Robinson Ballet

What Robinson Ballet does

Robinson Ballet is a non-profit performing arts company and dance school founded in 1977 and headquartered at 107 Union Street, Bangor, Maine. The organization operates two interlocking business lines: the School of Robinson Ballet, which provides year-round dance instruction in ballet, pointe, partnering, modern, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and tap for children ages 3 and older and adults; and a performance company that produces full-length classical ballets (most notably an annual Nutcracker with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra dating to 1984), contemporary and modern works through the Mosaic series, and children's matinees under the Play! program. Geographic reach is regional, confined to the State of Maine, with performances staged at venues in Bangor, Orono, Ellsworth, Farmington, and Machias.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: recurring class tuition across Fall, Winter, Spring, and Full Year sessions (priced $117 to $1,550 per package, with family and full-year discounts), ticket sales for performances ($12–$15 per audience member), donations and fundraising (Day of Giving, Friends of Robinson Ballet auxiliary, Ralph Robinson Scholarship Fund), concession and merchandise sales operated by volunteers, and tiered corporate sponsorships. The company also runs the ACHIEVE educational outreach program in six local elementary schools and the Hip to Be Fit Kids! after-school program, both aligned with National Dance Institute curricula from New York and New Mexico.

Robinson Ballet is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and staffed by 1–10 employees plus contracted artistic and teaching personnel. Artistic leadership consists of Artistic Director Stevie McGary, Artistic Director Emeritus Keith Robinson and Maureen Robinson, Ballet Mistress Velstara Vardamis, and Technical Director Jeff Ferrell. The organization's value proposition is built on community-rooted brand equity, decades-long institutional partnerships (notably the Bangor Symphony Orchestra), and a talent pipeline trained in recognized dance pedagogy methodologies. It has no proprietary technology, no app, no API, no AI/ML capabilities, and no external funding rounds, functioning as a stable, small-scale non-profit operating within a single U.S. state.

Name

Robinson Ballet

Legal name

Robinson Ballet

Website

https://robinsonballet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Robinson Ballet is a Maine-based non-profit dance company and school founded in 1977, offering year-round dance instruction for ages 3 and older and producing classical and contemporary performances, most notably an annual Nutcracker with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra since 1984.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts & Dance Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical Ballet (Full-Length & Repertoire) (MPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Dance education
• Ballet performances
• Community outreach programs
• Performing arts school
• Arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dance Class Tuition: Recurring tuition fees for dance classes offered year-round across multiple skill levels and dance styles. Sessions include Fall (15 weeks), Winter (10 weeks), and Spring (9 weeks), plus full-year packages with discounts.
2. Performance Ticket Sales: One-time ticket revenue from performances including The Nutcracker, Mosaic, Studio Show, and Play! Children's Matinee. Tickets sold online and at venues.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Non-profit organization relying on donations, fund-specific giving, and annual Day of Giving campaigns to support operations, scholarships, costumes, sets, and community outreach programs.
4. Concession and Merchandise Sales: Volunteers sell crafts, food, beverages, and merchandise (t-shirts, bracelets) at performances to raise funds for scholarships, costumes, and productions.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Local businesses provide financial and in-kind support at various tiers (Accommodation, Repertory, and general Sponsors) in exchange for recognition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Robinson Ballet operates a year-round dance school (School of Robinson Ballet) offering instruction in ballet, pointe, partnering, modern, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and tap for students ages 3 through adult, structured in Fall, Winter, Spring, and full-year sessions. The company produces annual performance productions including The Nutcracker (with Bangor Symphony Orchestra since 1984), Mosaic, Play! The Children's Matinee, and Studio Show, and delivers community outreach through the ACHIEVE program in local schools and the Hip to Be Fit Kids! after-school program. The organization is a non-profit supported by tuition, ticket revenue, donations, and sponsorships.

Product overview

Robinson Ballet is a premier performance company and dance school founded in 1977 that offers education for people of all ages, abilities, and aspirations. The organization operates as a unified offering combining the School of Robinson Ballet (providing dance classes in ballet, pointe, partnering, modern, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and tap for ages 3+) with multiple annual performance productions including The Nutcracker (since 1984 with Bangor Symphony Orchestra), Mosaic (annual original choreography series in March), and Play! The Children's Matinee (family-friendly productions). Community engagement is facilitated through the ACHIEVE educational outreach program in local schools, the Hip to Be Fit Kids! after-school wellness program, and the Friends of Robinson Ballet volunteer and fundraising auxiliary. The portfolio is anchored by the School's year-round instructional programming, seasonal performances, and summer programming including intensive workshops and the Young Dancer Summer Workshop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACHIEVE: Arts Can Help Inspire Everyone to Excel — a series of educational outreach programs bringing dance education into area schools, part of the organization's mission to engage the community through dance.

