SOKOLOW THEATRE DANCE ENSEMBLE LTD

What SOKOLOW THEATRE DANCE ENSEMBLE LTD does

Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble Ltd is a private, New York-based not-for-profit dance company (1–10 employees) dedicated to preserving, presenting, performing, reconstructing, and teaching the choreographic repertory and technique of Anna Sokolow (1910–2000), a pioneering American modern dance choreographer. The organization functions as a living legacy company, performing and licensing Sokolow's vast body of work spanning 70+ years — including Rooms, Dreams, Lyric Suite, Magritte Magritte, Odes, and Frida — at venues such as the Joyce Theater, 92nd Street Y, Merce Cunningham Studio, Slipper Room, and Brooklyn Academy of Music, and staging reconstructions at universities and professional companies including Boston Conservatory, Williams College, Barnard College, The Ailey School/Fordham University, Limón Dance Company, and Introdans (Netherlands).

The company operates multiple product lines: live performances, ongoing performance study classes (Beyond Technique, $10 per session at Warshaw Dance Studio), multi-week workshops and master classes with master teachers, licensing of repertory to professional companies and educational institutions, lecture-demonstrations and virtual/distance learning programs (e.g., 'Rooms for Distance Learning'), an online merchandise shop, and archival/preservation initiatives connected to the Library of Congress. The underlying intellectual property is the Anna Sokolow Performance Technique Method developed at Juilliard and the proprietary access to Sokolow's and composer Alex North's archives (rare video footage, photographs, and historical documents).

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining ticket sales (typically $12–$30, with $100 gala tickets), class and workshop fees, repertory licensing royalties, and significant nonprofit funding from foundations and public agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Jerome Robbins Foundation, and Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation. The company is led by Artistic Director Samantha Géracht (appointed 2017), Associate Artistic Directors Eleanor Bunker and Lauren Naslund, and Founding Director Jim May (Bessie Award winner, 2024 Martha Hill Dance Fund Lifetime Achievement Award recipient).

Name

SOKOLOW THEATRE DANCE ENSEMBLE LTD

Legal name

Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble

Website

https://sokolowtheatredance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble is a small New York-based not-for-profit dance company that preserves, performs, and teaches the choreographic repertory and technique of Anna Sokolow. It serves modern dance audiences, professional dancers, and educational institutions through live performances, repertory licensing, and classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Dance

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD)

Keywords

• Modern dance performance
• Dance education classes
• Dance repertory licensing
• Dance workshops
• Modern dance preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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 Revenue: Revenue from ticket sales at live performances at various venues including Joyce Theater, 92nd Street Y, Slipper Room, and other New York venues.
2. Class Fees: Fees charged for ongoing dance classes (Beyond Technique) and workshops taught by company faculty and guest teachers from various modern dance traditions.
3. Licensing: Licensing of repertory to other dance companies and educational institutions for staging Anna Sokolow's works.
4. Foundation Grants and Donations: Funding from foundations including Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, NEA, and individual donors for specific productions and educational programs.
5. Educational Partnerships: Collaborative projects with educational institutions like F.I.T., where students participate in interdisciplinary projects involving dance, fashion, and film.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble is a living legacy dance company that presents, reconstructs, and teaches the repertory and techniques of pioneering American modern dance choreographer Anna Sokolow. It produces live theater-dance performances of Sokolow's works at New York City venues, offers the Beyond Technique ongoing performance study class and master workshops taught by Sokolow lineage artists, and licenses its repertory to professional companies and university dance programs internationally.

Product overview

Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble operates as a living legacy company dedicated to presenting Anna Sokolow's body of emotionally riveting dance-theater works. The organization functions as a single unified offering centered on dance performance, education, and preservation rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core offerings include live performances at NYC venues, the Beyond Technique performance study class, dance workshops and master classes with master teachers, licensing services for performing Anna Sokolow's repertory, educational lecture-demonstrations, virtual/distance learning programs, and an online shop for merchandise. The company collaborates with other dance organizations and presents seasonal programs including Close Quarters series and JOY: Dances for Midwinter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Dance Performances

