SARASOTA CONTEMPORARY DANCE INC

What SARASOTA CONTEMPORARY DANCE INC does

Sarasota Contemporary Dance (SCD), legally Sarasota Contemporary Dance Inc, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization headquartered at 1400 Blvd of the Arts Ste 300 in Sarasota, Florida. Founded in 2006 by Leymis Bolaños Wilmott and Rachael Inman under the name Fuzión Dance Artists, the organization rebranded to Sarasota Contemporary Dance in 2020 and is currently entering its 21st season, themed 'Raíces y Vuelos (Roots & Flights)'. Its product portfolio spans four pillars: professional performances (Main Stage at partner venues including Manatee Performing Arts Center and Sarasota Opera House; In-Studio Series at its own black box theater; community performances; and SCD on Demand virtual streaming); dance education (adult classes, kids classes, summer intensives, the SCD Ensemble student training program, and K-12 teaching-artist residencies); inclusive dance programs (Dance for Parkinson's, Dance for Joy, Dance for Autism, Breathing in the Spirit, Red Tent, and physically integrated dance); and venue rental of its 1,000+ sq ft ADA-accessible studio and 60-seat black box theater.

The underlying infrastructure is a single physical facility rather than a technology platform: a professional sprung-floor studio equipped with LED theatrical lighting, sound, projection, a three-camera recording and live-streaming system, an outdoor balcony, and ADA accessibility. Ticketing runs on OvationTix and class registration on GoStudioPro, both third-party platforms. The organization makes money through a mix of transaction-based performance ticket sales, subscription and class-card dance-class revenue ($18–$20 drop-in, $150 for a 10-class card, $160 unlimited monthly), recurring SCD Ensemble membership, hourly studio and venue rentals ($75 rehearsal, $150 performance), and donations/legacy gifts/AD Partners corporate sponsorships plus an annual fundraiser.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: programming around a seasonal Main Stage lineup, the In-Studio Series, and community performances drives attendance and class registrations; donations and sponsorships are cultivated via the website, newsletter, and an annual fundraiser. Customer segments are diversified across general community members, adult students, children and youth, individuals with special needs, educational institutions (notably an Artist-in-Residence role at New College of Florida and a teaching-artist role at Booker High School VPA), healthcare providers (Parkinson Place, Aviva Senior Living), and event organizers renting the studio. Strategic positioning is anchored by founder Leymis Bolaños Wilmott's industry recognition (Dance Magazine 'Southeast Best Choreographer'; Sarasota Magazine Top 28 Most Powerful People in the Arts) and by partnerships with regional arts organizations including Sarasota Orchestra, Choral Artists of Sarasota, Westcoast Black Theater Troupe, Asolo Rep, Salvador Dalí Museum, Ringling Museum, Van Wezel, Art Center Sarasota, enSRQ, and the Sarasota Opera House.

Name

SARASOTA CONTEMPORARY DANCE INC

Legal name

Sarasota Contemporary Dance Inc

Website

https://sarasotacontemporarydance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sarasota Contemporary Dance is a Sarasota, Florida nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 2006 that produces contemporary dance performances, dance classes, inclusive dance programs for individuals with disabilities, and K-12 education initiatives for the regional community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

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), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance performances
• Dance education classes
• Inclusive dance programs
• Studio venue rental
• Performing arts nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Performance Ticket Sales: Revenue from Main Stage and In-Studio performance tickets sold through OvationTix ticketing platform.
2. Dance Classes and Studio Rentals: Revenue from adult and kids dance classes, summer intensives, and studio facility rentals at hourly rates.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Revenue from individual donations, annual fundraiser events, legacy donations, and AD Partners program.
4. Venue Rental: Rental income from their 1,000+ sq ft studio space for performances, rehearsals, workshops, and community events at hourly rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sarasota Contemporary Dance is a nonprofit performing arts organization that produces professional contemporary dance performances (Main Stage series at partner theaters and In-Studio Series at its home black-box venue), offers year-round dance classes and summer programs for adults and children, runs inclusive/physically integrated dance programs for individuals with diverse abilities, and rents its 1,000+ sq ft professional studio venue in Sarasota's Rosemary District.

Product overview

Sarasota Contemporary Dance is a performing arts organization offering a multi-faceted portfolio of dance-related products and services. The core offerings include professional Main Stage performances featuring nationally known choreographers, intimate In-Studio Series presentations, virtual streaming (Watch Virtually and SCD on Demand), and community engagement performances. Educational services encompass Adult Dance Classes across multiple skill levels and styles (contemporary, jazz, afro-fusion, tap, ballet flow, hip hop), Kids Classes and Summer Programs (Little Groovers Camp, Intermediate Movers Camp), Summer Intensives, SCD Ensemble (SCDE) student training program, and K-12 Education programs. Inclusive dance services include Dance for Parkinson's, Dance for Joy, Dance for Autism, and other physically integrated dance initiatives. The organization also operates a professional studio venue available for rental, featuring a black box theater with full production capabilities including recording and live streaming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SCD Ensemble (SCDE): Student training program for young dancers, led by Xiao-Xuan Yang Dancigers as Associate Director
• SCD Kids
• Inclusive Dance / Physically Integrated Dance
• Dance Makers
• SCD on Demand

