South Chicago Dance Theatre

What South Chicago Dance Theatre does

South Chicago Dance Theatre (SCDT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary dance organization founded in 2017 by Kia S. Smith and headquartered in Chicago's South Side (5728 S. Blackstone Ave, Suite 310, Chicago, IL). The company operates a professional dance ensemble of approximately 13 dancers, with salaried positions and health insurance, presenting mainstage works at premier Chicago venues including the Harris Theater and Auditorium Theatre, and touring internationally through its trademarked Choreographic Diplomacy™ program (active partnerships in Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City, and previously Colombia and the Netherlands). SCDT serves a diverse constituent base spanning ticketed dance audiences, Chicago Public Schools (via the Black History Month Performance Series and in-school programs), and community members reached through the annual South Chicago Dance Festival (founded 2018).

SCDT's core product portfolio includes main company performances, the Choreographic Diplomacy™ international cultural exchange program, the South Chicago Dance Festival, and Education & Community Programs. Signature evening-length works include 'Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley' (2023, Auditorium Theatre debut) and 'Cartography of Peace' (2021). The organization is currently in Season 9 (2025-2026), with a calendar that includes a Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp residency, performances at Dance for Life, Navy Pier Chicago LIVE, a Governors State University engagement, a holiday world premiere of 'Lamentations for Peace,' an APAP performance at Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York, a Berlin Dance Institute Residency, and a Southern United States Tour.

The business model is a nonprofit donations-and-grants model with three primary revenue streams: (1) donations and corporate sponsorships ranging from $250 individual memberships through the Legacy Builders program to $10,000+ Presenting Partner tier sponsorships, (2) ticket sales from live performances at major Chicago venues, and (3) government and foundation grants (Illinois Arts Council, MacArthur Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, Field Foundation, Morrison Shearer Foundation, Logan Foundation). The organization is founder-led with a small administrative staff (17 employees total) and a Board of Directors, with no equity investors or parent company.

Name

South Chicago Dance Theatre

Legal name

South Chicago Dance Theatre

Website

https://southchicagodancetheatre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

South Chicago Dance Theatre is a nonprofit contemporary dance company on Chicago's South Side, performing at venues like Harris Theater and Auditorium Theatre, touring internationally through Choreographic Diplomacy™, and serving 75,000+ constituents via performances, school programs, and the South Chicago Dance Festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts — Contemporary Dance

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC), Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance performances
• Dance education programs
• International cultural exchange
• Arts nonprofit organization
• Dance festival production

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Nonprofit organization funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation support at various tiers from $250 to $10,000+. Includes Legacy Builders program for sustaining members.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue from home season performances at major venues including Harris Theater and Auditorium Theatre. Public performances and dance festivals.
3. Government and Foundation Grants: Support from Illinois Arts Council, MacArthur Foundation, and other government and private foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

South Chicago Dance Theatre produces and presents professional contemporary dance performances on Chicago's South Side, develops evening-length choreographic works, and runs an education and community engagement program in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. The company also operates the proprietary Choreographic Diplomacy™ international cultural exchange initiative and produces the annual South Chicago Dance Festival. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and program fees.

Product overview

South Chicago Dance Theatre is a nonprofit dance organization presenting a portfolio of live performance and community programs. The core offerings include Main Company dance performances at major Chicago venues (Auditorium Theatre, Harris Theater) and internationally through the Choreographic Diplomacy™ program; the annual South Chicago Dance Festival; and Education & Community Programs featuring in-school performances and the Black History Month Performance Series. Signature works include 'Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley' (evening-length dance opera) and 'Cartography of Peace' (surrealist-inspired evening work). The organization also operates a Legacy Builders donor program and Cultural Hero Hall of Fame awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Choreographic Diplomacy™: International cultural diplomacy program partnering with dance companies abroad to create collaborative work and bridge cultures through movement. Active partnerships with Choomna Dance Company (Seoul, Korea), Lyricist Dance Company (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), and ongoing residencies.
• South Chicago Dance Festival

