DanceWorks Chicago
DanceWorks Chicago is a nonprofit dance company founded in 2006 in Chicago that supports early-career dancers and emerging choreographers through training, mentorship, performance programs, and microgrants at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersChicago, Illinois, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DanceWorks Chicago does
DanceWorks Chicago is a nonprofit dance company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The organization focuses on community building through dance and serves early-career dancers and emerging choreographers by providing training, collaboration, mentorship, and performance opportunities. It operates as a resident company at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts and engages a roster of 58 dancers supported by 11 staff employees. As of 2025 the company is in its 18th season of continuous operation.
The company runs a diversified portfolio of programs including New Dances (a choreographic showcase series), DanceBytes (short-form works), ChoreoLab (choreographic development), DanceForce (performance ensemble), DanceChance and DanceFlight (educational and outreach initiatives), Dance360 (immersive programming), and Center Stage (performance platform). It also administers a Microgrant Program for Chicago-based dance artists that supported 21 recipients in 2025.
As a nonprofit, DanceWorks Chicago's revenue model relies on donations, foundation grants, community support, and earned program/ticket revenue. The organization has expanded internationally through its "Hallo, Deutschland!" tour to Germany and has built educational partnerships with Shenandoah Conservatory and James Madison University. It participated in the See Chicago Dance 20th Anniversary Gala, signaling continued engagement with the broader Chicago dance ecosystem.
DanceWorks Chicago firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DanceWorks Chicago
- Legal name
- DanceWorks Chicago
- Website
- https://danceworkschicago.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DanceWorks Chicago is a nonprofit dance company founded in 2006 in Chicago that supports early-career dancers and emerging choreographers through training, mentorship, performance programs, and microgrants at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DanceWorks Chicago industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts (Dance)
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (71112), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)
Keywords
Where DanceWorks Chicago is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago, Illinois
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DanceWorks Chicago business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Support: DanceWorks Chicago relies on donations and community support as indicated by the prominent Donate button on their website. The organization is a nonprofit focused on community building rather than commercial revenue generation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
DanceWorks Chicago product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DanceWorks Chicago is a Chicago-based nonprofit dance company that provides training, collaboration, mentorship, and performance opportunities for early career dancers and emerging choreographers. The company operates a portfolio of programs including the annual New Dances festival, DanceBytes, ChoreoLab, DanceForce, Dance360 summer intensive, DanceChance, DanceFlight, and an annual international Hallo, Deutschland! tour to Germany, all anchored at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts.
Product overview
DanceWorks Chicago is a Chicago-based dance company offering a comprehensive portfolio of dance programs and performance opportunities. The core offering centers on professional development for early-career dancers and choreographers through training, collaboration, mentorship, and performance. Key programs include the annual New Dances festival, DanceBytes performance series, ChoreoLab and DanceForce training programs (Dance360), DanceChance for emerging choreographers, and DanceFlight performances. The company also operates an international touring program (Hallo, Deutschland! Tour in Germany) and offers a Microgrant Program for Chicago-based artists. Performances are held primarily at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, with the company currently in Season 18+.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- New Dances
Companies that use DanceWorks Chicago
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DanceWorks Chicago technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
DanceWorks Chicago partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ruth Page Center for the ArtscoreDanceWorks Chicago is proudly in residence at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts at 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. This serves as their primary home venue for performances and events including the New Dances annual showcase, DanceFlight series, and Center Stage events.
- International Arts & Artists Cultural Exchange ProgramminorPartnership that enabled Björn Helget to become DanceWorks Chicago's first international dancer in 2011, expanding his training and professional experience through cultural exchange.
- See Chicago DancecoreDanceWorks Chicago participated in See Chicago Dance's 20th Anniversary Gala celebrating 30+ years of service under Julie Nakagawa's leadership, indicating ongoing collaborative relationship within the Chicago dance community.
- Thodos Dance ChicagocoreCollaborative partnership on the New Dances initiative, a joint production that showcases Chicago choreographers and supports the local dance ecosystem through shared resources and audiences.
- Chicago Dancers UnitedcoreCo-host of the 'Put Yourself Center Stage' community event, combining resources to support Chicago's dance community and celebrate local artists.
- Bergische SymphonikerminorCollaboration with the symphony orchestra for the Hallo, Deutschland! 2024 Tour performances in Solingen, Germany, demonstrating cross-disciplinary artistic partnerships.