Products and services

• Main Stage Performances Professional in-theater dance performances featuring works by nationally and internationally known choreographers, held at partner venues including the Manatee Performing Arts Center and Sarasota Opera House.
• In-Studio Series Intimate black box theater performances held at SCD's Home Studio, showcasing emerging and established choreographers in an up-close setting.
• SCD on Demand (Watch Virtually)

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Parkinson PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative dance program for individuals with Parkinson's disease and movement disorders. Choreographed by Leymis Bolaños Wilmott with original music by Francis Schwartz and Scott Blum. Represents a significant arts-in-healthcare initiative and was instrumental in SCD receiving the 2014 Arts & Cultural Alliance Leadership Award for Arts in Healthcare.
• REVolutions DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Dwayne Scheuneman, this professional dance company specializing in physically integrated dance. Leymis Bolaños Wilmott and Dwayne Scheuneman traveled together to Ramallah, West Bank in June 2014 to provide professional development in dance for special needs to Sareyyet Ramallah Dance teachers.
• Compañia de Danza Sin Fronteras (Dance Without Borders)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional dance company based in Argentina that promotes dancers of all abilities. Hosted Leymis Bolaños Wilmott and SCD at the Encuentro de Danza e Integración Latinoamericana (Conference of Physically Integrative Dance) in Buenos Aires, Argentina in September 2015, where SCD represented the United States.
• New College of FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeymis Bolaños Wilmott serves as Artist-in-Residence and professor of dance at New College of Florida. SCD teaching artists provide ongoing dance education at the college. Partnership supports both performance opportunities and arts education programming.
• Booker High School VPA Dance DepartmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSCD serves as adjunct Dance Educator for the Visual and Performing Arts Dance Department, providing teaching artists and dance education expertise to support the school's arts curriculum.
• Sarasota OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on performances featuring live orchestral music, including choreographic works created in partnership with the orchestra for shared artistic experiences.
• Choral Artists of SarasotaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary collaboration between SCD and the choral ensemble, combining dance and vocal performances for unique artistic programming.
• Westcoast Black Theater TroupecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaborative relationship including production support and Assistant Choreography services. SCD's Monessa Salley serves as Assistant Choreographer for Westcoast Black Theater Troupe productions.
• Asolo RepminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the regional theater company on artistic programming and potential cross-disciplinary performances.
• Salvador Dalí MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative artistic projects combining dance with visual arts at the renowned museum, expanding the reach of both art forms.
• John and Mable Ringling Museum of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the state art museum on artistic projects and community engagement initiatives.
• Van Wezel Performing Arts HallminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSCD teaching artists serve as Arts Integration Teaching Artists for the venue, supporting educational programming and community outreach.
• Suncoast Black Arts CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting diversity and inclusion in arts programming across the Suncoast region through collaborative initiatives.
• Art Center of SarasotaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative artistic projects with the visual arts center, supporting interdisciplinary arts programming.
• Woodland Fine Arts AcademycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMultiple SCD teaching artists and company members (Melissa Rummel, Jordan Leonard, MaKayla Lane, Amber Slay) teach and choreograph at this dance studio, supporting youth dance education.
• Manatee Performing Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for The Barker Project performance as part of the 21st Season programming, bringing SCD works to Manatee County audiences.
• enSRQcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor large-scale collaboration for the 21st Season finale at the Sarasota Opera House—an electrifying finale combining movement, music, and shared artistry.
• Sarasota Opera HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the 21st Season finale collaboration with enSRQ, providing a prestigious performance venue for SCD's major productions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alonzo King LINES Ballet: San Francisco-based contemporary dance company under a long-tenured founding artistic director. Closely comparable in artistic model (single-vision contemporary repertory company), programming structure (Main Stage + education/community programs), and nonprofit funding profile.
• Pilobolus: Touring contemporary dance company combining performance with educational outreach and branded programming. Highly comparable in combining repertory performances with K-12/community programming in nonprofit structure.
• Sarasota Ballet: The other principal professional dance company based in Sarasota, FL, presenting classical ballet programming. Direct competitor for local audiences, donors, and venue calendars, making it the most comparable peer operating in the same metro.

Broad incumbents

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: The preeminent U.S. contemporary/modern dance company. The top-end comparable for an organization aspiring to a Main Stage touring and education-anchored operating model in contemporary dance.
• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Mid-size contemporary dance company with a parallel educational mission and inclusive programming. Comparable operating structure but at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Mark Morris Dance Group: Established New York-based contemporary dance company with strong community education programming. Comparable operating model — performance company plus deep community/education programming — at meaningfully larger scale.

Regional players

• Westcoast Black Theater Troupe: Sarasota-based performing arts nonprofit with overlapping partnership and shared production resources. Competes for similar audience and donor segments within the same regional market.
• Asolo Repertory Theatre: Regional LORT theater based in Sarasota. Shared donor base, shared venue ecosystem (Van Wezel, Opera House), and explicit partnership in SCD's records — the closest performing-arts counterpart in the local market.
• Miami City Ballet: Florida's largest ballet company, headquartered in Miami Beach. Comparable professional contemporary/ballet presenter serving a Florida audience, with broader geographic reach but overlapping donor and patron pools within the state.
• Sarasota Orchestra: Long-established Sarasota performing arts organization. Explicit collaboration partner of SCD and competitor for the same community donor base, season subscribers, and venue programming slots.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SarasotaContemporaryDance
• Instagraminstagram.com/sarasotacontemporarydance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sarasota-contemporary-dance-inc

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 SARASOTA CONTEMPORARY DANCE INC