DanceWorks New York City

What DanceWorks New York City does

DanceWorks New York City is a performance-based dance company, founded in 2011 as the NYC sister-company of DanceWorks Boston under DanceWorks LLC (founded 2010 by Lisa Mara). The company produces bi-annual sold-out shows at the Tony Bennett Concert Hall inside the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, each featuring 30 original choreographed works and 150+ performers drawn from a collective of approximately 200 NYC dancers aged 18+. Its core offering is structured as a seasonal subscription to auditioned membership: dancers pay a $50 non-refundable registration fee plus tuition of $300 (1 rehearsal/week) or $335 (2-4 rehearsals/week) per season, with weekly rehearsals held Sunday-Thursday evenings 7-10pm to accommodate full-time careers. Choreographers pay a $30 registration fee plus graduated tuition ($165 first-time down to free for 5th-time+ choreographers) and audition their original work for the showcase.

The company operates without proprietary technology, relying entirely on standard commercial tools (Squarespace website, TicketLeap for ticketing, PayPal for payments, QuickClick for registration, Partiful for event management). Revenue is diversified across six streams: dancer registration and tuition, performance tickets ($30 adult / $20 child), merchandise (apparel and accessories priced $5-$70), professional headshot photography ($35 per high-res file), low-cost workshops ($1-$5 per class serving as audition prep and community building), and choreographer fees. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: bi-annual open auditions, a referral rewards program ($10 per new dancer referred), and the $1 One Dollar Workshop Series serve as both community-funneling and audition-prep gateways. Since 2019 the company has been owned and operated by Betsy Moran, with Symone Harris serving as Managing Director of the NYC affiliate.

Name

DanceWorks New York City

Legal name

DanceWorks LLC

Website

https://danceworksnewyorkcity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DanceWorks New York City is a bi-annual performance-based dance company in NYC serving 200 advanced post-college dancers (18+) who choreograph and perform alongside full-time careers, producing sold-out shows at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Dance Company

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD)

Keywords

• Performance dance company
• Adult dance classes
• Dance choreography services
• Post-college dance programs
• Dance performance tickets

Headquarters

HQ city

Astoria, Queens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Dancer Registration & Tuition: Dancers pay a $50 non-refundable registration fee and tuition based on rehearsal commitment ($300 for 1 rehearsal/week or $335 for 2-4 rehearsals/week). Revenue is recurring per season with 2 seasons per year.
2. Performance Tickets: Adult general admission tickets sold at $30 ($27 with discount code) and children's tickets at $20. Two shows per season (4pm and 8pm) at Tony Bennett Concert Hall.
3. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded apparel including crewnecks ($50-$70), t-shirts ($30), sweatpants ($65), shorts ($40), tanks ($30), hats ($40), totes ($20), keychains ($20), and stickers ($5). Also gift certificates ($25-$100).
4. Headshot Services: Professional headshot photography services at $35 per high-res digital file, provided by Matthew Ziegler Photo. Sold through QuickClick platform.
5. Workshop Fees: One Dollar Workshop Series at $1 per class, open to public aged 18+. Also open workshops between seasons at $5/class.
6. Choreographer Fees: Choreographers pay $10 audition fee and discounted registration ($30). Tuition ranges from free (5th time+ choreographers or those dancing only own piece) to $165 (1st time choreographers), with graduated rates for returning choreographers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DanceWorks New York City operates as a performance-based dance company producing bi-annual sold-out stage shows that blend hip-hop, jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, and Broadway styles. The company recruits adult (18+) dancers and choreographers twice yearly through open auditions, trains them through weekly evening rehearsals, and showcases them at the Tony Bennett Concert Hall. Revenue is generated through dancer/choreographer registration fees and tuition, ticket sales, branded merchandise, professional headshot photography, and dance workshops.

