Danspace Project
Danspace Project is a nonprofit dance presenter founded in 1974, based at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery in Manhattan, that curates and produces experimental dance and performance art for artists and audiences through ticketed events, free programming, and the signature Platform series.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Danspace Project does
Danspace Project Inc. is a nonprofit performing arts presenting organization founded in 1974 and based at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery in Manhattan's East Village. The organization's core function is the curation, production, and presentation of experimental dance and performance art, serving two primary segments: experimental dance artists and choreographers who need venue space, production support, and curatorial framing for new work, and dance audiences seeking access to contemporary and experimental choreographic practice.
Danspace operates a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single product. Its flagship is the Platform series, a multi-week thematic curatorial initiative now in its 17th edition (Platform 2026: Secret Gardens, co-curated by Judy Hussie-Taylor and Seta Morton). Supporting programs include the Performance Calendar of ticketed and free events, DraftWork (informal showings of works-in-progress), Artist Research Groups, Conversations Without Walls (public dialogues), a Writer-in-Residence Program, the Choreographic Center Without Walls (production residencies), an Online Journal of critical writing, printed Catalogues, and Off-Season Programming. The venue itself — the sanctuary of St. Mark's Church — is both the physical product and a defining brand asset. Technology is limited to a WordPress website, Constant Contact newsletter, Ovations ticketing, and standard social media; there is no proprietary technology platform or AI capability.
Revenue derives from three streams: ticketed performance income (e.g., $35 per Dorrance Dance ticket), individual donations and memberships, and foundation/government grants from funders including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (administered by Brooklyn Arts Council), National Performance Network, and Surdna Foundation. The organization employs 18 staff and is led by Executive Director and Chief Curator Judy Hussie-Taylor with Program Director and Associate Curator Seta Morton and Communications Director Allison Hsu. Recent strategic activity includes the 50th anniversary cycle (2024-2025), a new co-presentation partnership with Prospect Park Alliance for Platform 2026, and the 15th anniversary renewal of the Dorrance Dance partnership.
Danspace Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Danspace Project
- Legal name
- Danspace Project Inc.
- Website
- https://danspaceproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Danspace Project is a nonprofit dance presenter founded in 1974, based at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery in Manhattan, that curates and produces experimental dance and performance art for artists and audiences through ticketed events, free programming, and the signature Platform series.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Danspace Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Danspace Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticketed performances such as Dorrance Dance ($35 per ticket)
- Donations and Membership: Individual donations and membership programs supporting new dance work
- Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from New England Foundation for the Arts, Doris Duke Foundation, Mellon Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Performance Tickets |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Events |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership/Donation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Danspace Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Danspace Project is a nonprofit dance presenting organization that curates, produces, and hosts experimental dance and performance art at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery in New York City's East Village. Its programming centers on a seasonal Performance Calendar, the multi-week Platform curatorial series, Off-Season work, DraftWork showings, Conversations Without Walls dialogues, Artist Research Groups, a Writer-in-Residence program, and printed Catalogues and an Online Journal that document and contextualize the work.
Product overview
Danspace Project operates as a presenter and producer of experimental dance and performance art, functioning as a single unified offering centered on its venue at St. Mark's Church in New York City. The organization's core product is the presentation of new dance work through multiple interconnected programming streams: a seasonal Performance Calendar featuring ticketed events; the signature multi-week Platform Series serving as the organization's flagship curatorial initiative; an Online Journal publishing critical writing; Catalogues documenting Platform programs in print; Conversations Without Walls (CWW) as a public dialogue series; DraftWork for works-in-progress showings; Artist Research Groups for collaborative inquiry; a Writer-in-Residence Program embedding critical practice; and Off-Season Programming extending the season year-round. Together, these programs support emerging and established experimental artists through the full lifecycle of creation, presentation, documentation, and discourse.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Performance Calendar (Ticketed & Free Events) Seasonal schedule of dance and performance art events at St. Mark's Church, including paid ticketed performances (e.g., Dorrance Dance SOUNDspace at $35) and free RSVP events (open dress rehearsals, Off-Season presentations), aimed at dance audiences and the wider arts community.
- Platform Series Signature curatorial program featuring thematic multi-week exhibitions with commissioned works, performances, conversations, and publications, designed to support emerging and established experimental dance artists and engage audiences and practitioners.
- Catalogues Published books and printed materials documenting Platform series and special projects, available for purchase through the Danspace shop, designed for dance scholars, students, and audiences seeking archival documentation of experimental dance history.
