Doug Varone & Dancers

What Doug Varone & Dancers does

Doug Varone and Dancers is a New York City-based professional modern dance company founded in 1986 by choreographer Doug Varone. The company produces and presents original contemporary choreography through live performances and has built a catalog of more than 50 works over four decades, including Alchemy (2009), Castles (2004), Possession (1994), Lux (2006), and Restore (2024). The New York Times has described Doug Varone as having a rare ability to convey emotional depth through physically exciting choreography.

The company monetizes its repertoire through three revenue streams: performance booking for venues, festivals, and events on a quote-based / multi-year contract basis; staging and licensing of choreographic works to colleges, universities, and professional dance companies on a licensing/royalty model; and the DOVA Workshops program, comprising a Summer Workshop, Winter Intensive, and Company Teaching instruction on a professional services basis. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per engagement. The primary customer segment is higher education institutions, with secondary segments in educational performance projects and professional dance licensing.

The company operates as a founder-owned private entity with 6 listed employees, headquartered at 224 W. 35th Street, Suite 500, in New York. Its primary operating geography is the Northeast US, though its distribution channels (live booking, licensing, and workshops) are described as globally available. Marketing is conducted through organic social channels — Instagram (@dovadance) and Facebook (facebook.com/dovadance) — and the organization also operates a "Support" page, indicating a likely reliance on philanthropic contributions in addition to earned revenue. There is no technology product, no app, and no AI capability within the organization.

Name

Doug Varone & Dancers

Legal name

Doug Varone and Dancers

Website

https://dougvaroneanddancers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Doug Varone and Dancers is a New York-based professional modern dance company founded in 1986 that produces live performances, licenses choreographic works to colleges and universities, and runs dance education workshops under the DOVA brand, serving academic and professional dance audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Dance Services

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 Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance performances
• Choreography licensing
• Dance workshops
• Dance education programs
• Modern dance company

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workshop Fees: Revenue from Summer Workshop and Winter Intensive dance programs. These multi-day intensives attract aspiring and professional dancers.
2. Licensing: The company licenses its choreography to colleges, universities, and professional companies for staging and performance.
3. Performance Bookings: Revenue from booking the company for live performances at various venues and festivals.
4. Donations: Individual donations from supporters through the website donation platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Doug Varone & Dancers is a contemporary dance company that produces live dance performances drawing from a 40+ year repertoire of more than 30 choreographic works, licenses its choreography to colleges, universities, and professional dance companies for staging, and delivers professional dance education through DOVA Workshops (Summer Workshop and Winter Intensive) and Company Teaching engagements. Customers include venue programmers, festival organizers, academic dance programs, and aspiring or professional dancers.

Product overview

Doug Varone and Dancers is a contemporary dance company offering a portfolio of live performance productions and educational programs. The core offering consists of live dance performances showcasing the company's extensive repertoire of choreographed works spanning over 40 years. Supporting offerings include staging and licensing programs for educational institutions and professional companies, as well as dance workshops (Summer Workshop and Winter Intensive) and company teaching services. These offerings work together to deliver professional dance performances while supporting dance education and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Dance Performances Professional contemporary dance performances featuring works from the company's 40+ year repertoire, including productions such as Alchemy, Castles, Possession, Bel Canto, Folded, Gravity, Lux, and Restore. Performances are booked by venue programmers, festival organizers, and presenting organizations for theaters and festivals.
• Choreography Staging and Licensing Licensing of Doug Varone's choreographic works to colleges, universities, and professional dance companies for staging in academic and professional productions. Includes dedicated programs for colleges and universities, education/performance projects, and professional company licensing.
• Summer Workshop Annual summer intensive dance workshop offering training in contemporary dance techniques and the Doug Varone movement methodology for aspiring and professional dancers.
• Winter Intensive Winter season dance intensive workshop providing professional-level training in the Doug Varone technique and company teaching opportunities for serious dancers.
• Company Teaching Educational outreach program where company dancers and staff provide teaching and instruction at dance institutions and academic programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 years of continuous operation and artistic production

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Mark Morris Dance Group: Established modern dance company with similar live performance, education, and touring model; comparable scale and New York base make it a directly relevant peer for fund-raising profile and venue circuit.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: The largest US modern dance company, with performances, educational programs (Ailey School, AileyCamp), and a comprehensive licensing/educational catalog. Comparable product set but substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Paul Taylor Dance Company: Legacy American modern dance company with a deep repertoire, active touring, and a licensing/staging program for colleges and universities—essentially the same operating model as Doug Varone & Dancers.
• Martha Graham Dance Company: Historic modern dance company with an extensive choreographic library, institutional licensing, and active touring. Closely comparable on repertoire licensing and academic market.
• Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: Contemporary dance company with a single-founder artistic identity, touring productions, and educational outreach. Comparable founder-centric modern dance model.
• Pilobolus: Contemporary dance company with strong licensing of repertoire to schools, commercial clients, and entertainment productions; comparable licensing-led revenue model.
• Camille A. Brown & Dancers: Independent contemporary dance company with a similar ensemble scale, teaching residencies, and choreographic licensing for academic and professional engagement.
• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Mid-sized contemporary dance company with active touring, repertory licensing, and educational programming including intensives—closely comparable operating structure.
• José Limón Dance Foundation: Modern dance company with a substantial choreographic legacy, licensing program for colleges, and educational intensives—directly comparable repertoire and licensing model.

Regional players

• Batsheva Dance Company: Internationally renowned contemporary dance company with touring, repertory, and educational programming ( Gaga movement language). Comparable artistic model but geographically focused in Israel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dovadance
• Instagraminstagram.com/dovadance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Doug Varone & Dancers