battery Dance. Direct peers are The Dance Centre, La danse sur les routes du Québec, Canadian Dance Assembly and Dance Collection Danse.
Does Dance West Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dance West Network.
What industry is Dance West Network in?
Dance West Network's product category is Arts Service Organization / Dance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAEAH, Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local), with a secondary code of MPAGADAH, Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports). Its NAICS code is 71112 and its SIC code is 7990.