Products and services

• Main Company Contemporary Dance Performances Professional ticketed contemporary dance performances staged by South Chicago Dance Theatre for general audiences, donors, and arts patrons at major Chicago venues including Harris Theater and the Auditorium Theatre. Anchored by signature evening-length works and the company's annual repertoire.
• Choreographic Diplomacy™ International Cultural Exchange Program South Chicago Dance Theatre's branded international cultural exchange initiative that facilitates artist-led exchanges and collaborations between Chicago-based dancers and international dance communities (including a Seoul, South Korea partnership). Supports touring, artistic collaboration, and cross-cultural programming for audiences, partner organizations, and sponsors.
• South Chicago Dance Festival Annual dance festival produced by South Chicago Dance Theatre, showcasing company repertoire, additional programming, and sponsor recognition, marketed to ticket buyers, donors, and corporate sponsors.
• Education and Community Programs Dance education and community engagement programming delivered by South Chicago Dance Theatre in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, including in-school residencies, assemblies, and the annual Black History Month Performance Series. Designed for K-12 student audiences and community participants on Chicago's South Side.
• Legacy Builders Donor Program Recurring individual donor membership program for South Chicago Dance Theatre supporters at the $250+ annual giving level, providing sustained philanthropic support that funds company performances, education programs, and the Choreographic Diplomacy™ initiative.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Lyricist Dance Company (Vietnam)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024New relationship established with Lyricist Dance Company in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and UWC-Inspired Vietnam Campus Project as part of international touring.
• Choomna Dance CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Ongoing partnership with Joseph Kim and Choomna Dance Company of Seoul, Korea. Since 2018, companies have created collaborative work and toured to each organization's respective countries. Multiple residencies exchanged between Chicago and Seoul.
• Giordano Dance ChicagomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on piece 'Luminescence' choreographed by Kia S. Smith for Giordano's 60th Anniversary. Featured over 20 combined dancers from both companies. Ongoing collaborative relationship.
• Chicago Opera TheatermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix SCDT dancers performed in Chicago Opera Theater's production of 'The Nose' (Shostakovich), providing energetic presence and Terpsichorean contributions.
• Music of the BaroqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeason 6 collaboration with Music of the Baroque ensemble specializing in 18th-century music. Eight dancers performed in choreographed work exploring Louis XIV stories.
• AthleticominorOthersOfficial Provider of Physical Therapy for South Chicago Dance Theatre.
• Hyde Park School of DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary rehearsal space partner and collaborative partner for residencies and performances.
• Blue Lake Fine Arts CampminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeason 9 residency partner at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, MI.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Iconic US modern dance nonprofit with extensive touring, education, and community programs. Comparable as a nonprofit BIPOC-centered dance company with national/international touring, school residency programs, and significant individual/legacy donor programs.
• Joffrey Ballet: Major Chicago-based dance institution with classical and contemporary programming, school, and year-round performance season. Competes with SCDT for the same Chicago presenting venues and corporate/foundation sponsorship dollars at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Visceral Dance Center: Chicago contemporary dance company with international repertoire and education programs. Comparable on mission (contemporary dance access), scale (similar size), and revenue model (ticketing, donations, grants in Chicago market).
• Deeply Rooted Dance Theater: Chicago nonprofit contemporary dance company with explicit BIPOC-focused programming. Closely aligned with SCDT on mission (arts of color, South/West Side Chicago communities, education programs, foundations such as MacArthur).
• Dallas Black Dance Theatre: Long-running nonprofit Black contemporary dance company with touring, education, and community programs. Closest national analogue to SCDT in mission, programming mix (school residencies, evening-length works, touring), and donor/foundation model.
• Giordano Dance Chicago: Chicago-based contemporary/jazz dance company. Most direct peer: SCDT dancers collaborated with Giordano on the 'Luminescence' commission for Giordano's 60th Anniversary, and both companies serve the Chicago contemporary dance market at Harris Theater and Auditorium Theatre.
• Red Clay Dance: Chicago contemporary Afrocentric dance company. SCDT performs at Red Clay's La Femme Dance Festival; both companies share a BIPOC-focused mission, Chicago presenting venues, and foundation/individual donor support base.
• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Mid-size Chicago contemporary dance company with national/international touring. Compares directly to SCDT on repertoire size, Chicago venue presentation, education/community programming, and nonprofit fundraising model.

Others

• Chicago Opera Theater: Adjacent Chicago performing arts nonprofit. Six SCDT dancers performed in its production of 'The Nose'; useful for understanding how SCDT can monetarily leverage cross-genre co-productions with opera, theater, and music ensembles.

Emerging players

• Camille A. Brown / CABD: Contemporary dance company led by choreographer Camille A. Brown, focused on cultural storytelling and artists of color. Compares to SCDT through shared artistic lineage, Dance Magazine 25 to Watch recognition pipeline, and BIPOC-driven cultural narrative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthChicagoDanceTheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/southchicagodancetheatre/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-chicago-dance-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 South Chicago Dance Theatre