Mocean Dance

What Mocean Dance does

Mocean Dance (legal name: Mocean Dance Society) is a private non-profit contemporary dance society founded in 2001 in K'jipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia, and currently led by Co-Artistic Directors Susanne Chui and Sara Coffin (appointed 2012). The organization operates as a dance hub serving four interconnected customer segments: general audiences attending mainstage productions and touring performances; emerging and established dance artists participating in professional training and artist development programs; community members of all ages accessing free and accessible movement programming; and older adults, schools, and educational institutions engaged through targeted outreach. Core products include the touring productions (PLAY, Sea Unseen, Re-membering Kmətkinu), professional morning training classes at Halifax Dance, the CLEaR Forum choreographic residency, SURGE and Emerging Artists in Residence programs, and community programs (Moving with Mocean at Halifax Public Libraries, Communities in Mocean - Older Adults Centre Stage with Northwood Central). There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is fundamentally service- and performance-based.

The business model blends earned revenue (ticket sales, training memberships of $115-$265 per season, $15 drop-ins, touring fees) with contributed revenue (individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation support such as the JW Murphy Foundation) and institutional funding from three tiers of government (Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, Department of Communities Culture Tourism and Heritage, Halifax Regional Municipality, New Horizons for Seniors Program). Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: the company reaches audiences through live performances, touring via the Atlantic Presenters Association, library and senior facility programming, and educational residencies. The organization holds Company-in-Residence status at Halifax Dance since 2002, has created more than 50 original works with choreographers from across Canada, and was the first Nova Scotia dance work to receive the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Art Award (2016).

Name

Mocean Dance

Legal name

Mocean Dance Society

Website

https://moceandance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mocean Dance is a Halifax-based non-profit contemporary dance society that produces touring performances, professional training, community dance programs, and artist development residencies for audiences, dance artists, schools, and seniors in Atlantic Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance performance
• Community dance programming
• Professional dance training
• Choreographic residency programs
• Touring dance productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Performance Revenue: Revenue from ticket sales for mainstage productions, touring performances, and public showings of works.
2. Sponsorships & Donations: Corporate sponsorships providing programming support and individual donations from patrons, benefactors, and supporters. Tax-deductible receipts provided for donations. Includes foundation support from organizations like JW Murphy Foundation.
3. Government Grants & Funding: Operating funding from Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, Department of Communities Culture Tourism and Heritage, and government programs like New Horizons for Seniors Program.
4. Professional Training Classes: Weekly morning training classes for professional and intermediate dancers with membership options and drop-in rates. Classes held at Halifax Dance, 1505 Barrington Street.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mocean Dance is a non-profit contemporary dance company that produces and tours original choreographic works, delivers weekly professional training classes for intermediate-to-advanced dancers, and runs community programs including free library classes and senior dance projects. The company also develops emerging and mid-career dance artists through choreographic residencies (CLEaR Forum), incubation programs (SURGE), and emerging artist residencies, functioning as a dance hub serving professional artists and the broader Atlantic Canada community.

Product overview

Mocean Dance is a contemporary dance company offering a portfolio of dance performances and community programs. The core offerings include: professional morning training classes for intermediate to advanced dancers; current touring productions (PLAY, Sea Unseen, Re-Membering Kmɨtkinu); community programs including Moving with Mocean (free library classes) and Communities in Mocean (older adults program); artist development through CLEaR Forum (choreographic residency), SURGE (emerging artist program), and Emerging Artists In Residence; and Mocean Dance Week for community engagement. The company functions as a platform connecting professional dance artists with diverse audiences through performance, education, and community participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Morning Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Created over 50 original works with choreographers from across Canada since 2001
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Sable Island InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner for Sea Unseen (2024), an immersive dance performance using plastics collected from Sable Island. Zoe Lucas, a collaborator on Mocean's work, is also involved with the Institute. The collaboration advances environmental education for youth through the arts.
• 1313 Music AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner for Where Dance & Music Meet (2023), a choreographic work by Susanne Chui featuring 19 performers in an 80-minute performance exploring the intersection of dance and music.
• Ross Creek Centre for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for CLEaR Forum (Choreographic Lab, Exploration and Research), a week-long residency-based choreographic lab held annually in Canning, NS. Program includes studio space, housing, meals, and stipend for participants.
• CanAsian DancesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with CanAsian Dance for CLEaR Forum provides two designated positions for Asian Diaspora dance artists with travel support included.
• Live Art Dance ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter and partner for performances including Re-membering Kmɨtkinu (premiering May 2027) in partnership with Prismatic Arts Festival. Long-standing collaborator in dance presentation.
• Halifax DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany-in-Residence at Halifax Dance since 2002. Home base for professional training classes and mainstage performances at 1505 Barrington Street.
• Dance Nova ScotiasecondaryOthersMember organization supporting the dance community in Nova Scotia.
• Canadian Dance AssemblysecondaryOthersNational membership organization for Canadian dance companies and artists.
• Hear Here ProductionssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-time collaborator on productions including Burnwater (2013) and Burnwater: Alchemy (2016) with Erin Donovan.
• NorthwoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor and host location for Communities in Mocean - Older Adults Centre Stage program. Northwood Central hosts weekly sessions and performances.
• Halifax Public LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Moving with Mocean free community classes at Halifax Central Library (Paul O'Regan Hall) and Communities in Mocean programming. Also host for spring performance events.
• Atlantic Presenters AssociationsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry association through which Mocean Dance connects with presenter organizations for touring productions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/moceandance
• Facebookfacebook.com/moceanhalifax
• Instagraminstagram.com/moceandance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mocean-dance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Mocean Dance