- Membership Program Annual membership subscription offering supporters opportunities to underwrite new dance work and the organization's mission, providing recurring support for artists and programs.
- Off-Season Programming Performance series presenting works outside the main Platform cycle, including guest-curated events and co-presentations with partner organizations, often free with RSVP.
- Conversations Without Walls (CWW) Public dialogue series featuring artists, curators, and scholars discussing dance, choreography, and performance practices, often recorded and made available online for audiences and practitioners.
- DraftWork Informal showing series offering emerging and established artists space to share works-in-progress with audiences for feedback and community engagement.
- Online Journal Digital publication platform featuring essays, reflections, and critical writing about dance and performance, including artist statements, performance reviews, and curatorial commentary, available online to audiences, scholars, and practitioners.
Companies that use Danspace Project
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Danspace Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Danspace Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Prospect Park AlliancecoreCo-presentation of Ogemdi Ude's MAJOR at Prospect Park Boathouse as part of Platform 2026: Secret Gardens. The Alliance's ReImagine Lefferts initiative transforms the historic house museum to explore legacies of Indigenous people and enslaved Africans.
- Dorrance DancecoreTap dance company presenting SOUNDspace in partnership with Danspace Project. Michelle Dorrance founded the company in 2011; SOUNDspace originally premiered at Danspace in 2011 and returns for the company's 15th anniversary.
- Brooklyn Arts CouncilminorAdministers Greater New York Arts Development Fund from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Danspace Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gibney: Downtown NYC dance and arts center supporting choreography across the lifecycle of creation, presentation, and community engagement. Comparable as a multi-program dance-focused presenter with similar mission scope.
- Performance Space New York: East Village nonprofit (formerly P.S. 122) presenting experimental dance, theater, and performance in NYC. Directly comparable mission, audience, and nonprofit presenting model to Danspace Project.
- The Kitchen: Long-standing NYC nonprofit presenting experimental performance, dance, and visual art in Chelsea. Highly comparable as a peer-sized curatorial presenter of experimental work with similar nonprofit funding model and venue-based programming.
- The Joyce Theater: Chelsea-based nonprofit dance presenter with a year-round season of companies across contemporary, classical, and tap. Comparable as a ticketed NYC dance presenter with a dedicated venue and similar curated programming model.
- Baryshnikov Arts Center: Hell's Kitchen-based arts center supporting residencies, performances, and public programs across dance and theater. Comparable as a NYC nonprofit supporting dance artists with a curated presenting and residency model.
- La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: East Village experimental theater and performance presenter founded in 1961. Comparable as a long-tenured NYC nonprofit presenting experimental performance with multi-decade institutional legacy.
- New York Live Arts: Chelsea-based dance presenter founded from the merger of Dance Theater Workshop. Direct peer as a NYC nonprofit focused on commissioning, presenting, and supporting contemporary dance artists.
Emerging players
- Movement Research: NYC-based nonprofit supporting experimental dance through classes, workshops, performances, and the Movement Research Festival. Comparable as a smaller-scale dance-focused organization with artist development and presentation overlap.
- The Chocolate Factory Theater: Long Island City-based presenter of experimental performance with an intimate venue model. Comparable as a small, mission-aligned presenter of experimental performance in the NYC metro area.
Broad incumbents
- Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM): Large Brooklyn-based performing arts presenter with multiple venues presenting dance, theater, music, and opera. Comparable as a NYC presenter of contemporary dance but operates at substantially greater scale and broader programming scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Danspace Project social profiles
Digital presenceDanspace Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Danspace Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Danspace Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Danspace Project 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 Danspace Project
What does Danspace Project do?
Danspace Project is a nonprofit dance presenting organization that curates, produces, and hosts experimental dance and performance art at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery in New York City's East Village. Its programming centers on a seasonal Performance Calendar, the multi-week Platform curatorial series, Off-Season work, DraftWork showings, Conversations Without Walls dialogues, Artist Research Groups, a Writer-in-Residence program, and printed Catalogues and an Online Journal that document and contextualize the work.
Is Danspace Project a public or private company?
Danspace Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Danspace Project founded?
Danspace Project was founded in 1974. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Danspace Project based?
Danspace Project is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Danspace Project make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Membership and foundation and Government Grants.
Who are Danspace Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gibney, Performance Space New York, The Kitchen, The Joyce Theater, Baryshnikov Arts Center, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and New York Live Arts. Emerging players are Movement Research and The Chocolate Factory Theater. Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Danspace Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Danspace Project.