RAWdance

What RAWdance does

RAWdance is a bicoastal nonprofit contemporary dance company founded in 2004 by Ryan T. Smith and Wendy Rein, headquartered in San Francisco with a secondary programming base in New York's Hudson Valley established in 2019. The company creates and presents original choreographic works that explore social and personal themes, and distributes them through tier-1 theater venues (The Joyce Theater, Jacob's Pillow Dance, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, ODC Theater, Dance St. Louis), site-specific public spaces (art galleries, parks, civic spaces, restaurants, libraries, malls), short dance films screened internationally, and educational workshops and residencies at institutions including Brown University, Webster University, and Williams College. Beyond its own performances, RAWdance operates three programmatic pillars: the CONCEPT series, a biannual pay-what-you-can salon presenting Bay Area artists since 2007 (over 100 artists to date); ChoreoFest, an annual curated site-specific festival for the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival since 2017; and the Radiate Fellowship supporting emerging dance artists.

The company is funded through a diversified mix of earned and contributed revenue streams: performance ticket sales and event-based ticketing; individual donations including memorial and honorary gifts; grants from approximately 15 private foundations and city/state agencies (San Francisco Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, Fleishhacker Foundation, Center for Cultural Innovation, among others); corporate sponsorships (Apple, Google, BlackRock, Boeing, Chevron, Estée Lauder, Peet's Coffee, Trader Joe's, Scale Venture Partners, Rowley Family Foundation); and merchandise sales through a Zazzle storefront. The CONCEPT series uses a pay-what-you-can pricing model to maximize accessibility.

RAWdance is governed by its two Co-Artistic Directors (Smith and Rein), a Production & Program Manager (Twyla Malchow-Hay), and a volunteer board, and has been recognized with the Sustained Achievement Izzie Award (2025), six consecutive Best Dance Company honors (2019–2024), and multiple Isadora Duncan Dance Awards. The organization completed its 20th Anniversary Season in 2024 and is operating actively in 2026 with upcoming CONCEPT series events and a new dance installation residency at 836m Gallery.

Name

RAWdance

Legal name

RAWdance

Website

https://rawdance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RAWdance is a bicoastal nonprofit contemporary dance company founded in 2004 that creates and tours original choreography, curates the CONCEPT salon series and ChoreoFest, runs the Radiate Fellowship for emerging artists, and serves presenting theaters, educational institutions, and community audiences across the San Francisco Bay Area and Hudson Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), 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 & Movement (Ballroom, Contemporary, Social Dance) (EDAAAGAD)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance performances
• Live dance choreography
• Performing arts production
• Dance artist curation
• Dance education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Performance Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from presenting work at theaters and public venues across San Francisco, the Hudson Valley, and touring locations
2. Individual Donations: Support from individual donors, including memorial and honorary gifts, with contributions of all sizes welcomed
3. Foundation and Government Grants: Support from city and government agencies including Arts Mid-Hudson, Bill Graham Foundation, Chrysalis Fund, Grants for the Arts, JSLH Foundation, Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, Sam Mazza Foundation, San Francisco Arts Commission, Yerba Buena Partnership, and foundations such as Center for Cultural Innovation, Fleishhacker Foundation, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and California Arts Council
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Support from corporations including Apple, Inc., Blackrock, Boeing, Chevron, Estee Lauder, Google, Inc., Peet's Coffee, Rowley Family Foundation, Scale Venture Partners, Trader Joe's, and matching programs
5. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store featuring T-shirts, tank tops, totes, and more made to order through Zazzle

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RAWdance is a bicoastal contemporary dance company that creates and presents live contemporary dance performances in theaters and nontraditional public venues, including the biannual pay-what-you-can CONCEPT series salon and the annual ChoreoFest site-specific dance festival. The company also supports emerging dance artists through the Radiate Fellowship program, produces short dance films screened internationally, and conducts educational workshops and commissioned work for universities and arts schools.