Product overview

DanceWorks New York City is a performance-based dance company offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered around its core DanceWorks New York City Project production. The company operates as a single unified offering with supplementary modules including ticket sales for performances, the DWNYC Store for merchandise/apparel, professional headshot photography, the One Dollar Workshop Series for audition prep, choreographer and dancer auditions, video highlights, press/media coverage, rehearsal scheduling, and the Gerald Obah DanceWorks Legacy Fund scholarship program. The company also offers rates and registration services for seasonal participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DanceWorks New York City Project Bi-annual stage production featuring 30 original choreographed works with 150+ performers, blending hip-hop, jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and Broadway styles. Targeted at adult dancers (18+) and sold-out audiences at the Tony Bennett Concert Hall in Astoria, Queens.
• Dancer Registration & Tuition Seasonal enrollment program for adult dancers (18+) to join DanceWorks NYC. Includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee plus tuition of $300 (1 rehearsal/week) or $335 (2-4 rehearsals/week) per season. Includes weekly rehearsals, performance opportunity, and optional professional photoshoot.
• Choreographer Program Seasonal program allowing experienced dancers to create and direct original choreography. Includes a $10 audition fee, $30 registration, and graduated tuition rates ($165 first-time, $120 second-time, $60 third-time, $35 fourth-time, free for fifth-time+ choreographers or those dancing only their own piece).
• Performance Tickets General admission tickets to bi-annual DanceWorks NYC Project performances. Adult tickets at $30 ($27 with discount code), children's tickets (under 12) at $20. Two show times per season (4pm and 8pm).
• DWNYC Store (Merchandise)

Quantifiable outcome

• Sold-out shows nearly every season for 6+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Frank Sinatra School of the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner hosting bi-annual sold-out performances at Tony Bennett Concert Hall (35-12 35th Ave, Astoria). Also serves as primary rehearsal location for weekly rehearsals (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays 7-10pm). Long-term partnership supporting company's core performance productions.
• DanceWorks BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company and affiliate organization under DanceWorks LLC parent company. Both companies aim to build community at the same rate they grow. Company collectively includes 400+ performers. Boston debuted in 2010, NYC in 2011.
• Joffrey Dance CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlternate rehearsal venue used during August and specified dates throughout the season. Season 27 dancer auditions held at Joffrey Dance Center (June 20, 2026). Provides additional studio space for company operations.
• Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDSminorOthersCharitable beneficiary of Rainbow Tee merchandise sales. All proceeds from Rainbow Tee ($30) go to this organization. Demonstrates company's commitment to philanthropy beyond dance.
• Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD)minorOthersEarly donations from Gerald Obah Legacy Fund supported MADD. Fund created to honor Gerald Obah who was killed by a drunk driver in 2018 after dancing with DanceWorks for 11 seasons.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mark Morris Dance Group: Brooklyn-based, internationally renowned dance company producing contemporary/modern dance performances. Comparable performance-producer reference point for DWNYC's contemporary programming, though operating at a much larger professional scale.
• Joffrey Ballet: Major Chicago-based ballet/dance institution with a New York presence that DWNYC uses for rehearsal space (Joffrey Dance Center). Provides a broader incumbent reference point for adult dance training and performance, though operating at professional-company scale above DWNYC.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Iconic New York-based modern dance company and educational organization. Overlaps with DWNYC on contemporary/modern dance performance production and audience interest in adult dance in NYC, though at a substantially larger institutional scale.

Direct peers

• Parsons Dance: New York City-based contemporary/modern dance company producing touring performances. Comparable in being a contemporary dance producing entity, though more professionalized and nationally touring versus DWNYC's community/working-professional focus.
• Battery Dance Company: Long-established New York City-based dance company producing contemporary performance work. Overlaps with DWNYC on producing live contemporary/modern dance programming in the NYC market.
• DoubleTake Dance: New York City-based contemporary dance company serving adult dancers through performance opportunities. Listed as a prior employer of DWNYC's Assistant Director, demonstrating directly overlapping talent pool and audience segment.
• IKADA Contemporary Dance Company: Contemporary dance company where DWNYC's Assistant Director previously served as company dancer and rehearsal director. Suggests similar contemporary-style programming and professional-tier adult dancer audience.
• BoSoma Dance Company: Boston/New England-based adult dance company offering performance opportunities to working professionals. Asst Director Shannon Luchs previously danced and co-directed at BoSoma, indicating near-identical operating model and audience overlap with DWNYC.
• KAKE Dance Company: NYC-based dance troupe offering performance opportunities to dancers with similar post-college, working-professional profiles. Listed in DWNYC leadership background, confirming comparable operating model and audience.
• DanceWorks Boston: Sister company under DanceWorks LLC operating the identical post-college performance-based dance model in Boston since 2010. Directly comparable in audience (working professional dancers 18+), revenue streams (registration, tuition, tickets, merchandise), and bi-annual sold-out show cadence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/danceworksnewyork
• Facebookfacebook.com/danceworksnewyork
• Instagraminstagram.com/danceworksnyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/danceworks-new-york-city

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 DanceWorks New York City