Quantifiable outcome

• Performed at major venues including Joyce Theater, Merce Cunningham Studio, 92nd Street Y, and Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Named customers11 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary award granted to Sokolow Theatre/Dance for collaborative project in Fall 2014 and Spring 2015. Enabled FIT students to collaborate in dance, fashion design, accessories, and film with guidance from FIT faculty and direction from Jim May. Included performances at 14th Street Y and F.I.T.
• The Bang GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Close Quarters series at the Slipper Room, NYC. Joint performances featuring works by Anna Sokolow and David Parker in intimate cabaret space.
• Doris Humphrey FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGail Corbin, Director of the Doris Humphrey Foundation, serves as frequent guest teacher and reconstructor for the company. Stages Humphrey/Weidman works including Air for the G String and Christmas Oratorio.
• Kanopy Dance (Madison, WI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Divine Mythologies performances in NYC and Madison, WI. Combined company of Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble and Kanopy Dance.
• Tonia ShiminminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest director reconstructing Preludes by Anna Sokolow, a work originally created for her. Also reconstructed Discovery solo from Magritte, Magritte.
• Pamela LevyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest director reconstructing excerpt of Schubert and the Birds by Claudia Gitelman for JOY: Dances for Midwinter program.
• 92nd Street YcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegular venue for performances and lectures including Fridays at Noon series, birthday tributes, and main performances.
• American Dance GuildminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnual participation in Modern Dance Week and Performance Festival. Jim May teaches as master teacher along with 11 other instructors.
• Limón Dance CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJim May conducted ROOMS reconstruction for the company touring as part of Jose Limón's 100th Birthday (2008) and Anna Sokolow's 100th Birthday (2010) celebrations.
• Introdans (Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvited Jim May to reconstruct Anna Sokolow's Rooms on the company as part of Introdans' 50th Anniversary.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Pearl Lang Dance Foundation: Small legacy foundation preserving the works of Pearl Lang, a mid-century American modern dance choreographer. Most direct size-and-mission analog to Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, with similar single-choreographer focus and educational licensing.
• Kanopy Dance Company: Regional modern dance company based in Madison, WI. Active licensing partner (set Divine Mythologies jointly with Sokolow) and host of Sokolow workshops; comparable in scale, mission, and educational orientation.

Direct peers

• Merce Cunningham Trust: Legacy entity stewarding Merce Cunningham's choreography, licenses and reconstructions. Direct parallel to Sokolow's licensing business model, including educational licensing to universities and conservatories.
• José Limón Dance Foundation: Foundation stewarding the Limón legacy and licensing works. Direct parallel to the Sokolow licensing business; comparable scale of grants, donor base, and educational programming model.
• Paul Taylor Dance Company: Modern dance legacy company presenting the works of a single American modern dance pioneer. Comparable scale and mission: performing historic choreography at major NYC venues, including the Scripps Studio Theater at Paul Taylor's own studios where Sokolow also performs.
• Limón Dance Company: Modern dance legacy company stewarding the José Limón repertory. Directly comparable as another mid-sized modern dance legacy ensemble; the Sokolow company has actively collaborated with Limón (Gail Corbin staged works for their 75th anniversary, Jim May set Rooms for their 100th birthday celebrations).
• Trisha Brown Dance Company: Legacy company managing the choreography of a post-modern dance pioneer. Comparable in stewarding a single artist's catalog, performing at Joyce Theater and 92nd Street Y, and licensing works to academic and professional institutions.
• Martha Graham Dance Company: The flagship American modern dance legacy company, stewarding the Martha Graham catalog. Closely comparable in mission (preservation and performance of a single pioneer's choreography), licensing model, and educational programming, though materially larger in endowment and scale.
• Doris Humphrey Foundation: Foundation preserving Doris Humphrey's choreography. Direct peer and active collaborator: Gail Corbin of the foundation serves as a guest teacher/reconstructor for Sokolow and stages Humphrey/Weidman works through this company.

Broad incumbents

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: The dominant large-scale American modern dance company and Ailey School/Fordham partner of Sokolow. Significantly larger and broader in scope, but operates in the same modern dance category and shares the educational institutional market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Sokolow-Theatre-Dance-Ensemble-124965920937396
• Instagraminstagram.com/sokolowtheatredance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sokolow-theatre-dance-ensemble-ltd

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 SOKOLOW THEATRE DANCE ENSEMBLE LTD