Solid Ground Movement

What Solid Ground Movement does

Solid Ground Movement (legal entity: Stichting Solid Ground) is a Dutch cultural ANBI foundation founded in 2004 in Amsterdam by Alida Dors and Bryan Druiventak. Operating from the Tolhuistuin site at IJpromenade 2 in Amsterdam-Noord, it runs a three-studio physical facility (Waterstudio 98 sqm, Spiegelstudio 95 sqm, Jagerstudio 52 sqm) and delivers in-person dance education in hiphop, break, and funkstyles for children (ages 4+), teens, and adults. The core offering is non-software: live dance instruction, talent development programmes (Solid Pro for ages 18-27, Solid Next Gen for ages 10-17), studio rental to performing arts professionals, and the production of original hiphop theatre shows such as "Spaces" (Feb 2024) and "Wienaamik" (Dec 2024). Technology is minimal and non-proprietary: a Squarespace website (solidgroundmovement.dance) and the Bueno third-party booking platform for class enrollment; no app, API, or digital product exists.

The business model is multi-stream and centred on small-ticket, high-volume transactions. Class pricing is €10 per single class or €70 for a 10-class pass, with free trial classes; trial-to-paid conversion drives class revenue. Studio rental is priced at €35 first hour / €25 second / €20 from the third hour for Waterstudio and €17.50 / €15 for Jagerstudio, generating transactional revenue from performing arts tenants. Talent-development programmes operate on an audition-based selective model with 6-12 dancers per Solid Pro cohort, culminating in ticketed theatre premieres at external venues including CC Amstel, Brakke Grond, and Grand Theatre Groningen. All prices exclude VAT.

Customers are primarily individual Amsterdam-based dancers (children through adults), semi-professional dancers aged 18-27 auditioning for intensive programmes, performing arts professionals renting studio space, and theatre audiences attending productions. The organisation is led by Artistic Director Henry O'Tawiah (succeeding co-founder Alida Dors) with five-member governance board (Ewa Scheifes, Mathilde Stuyling de Lange, Maarten van Hinte, Jeffrey Stalburg, Joost Schmaal) and a team of approximately 8 including teachers (Steve 'Popski' Lobo, Rachnella Martijn, Naomi Klein), business operations, studio planning, and PR/marketing. Strategic venue partnerships (CC Amstel, Brakke Grond, Grand Theatre Groningen) and a content partnership with Expertisecentrum Transculturele Therapie anchor the production distribution channel.

Name

Solid Ground Movement

Legal name

Stichting Solid Ground

Website

https://solidgroundmovement.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Solid Ground Movement is a Dutch ANBI cultural foundation in Amsterdam-Noord offering hiphop dance classes, studio rentals, talent development programmes, and original theatre productions to children, adults, and semi-professional dancers in the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dance Education & Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban/Street Dance Performances (Hip-Hop, Breaking) (MPAGADAF), Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Hiphop dance classes
• Breakdance instruction
• Performing arts studio rental
• Hiphop talent development
• Hiphop theatre productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dance Classes: Revenue from dance classes across hiphop, break and hiphop theatre styles. Classes offered for children, young people and adults with single class (€10) and punch card options (€70 for 10 classes). Trial classes are free.
2. Studio Rental: Three studios rented to performing arts professionals. Waterstudio and Spiegelstudio offer larger spaces at higher rates, Jagerstudio is smaller and more affordable. Revenue generated from hourly bookings with tiered pricing (first hour higher, subsequent hours discounted).
3. Theatre Productions: Revenue from theatre productions including Spaces (hiphop theatre show) and Wienaamik. Productions performed at external venues with ticket sales.
4. Talent Development Programs: Intensive programs for semi-professional dancers (Solid Pro, 8-month program) and young dancers (Solid Next Gen). Solid Pro selects 6-12 dancers through auditions annually and culminates in theatre premiere.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Solid Ground Movement is a nonprofit cultural foundation in Amsterdam that delivers in-person hiphop dance classes (Hiphop, Break, Funkstyles, Hiphop Theatre) to children, youth and adults, rents out three professional dance studios to performing arts professionals, runs structured talent development programmes (Solid Next Gen for ages 10-17 and Solid Pro for ages 18-27) culminating in theatre premieres, and produces original hiphop theatre productions such as Spaces and Wienaamik.

Product overview

Solid Ground Movement is a cultural foundation and hiphop dance center in Amsterdam-Noord, founded in 2004. The organization offers a unified portfolio centered on dance education and community development: dance classes in Hiphop, Break, and Hiphop Theater for children, young people and adults; three rentable studio spaces (Waterstudio, Spiegelstudio, Jagerstudio); and talent development programmes (Solid Pro and Solid Next Gen) that develop dancers for professional theatre careers. The organization also produces original theatrical shows including Wienaamik and Spaces, showcasing talent developed through their programmes. The core offering is non-software: in-person dance instruction, studio facilities, and performance productions rather than a digital product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dancedemic: An immersive hiphop development program in the Netherlands for youngsters. Pioneered by Henry O'Tawiah around the theme of 'Corona experiences' and supported by Solid and ISH.
• Solid Pro
• Solid Next Gen