Product overview

RAWdance is an award-winning contemporary dance company that offers live dance performances, curation programs, educational workshops, and a fellowship program. The company's core offerings include: (1) Live contemporary dance performances transforming theaters and public spaces; (2) the CONCEPT series, a biannual salon presenting Bay Area artists since 2007; (3) ChoreoFest, an annual site-specific program for Yerba Buena Gardens Festival; (4) the Radiate Fellowship for emerging artists; and (5) dance films screened internationally. RAWdance also sells branded merchandise. The company operates from San Francisco and Hudson Valley, NY, as a bicoastal organization founded in 2004.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• the CONCEPT series: A biannual pay-what-you-can contemporary dance salon series, founded in 2007, presenting Bay Area artists in an informal and intimate setting.
• ChoreoFest
• Radiate Fellowship

Products and services

• Contemporary Dance Performances Live contemporary dance performances posing questions ranging from the broadly social to the intimately personal, presented in theaters, art galleries, parks, civic spaces, restaurants, libraries, and malls for general audiences and touring presenters.
• the CONCEPT series A biannual informal and intimate salon presenting Bay Area contemporary dance artists in a pay-what-you-can format, open to general audiences seeking accessible contemporary dance experiences.
• ChoreoFest Annual curated site-specific dance program inviting eight artists each year to create original works in downtown San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens, presented as part of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.
• Radiate Fellowship Fellowship program supporting emerging dance artists through mentorship, development opportunities, and structured engagement with RAWdance Co-Artistic Directors.
• RAWdance Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including T-shirts, tank tops, totes, and other items made to order through the RAWdance Zazzle store, available to supporters and general consumers online.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 Bay Area artists presented since 2007
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yerba Buena Center for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor presenting partner that has presented RAWdance's work. RAWdance also serves as curator for the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival's annual ChoreoFest since 2017.
• The Joyce TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor New York presenting organization that has presented RAWdance's work.
• ODC TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Francisco dance presenter that has presented RAWdance's work and where Co-Artistic Directors have taught workshops.
• Dance St. LouisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting organization that has presented RAWdance's work and partnered with local schools for educational programming.
• Jacob's Pillow DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenowned dance festival that has presented RAWdance's work.
• National Center for Choreography in AkroncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResidency partner supporting RAWdance's artistic development.
• Marble HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResidency partner supporting RAWdance's artistic development.
• UcrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResidency partner supporting RAWdance's artistic development.
• DjerassicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist residency program that has supported RAWdance's artistic development.
• CounterPulsecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area dance organization that has supported RAWdance through residency.
• Brown UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned work from RAWdance for university programming.
• Webster UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned work from RAWdance for university programming.
• Williams CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned work from RAWdance for college programming.
• Marin School of the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned work from RAWdance for arts magnet school programming.
• ACLU of Northern CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAWdance presented work for the ACLU of Northern California.
• ODCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area dance collective and presenter, partner organization in the dance community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smuin Contemporary Ballet: San Francisco-based contemporary dance company with touring, educational programming, and Bay Area foundation funding — competes with RAWdance for the same presenting venues and donor pool.
• ODC/Dance: San Francisco-based contemporary dance company with a parallel producing, presenting, and educational mission; RAWdance's CONCEPT series, ChoreoFest curation, and ODC Theater presenting relationship put the two companies in direct competition for the same Bay Area audiences and foundation dollars.
• Amy Seiwert's Imagery: Bay Area contemporary dance company led by former RAWdance collaborator Amy Seiwert; competes directly in the same choreographer/funder ecosystem and venues.
• Alonzo King LINES Ballet: Bay Area contemporary dance company also presenting at venues like Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; shares RAWdance's emphasis on choreographic innovation and educational programming through LINES Dance Center.
• Joe Goode Performance Group: Mission-based SF contemporary dance company combining choreography with community engagement; comparable scale, funder base, and Bay Area presenting footprint.
• Margaret Jenkins Dance Company: Long-running SF contemporary dance company whose former member Ryan T. Smith co-founded RAWdance; comparable artistic lineage, scale, and institutional funder base, making it the closest artistic peer.
• Hope Mohr Dance: Bay Area contemporary dance company emphasizing cross-disciplinary work; operates at a comparable scale with similar foundation, presenter, and educational partners.
• Liss Fain Dance: San Francisco contemporary dance company with company member Megan Kurashige, who co-curates RAWdance's CONCEPT series; operates at similar scale with overlapping presenting partners.

Regional players

• Dorrance Dance: New York-based contemporary dance company with national touring; relevant as a peer for RAWdance's Hudson Valley expansion and Joyce Theater presenting relationship, though primarily East Coast.

Broad incumbents

• CounterPulse: Bay Area performing arts organization that has hosted RAWdance residencies; operates at broader arts-presenting scale with more performance disciplines, but comparable ecosystem role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_rawdance
• Facebookfacebook.com/rawdancesf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rawdance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 RAWdance