- James Madison UniversitycoreAnnual residency program with the Shenandoah Conservatory Dance Ensemble, providing educational exchange and collaborative performances.
- Bruce Wood DanceminorDanceFlight collaboration featuring partner company works, bringing diverse contemporary dance to Chicago audiences.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
DanceWorks Chicago competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Pilobolus: A US-based dance company known for innovative choreography, touring, and educational programming. Comparable in mission around artistic development and touring economics, though larger in scale and more commercially oriented internationally.
- Winifred Haun & Dancers: A small Chicago contemporary dance company with a similar mission of developing emerging choreographers and presenting original work. Highly comparable in size, structure, and target audience to DanceWorks Chicago, making it a close niche competitor.
Regional players
- Chicago Repertory Ballet: A Chicago-based ballet company that, while rooted in classical repertoire, competes in the same metro donor and audience market and vends performances at the Ruth Page Center ecosystem. Less directly competitive on contemporary repertoire but comparable on nonprofit funding dynamics.
Direct peers
- Thodos Dance Chicago: A Chicago-based contemporary dance company and explicit partner of DanceWorks Chicago on the New Dances initiative. Shares the same city, target audience of early-career dancers, and contemporary-dance repertoire focus, making it the single most directly comparable peer.
- River North Dance Chicago: A Chicago-based contemporary dance company with a similar size and mission of producing new works by emerging choreographers. Directly competes for performance slots, dancer talent, and Chicago-based donor support in the same contemporary dance niche.
- Visceral Dance Chicago: A Chicago contemporary dance company with a similar repertoire and mission-driven nonprofit structure. Both companies serve the Chicago modern dance market, recruit emerging choreographers, and operate at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts circuit.
- Giordano Dance Chicago: A long-established Chicago dance company with a strong ensemble model and education programming. While larger and more legacy-oriented, it competes for the same Chicago donor pool, venue slots, and emerging dancer talent as DanceWorks Chicago.
- Bruce Wood Dance: A contemporary dance company that has collaborated with DanceWorks Chicago on the DanceFlight series. Comparable in scale and repertoire, both companies focus on commissioning and presenting contemporary choreographic work for live audiences.
Broad incumbents
- Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: A flagship Chicago contemporary dance organization with a much larger ensemble, school, and national touring footprint. Operates in the same metropolitan dance ecosystem and competes for donors, audiences, and government arts funding, but at a substantially larger scale.
- Joffrey Ballet: A premier Chicago-based dance institution with deep endowment, large audience base, and education programming. While classical/neoclassical rather than contemporary, it competes with DanceWorks Chicago for the same Chicago arts donors, venue partnerships, and aspiring dancers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DanceWorks Chicago social profiles
Digital presenceDanceWorks Chicago financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DanceWorks Chicago leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
DanceWorks Chicago funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DanceWorks Chicago 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 DanceWorks Chicago
What does DanceWorks Chicago do?
DanceWorks Chicago is a Chicago-based nonprofit dance company that provides training, collaboration, mentorship, and performance opportunities for early career dancers and emerging choreographers. The company operates a portfolio of programs including the annual New Dances festival, DanceBytes, ChoreoLab, DanceForce, Dance360 summer intensive, DanceChance, DanceFlight, and an annual international Hallo, Deutschland! tour to Germany, all anchored at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts.
Is DanceWorks Chicago a public or private company?
DanceWorks Chicago is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was DanceWorks Chicago founded?
DanceWorks Chicago was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DanceWorks Chicago based?
DanceWorks Chicago is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the North America region.
How does DanceWorks Chicago make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Support.
Who are DanceWorks Chicago's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Pilobolus and Winifred Haun & Dancers. Chicago Repertory Ballet is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Thodos Dance Chicago, River North Dance Chicago, Visceral Dance Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago and Bruce Wood Dance. Broad incumbents are Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Joffrey Ballet.
Does DanceWorks Chicago have an API?
No public API is recorded for DanceWorks Chicago.
What industry is DanceWorks Chicago in?
DanceWorks Chicago's product category is Performing Arts (Dance). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAB, Contemporary & Modern Dance, with a secondary code of EDAMAAAH, Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance). Its NAICS code is 71112 and its SIC code is 7900.