Products and services

• School of Robinson Ballet Year-round dance school offering classes in ballet, pointe, partnering, modern, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and tap for children ages 3+ and adults, taught by experienced instructors across Fall, Winter, Spring, and Full Year sessions.
• The Nutcracker Annual full-length classical ballet performance of The Nutcracker presented with live accompaniment by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, performed across multiple Maine venues including Collins Center for the Arts (Orono), The Grand (Ellsworth), Bjorn Auditorium (Farmington), and University of Maine Machias.
• Mosaic Annual performance series held every March featuring original choreographed works by the company, showcasing diverse dance works across styles at the Gracie Theatre (Husson University, Bangor).
• Play! The Children's Matinee Children's matinee performance series featuring productions like 'Jeux d'Enfants' and 'Peter and the Wolf' designed for young audiences and families, performed at the Gracie Theatre.
• Studio Show End-of-year student performance where School of Robinson Ballet students learn choreography and perform for friends and family at the Gracie Theatre. All enrolled students are invited to participate.
• ACHIEVE Program Educational outreach program (Arts Can Help Inspire Everyone to Excel) bringing dance education into six local schools with weekly one-hour classes for grades 3-5, taught by professional dance artists trained by the National Dance Institute of New York City.
• Hip to Be Fit Kids! After-school program combining nutrition information and movement education based on the National Dance Institute of New Mexico's SNACK Program curriculum, adaptable to meet school needs in after-school settings.
• Summer Session Summer programming offering week-long intensive dance camps where dancers help make their own costumes and set pieces, extending the School of Robinson Ballet curriculum into a summer format.
• Young Dancer Summer Workshop Summer workshop designed for young dancers, providing an intensive dance training experience during the summer break.
• Storybook Ballets Tailored performances for children featuring storybook themes, performed by young dancers, designed for young audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Six local schools participate in ACHIEVE Dance Program with weekly one-hour dance classes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Bangor Symphony OrchestraflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984Long-standing partnership since 1984 to present The Nutcracker annually at the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono. The Bangor Symphony Orchestra provides live musical accompaniment for the production, which has become a holiday tradition for Maine families. Bangor Area Youth Choirs also participate in performances.
• National Dance Institute of New York CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance classes are taught by professional dance artists trained by the National Dance Institute of New York City. This training ensures high-quality instruction aligned with NDI's acclaimed methodology for teaching dance to children.
• National Dance Institute of New MexicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHip To Be Fit Kids! program uses the curriculum of the National Dance Institute of New Mexico's SNACK Program, combining nutrition information and movement education for after-school settings.
• Collins Center for the Arts (University of Maine)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary performance venue for The Nutcracker. Located at University of Maine in Orono, hosting the signature holiday production with live orchestra accompaniment.
• Gracie Theatre (Husson University)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPerformance venue for Mosaic, Studio Show, and Play! Children's Matinee productions. Located in Bangor at Husson University.
• The Grand Auditorium (Ellsworth)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPerformance venue for The Nutcracker in the Ellsworth region.
• Bjorn Auditorium (Farmington)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPerformance venue for The Nutcracker in Farmington, sponsored by ArtsFarmington.
• University of Maine MachiasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPerformance venue for The Nutcracker in the Machias region.
• Black Bear Inn (Orono)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAccommodation sponsor for Robinson Ballet, providing support for visiting artists and guest performers.
• Bangor Savings BankminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor supporting Robinson Ballet programs and productions.
• ArtsFarmingtonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsoring organization for The Nutcracker performance at Bjorn Auditorium in Farmington.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet: Regional ballet school and performance organization with a similar dual focus on training students and staging productions for community audiences.
• Maine State Ballet: Maine-based ballet company and school offering training and performances in the same state as Robinson Ballet, with a comparable school-plus-company model targeting children and adults.
• Burklyn Ballet: New England-based ballet training and performance company serving a similar rural/small-market audience with comparable tuition and ticketed performance revenue.
• Portland Ballet: Maine ballet school and performance company operating in southern Maine; closely comparable non-profit model combining tuition-based training with annual productions.
• Hartford Ballet: Regional ballet company with school operations comparable in scope and non-profit structure, serving a similar community performing arts market.

Peers

• Joffrey Ballet:

Broad incumbents

• Boston Ballet: Major metropolitan ballet company operating its own school; a much larger incumbent in the New England dance market whose programming and training model are adjacent to Robinson Ballet's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/robinsonballet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robinson-ballet-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Robinson Ballet