Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers

What Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers does

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers is a 501c3 nonprofit professional modern dance company headquartered at the Cori Terry Theatre in the Epic Center, downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1981 by Cori Terry, it is one of America's longest continuously operating small professional modern dance companies. Its core operating model combines three integrated business lines: a performing company that produces fall and spring concert seasons; the Wellspring Dance Academy (WSDA), which offers year-round dance education for ages 3 through adult in ballet, modern, jazz, creative movement, and composition; and RADFest, an annual juried Regional Alternative Dance Festival now in its 17th year that draws national and international artists across multiple venues in Kalamazoo. Supporting programs include the Youth Company pre-professional ensemble, summer dance camps and adult masterclasses, community outreach (Ready Movers literacy program with Kalamazoo Ready 4s), theater rentals of the 4,500 sq ft Cori Terry Theatre, and a year-round internship program aligned with Western Michigan University's dance curriculum.

The underlying "technology" is artistic and pedagogical rather than software-based: training rooted in Hawkins, Graham, Limòn, Cunningham, and Horton modern dance techniques, delivered through a structured progression from Creative Movement (ages 3-4) through Dance Fundamentals, Ballet I-II, Modern I-III, Jazz I-II, and Composition. Teaching faculty are practicing Wellspring company members, blurring professional performance and instruction. The organization has invested in venue infrastructure including an ETC ION XE 20 lighting board, upgraded sound and projection, and suspended wooden floor with marley covering.

The business model blends earned and contributed revenue streams. Earned revenue includes recurring monthly tuition from youth and adult academy classes, one-time summer camp fees ($150-$450 per camp), drop-in adult class fees ($20, $15 student), ticketed concert performance revenue, and theater rental income for corporate meetings and external events. Contributed revenue comes from individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and a diversified grant stack including the National Endowment for the Arts, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, Harold and Grace Upjohn Foundation, and the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Pricing is supported by scholarship tiers (25%/50%/75%) and a volunteer-hour-for-tuition-credit program ($10 Wellspring Bucks). Customers span five primary segments: youth recreational dancers (ages 3-8), youth pre-professional dancers (ages 8+), adult dancers (ages 15+), Youth Company members, and educational outreach participants; with enterprise theater-rental customers as a secondary B2B stream. Geographic scope is Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan for ongoing operations, with RADFest drawing a global artist applicant pool.

Name

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers

Legal name

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers

Website

https://wellspringdance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers is a Kalamazoo-based 501c3 nonprofit operating a professional modern dance company, Wellspring Dance Academy for ages 3+, the annual RADFest alternative dance festival, Youth Company pre-professional program, and Cori Terry Theatre rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Dance Education

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

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), Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Modern dance company
• Dance education academy
• Contemporary dance festival
• Pre-professional dance training
• Performing arts nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalamazoo

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Dance Academy Tuition: Monthly payment tuition for youth and adult dance classes at Wellspring Academy. Classes range from Creative Movement for ages 3-4 to Pre-Professional Training Programs.
2. Performance Tickets: Revenue from fall and spring concerts, RADFest festival performances, and student showcases featuring works by company members and guest artists.
3. Summer Programs: Summer dance camps including Modern & Floorwork, Epic Broadway (musical theater), Wild About Dance, True Colors, and Choreography Camp, plus Adult Master Class Series.
4. Theater Rentals: Rental income from the Cori Terry Theatre located in the Epic Center, hosting corporate meetings, special events, and performances for external groups.
5. Donations and Grants: 501c3 nonprofit organization relying on donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants including Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, Harold and Grace Upjohn Foundation, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and National Endowment for the Arts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers is a 501c3 nonprofit professional modern dance company that produces and presents modern dance performances, operates the Wellspring Dance Academy offering youth and adult dance classes (ballet, modern, jazz, creative movement), and produces RADFest, an annual regional alternative dance festival. The organization also rents the Cori Terry Theatre in the Epic Center for external events.