Products and services

• Hiphop Classes Urban hiphop dance classes teaching hiphop substyles including popping, locking, house, waving, breakdancing, krumping, waacking, bone breaking and new style to children and teenagers, building perseverance and individual style.
• Break Classes Breaking (breakdancing) classes covering strength, control, creativity, roots and history, including acrobatic powermoves, fast-paced footwork, freezes, improvisation and battle tactics, taught across four age groups by master teacher Popski.
• Hiphop Theatre Classes Advanced classes combining hiphop technique with theatrical storytelling for students aged 14+ who want to build stage presence, develop narrative through movement and explore acting elements, taught by Artistic Director Henry O'Tawiah.
• Waterstudio Rental 98 sqm rentable studio at IJpromenade 2, Amsterdam, with view of Tolhuistuin, stereo with aux cable, kitchen access and a clean dance floor, priced at \u20ac35 first hour, \u20ac25 second hour and \u20ac20 from the third hour (excl. VAT).
• Spiegelstudio Rental 95 sqm rentable studio featuring large mirrors along the entire wall that can be covered, designed for convenient rehearsal use at the Tolhuistuin facility.
• Jagerstudio Rental 52 sqm rentable studio with wide mirror wall and aux speakers, requiring flat-sole shoes due to its wooden floor, priced at \u20ac17.50 first hour and \uac15 from the second hour (excl. VAT).
• Solid Pro Intensive 8-month development programme for semi-professional and self-taught hiphop dancers aged 18-27, selecting 6-12 dancers through auditions annually and offering growth in technique, performance, musicality, stage presence and personal style under Henry O'Tawiah, culminating in a premiere at an established Amsterdam theatre.
• Solid Next Gen Programme for promising young hiphop dancers aged 10-17, trained in two age groups (10-12/13 and 13-17) under top teachers, developing skills, confidence and connections beyond the dance floor. Alumni include finalists from Holland's Got Talent and Superkids and dancers featured in Nike and Adidas campaigns.
• Spaces (hiphop theatre production) One-hour dynamic hiphop theatre dance show featuring the latest street and club dance trends from up-and-coming talent in the Netherlands, exploring the definition of space for the Alpha generation through hiphop culture and celebrating hiphop's 50th year.
• Wienaamik (theatre production) Moving dance performance about the visible carrying of collective trauma in the form of one's last name, in which five dancers from African, Surinamese and Antillean communities explore their connection to their family name and its links to the history of slavery.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Expertisecentrum Transculturele Therapie (ETT)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Collaboration for the Wienaamik production combining dance with genealogical research on family names connected to slavery history. ETT provides expertise in transcultural therapy context for performers from African, Surinamese and Antillean communities.
• Right About Now Festival / Brakke GrondminorOthers · 1 December 2024Festival venue for Wienaamik performance on December 7, 2024.
• CC AmstelcoreOthers · 1 February 2024Theatre venue hosting Solid Ground Movement productions including Spaces premiere (February 25, 2024) and Wienaamik premiere (December 6, 2024).
• Grand Theatre GroningenminorOthers · 1 January 2024Theatre venue for Spaces performance at RE:SOURCES Festival on May 19, 2024.
• ISH Theatre CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional theatre company where Henry O'Tawiah developed his skills and collaborated with. ISH was his first professional theatre experience. Dancedemic initiative was supported by ISH.
• Cirque du SoleilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenry O'Tawiah collaborated with Cirque du Soleil in his professional dance career before joining Solid Ground Movement.
• National Ballet of the NetherlandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenry O'Tawiah collaborated with the Dutch National Ballet as dancer and choreographer.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ICK Dans Amsterdam: Larger Amsterdam-based contemporary dance company with a broader portfolio beyond hiphop; overlaps Solid Ground on producing theatrical dance in Amsterdam venues, though with a much wider stylistic scope.
• Introdans: Established Dutch dance company based in Arnhem with extensive educational outreach programming; comparable as a Dutch dance company that simultaneously runs training/development activities alongside touring performances.
• Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT): The Hague-based internationally renowned dance company with extensive education and talent-development programmes; comparable as a Dutch institution combining high-level productions with training pathways, though at far larger scale and broader stylistic range.

Direct peers

• Cloud Dans: Amsterdam-based contemporary/urban dance company that produces staged work and talent development programmes; comparable to Solid Ground in combining producing work with training emerging dancers in the same city.
• The Ruggeds: Dutch hiphop dance crew and training academy that combines elite choreography, talent development and competitive/touring performance — directly comparable to Solid Ground on the hiphop-meets-theatre axis.
• Codarts Rotterdam: Rotterdam-based university of performing arts offering hiphop and contemporary dance programmes, talent development pipelines and stage productions — comparable as a dance school + company in the Netherlands outside Amsterdam.
• ISH Choreographic Platform (ISH): Amsterdam-based hiphop and contemporary dance collective that produces theatrical dance work; Solid Ground explicitly partners with ISH, which previously employed Henry O'Tawiah, making it the closest direct peer in hiphop theatre in Amsterdam.
• Hype Dance Academy: Dutch urban/hiphop dance school running weekly classes, talent development and showcases for children through adults — directly overlaps Solid Ground's class-and-academy offering in the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solid-ground-movement

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Solid Ground Movement