Name

TWYLA THARP DANCE FOUNDATION

Legal name

Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation

Website

https://twylatharp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro primary industry

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance performance
• Choreography licensing services
• Dance archive preservation
• Dance education programs
• Ballet repertory licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Live Performance Revenue: Ticket sales and fees from live performances at theaters and venues. The foundation mounts dances for theaters, working with collaborative artists including musicians, technicians, and designers of light, wardrobe and sets.
2. Choreography Licensing: Licensing fees for other dance companies to perform and remount Twyla Tharp's choreographic works
3. Donations and Grants: Support from sponsors, patrons, and institutional funders including Mellon Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, NEA, and individual donors
4. Educational Services: Technique classes, lectures, and instructor training programs for teaching and remounting the Tharp repertory

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation creates, performs, and licenses Twyla Tharp's choreographic works through its dance company Twyla Tharp Dance, presenting over 180 dances from Eight Jelly Rolls (1972) to Slacktide (2025). It maintains a 65+ terabyte digital archive of video, original notes, and drawings, and trains instructors to teach and remount Tharp repertory for other dance companies and educational institutions.

Product overview

The Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation is a dance arts organization that creates, performs, and archives Twyla Tharp's body of work. It operates primarily through its dance company Twyla Tharp Dance, offering live performances, maintaining an extensive digital archive, training instructors, and providing educational outreach. The foundation does not offer a technology product or software platform but rather performs and tours dance works. Key offerings include dance production and touring services, archival preservation, and dance education and training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dance Works and Performances Live performances of Twyla Tharp's choreographic works, presented through the Twyla Tharp Dance company at theaters and venues worldwide. The catalog includes over 180 dances from Eight Jelly Rolls (1972) through Slacktide (2025), performed in thousands of presentations for hundreds of thousands of audience members.
• Choreography Licensing Licensing of Twyla Tharp's choreographic works to other dance companies (ballet and modern dance companies worldwide) for performance and remount, including training of instructors to ensure accurate reconstruction. Major licensees include Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Ballet, and New York City Ballet.
• Dance Education and Training Programs Technique classes, lectures, and instructor training programs for dancers and educators, teaching the Tharp repertory and its unique movement vocabulary. Programs are delivered to professional dancers, university students, and educational institutions.
• Performance Touring and Production Services End-to-end production support for live performances, including mounting dances, collaborating with musicians, technicians, and designers of light, wardrobe, and sets, plus promotion, bookings, commissions, and coordination with presenters and educators.
• Dance Archive and Preservation Comprehensive digital archive of Twyla Tharp's original notes and drawings since 1965, plus video documentation of improvisations and performances since 1968, totaling 65+ terabytes and enabling accurate reconstruction of older works and supporting teaching and lecturing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 180 dances presented in thousands of performances for hundreds of thousands of audience members
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Guggenheim MuseumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural institution partner supporting dance arts

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: Contemporary dance company creating and touring original works by a living founding choreographer, with strong educational outreach — directly comparable artistic and operational profile.
• Mark Morris Dance Group: American contemporary dance company that commissions, performs, and tours new work and repertory — comparable scale of operation, touring economics, and educational programming.
• Pilobolus: Internationally touring contemporary dance company with broad repertory, commercial licensing, and educational programming — comparable in touring scale and IP-licensing orientation.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: American modern dance company that creates, performs, and tours an active repertory under a founding artistic legacy, supported by foundations and ticket revenue — directly comparable operating model to Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation.
• Martha Graham Dance Company: Modern dance company preserving and licensing the works of its legendary founder, with a global repertory licensed to schools and companies — highly comparable archival and licensing model.
• Paul Taylor Dance Company: American modern dance company that maintains and tours the founder's choreographic legacy, with comparable nonprofit touring and licensing operations.
• Merce Cunningham Trust: Post-foundation entity responsible for preserving, licensing, and staging Merce Cunningham's choreographic works — directly comparable legacy-preservation and licensing model.

Regional players

• Batsheva Dance Company: Israeli contemporary dance company with a living founding choreographer's legacy and significant international touring — comparable artistic model but geographically distinct from US-anchored foundations.

Broad incumbents

• New York City Ballet: Major classical ballet company that has performed and licensed Tharp works — comparable as a peer ballet organization and as a customer for Tharp choreography.
• American Ballet Theatre: Large-scale classical ballet company that performs works by many choreographers including Twyla Tharp — comparable as a customer/licensing counterparty and as a broader portfolio dance organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/twyla-tharp-dance-foundation

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 TWYLA THARP DANCE FOUNDATION