Product overview

Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers operates as a professional modern dance company with a multi-faceted portfolio centered around three core offerings: (1) Wellspring Dance Academy, providing dance education through youth and adult classes in ballet, modern, jazz, and creative movement; (2) RADFest, an annual regional alternative dance festival featuring live performances, dance films, and master classes; and (3) Theatre rentals of the Cori Terry Theatre venue. The organization also runs a Youth Company program for pre-professional training, summer dance camps and masterclass series, and an internship program for aspiring arts administrators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wellspring Dance Academy Year-round dance education program offering youth classes (Creative Movement ages 3-4, Dance Fundamentals ages 5-8, Ballet I-II, Modern I-III, Jazz I-II, Composition) and adult drop-in classes (Adult Contemporary Ballet, Adult Contemporary Improv, Workshops) taught by company members and Kalamazoo dance educators at the Cori Terry Theatre.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000 individuals impacted annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Marisa BianancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Artistic Director since Fall 2024, bringing new energy and artistic vision to Wellspring. BFA from Western Michigan University (2018), 2024 Detroit Dance City Festival Best Choreographer Award winner, 2026-2027 will be her ninth season with Wellspring.
• Arts Council of Greater KalamazoocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides funding for Wellspring's Scholarship Program and supports community arts initiatives including Art Hop collaboration during RADFest.
• Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for RADFest events; hosts Community Dance and Drumming Jam during festival weekend.
• Kalamazoo Ready 4s (KC Ready4s)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ready Movers program offering early literacy development and stress management using movement, stories, and music.
• Crescendo Academy of MusicmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Epic Broadway summer camp combining musical theater instruction with dance, with activities at both facilities.
• Epic CentercoreOthersDowntown Kalamazoo arts hub housing the Cori Terry Theatre and Academy facilities. The 4,500 square foot venue features suspended wooden floor with marley covering, newly renovated dressing rooms, upgraded lighting (ETC ION XE 20 board), sound, and projection equipment.
• Dance Equity AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellspring Academy partner providing training and accountability for anti-racist, anti-othering, and anti-abusive dance space policies.
• Black Arts and Cultural CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for RADFest Durational Installation performances and Panel Discussions.
• KP CinemassupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRADFest Dance Film Series premiere venue for screenings throughout festival weekend.
• Kalamazoo Nature CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial visit partner for Wild About Dance summer camp, featuring animal-inspired movement explorations.
• Western Michigan University Dance DepartmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPipeline for company members, instructors, and RADFest artists; internship program aligned with WMU's academic calendar; Western Dance Project performs at RADFest Michigan Made concerts.
• Ballet KalamazoosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRADFest master class venue partner for select workshops during festival weekend.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pilobolus: A larger, established modern and contemporary dance company with national/international touring and educational programming, offering overlapping artistic mission and integrated teaching/performing model.
• Mark Morris Dance Group: A major modern dance company with a robust school and community education program in Brooklyn; comparable in combining a high-caliber professional company with a substantial academy and outreach footprint.
• Interlochen Center for the Arts: A major performing arts education institution offering dance training alongside a professional performance culture; comparable to Wellspring's academy model in teaching structure, scholarship offerings, and youth pre-professional pathways.
• Martha Graham Dance Company: One of the oldest and most established modern dance companies in the U.S., providing a high-relevance legacy benchmark for Wellspring's modern-dance lineage, repertory approach, and integrated school programming.

Regional players

• Detroit Dance City Festival: A Michigan-based contemporary dance festival featuring juried performances and master classes; directly comparable to RADFest in format, regional positioning, and contemporary/alternative artistic focus.
• Ballet Kalamazoo: A Kalamazoo-based dance organization and existing RADFest partner that offers training and performance programming in the same local market as Wellspring, providing direct regional comparability for both Academy and company operations.
• Grand Rapids Ballet: Michigan's only professional ballet company, also running a school and community education programs; a direct regional peer operating a professional company and training academy in the same Michigan market as Wellspring.

Direct peers

• Bates Dance Festival: A summer festival featuring contemporary dance performances, workshops, and residencies; directly comparable to RADFest in its alternative/contemporary focus and its combination of performance and training programming.
• Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: A professional contemporary dance company based in Chicago that combines a repertory ensemble with extensive education and community programs, directly comparable to Wellspring's integrated company-plus-academy model in the Midwest.
• American Dance Festival: A long-running, multi-week summer dance festival presenting modern, contemporary, and experimental work with master classes and residencies — a strong structural analog to Wellspring's RADFest in scale, format, and artistic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WellspringCoriTerryDancers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers