Saath - South Asian Arts & Theater House

What Saath - South Asian Arts & Theater House does

SAATH (South Asian Arts & Theater House), formerly Bollywood Dance Scene, is a 501c3 non-profit performing arts organization founded in 2012 in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Tax ID: 47-3414783) by Jinal Vakil, Rashi Mangalick, and Divya Maiya. The organization produces and presents South Asian performing arts — including Bollywood, Bhangra, Garba, Kuthu, Contemporary, and various regional folk and pop dance forms — through weekly Thursday dance classes at Threads Dance Project, an annual MinneUtsav festival, original dance dramas and plays staged at the Minnesota Fringe Festival and other Twin Cities venues, acting workshops and auditions, and storytelling showcases. Productions consistently incorporate social-issue themes such as mental health, disability, immigration, race and culture, and queer identity, distinguishing SAATH's content within the regional performing arts market. Strategic advisory and management are provided by a board comprising an Executive Director, President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Members At Large.

The organization operates a community-led go-to-market model with no proprietary technology product. Distribution runs through free weekly classes, ticketed and pay-what-you-can performances, and a 'Hire Us' arm offering private lessons, customized choreography, and performances for birthdays, community events, retreats, and festivals. Marketing is conducted through the saathmn.org website, an email newsletter, a Facebook page (Facebook.com/SaathMN), a blog featuring behind-the-scenes production content, and earned media in outlets such as Star Tribune, City Pages, Minnpost, and Edina Magazine.

Revenue is generated from four streams: (1) donations and employer gift-matching via Venmo, PayPal, Facebook, and giveMN.org; (2) free weekly dance classes with voluntary donations; (3) performance ticket revenue, including pay-what-you-can pricing; and (4) professional services revenue from hired performances, choreography, and private lessons. Public arts grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (funded through Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage fund) supplement these streams. There are no apps, APIs, patents, trademarks, or technology integrations disclosed, and operations remain concentrated in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area.

Name

Saath - South Asian Arts & Theater House

Legal name

SAATH

Website

https://saathmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SAATH is a Minneapolis-based 501c3 non-profit that produces South Asian performing arts, including weekly free dance classes, original dance dramas, the MinneUtsav festival, and storytelling showcases for the Twin Cities South Asian diaspora and broader community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Services

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD), Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Performing arts education
• Community dance classes
• South Asian theater
• Cultural arts nonprofit
• Bollywood dance productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501c3 non-profit (Tax ID: 47-3414783), SAATH accepts donations through Venmo, PayPal, Facebook, and giveMN.org. Actively promotes employer gift-matching programs.
2. Dance Classes and Workshops: Weekly Thursday dance classes at Threads Dance Project. Currently FREE with donations welcome. Classes include Bollywood, Bhangra, Contemporary, Kuthu, Garba, and other South Asian dance forms.
3. Performance Tickets: Ticketed performances at Minnesota Fringe Festival and other venues. Shows include 2 SuitCases with pay-what-you-can pricing and various ticketed events.
4. Performance and Teaching Services: Hire Us service offering performances and customized choreography for events including birthday parties, community events, team-building retreats, festivals, and private lessons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SAATH is a 501c3 non-profit performing arts organization that delivers South Asian dance education, original theater productions and dance dramas, and customized performance services. It offers weekly community dance classes in styles such as Bollywood, Bhangra, Garba, Kuthu, and Contemporary; the annual MinneUtsav performing arts festival; original dance dramas staged at the Minnesota Fringe Festival and other theaters; acting and storytelling programs; and "Hire Us" performance and choreography services for private events.

Product overview

SAATH (South Asian Arts & Theater House), formerly Bollywood Dance Scene, is a 501c3 non-profit performing arts organization based in Minneapolis. The organization offers a diverse portfolio centered on South Asian performing arts including weekly dance classes in various styles (Bollywood, Bhangra, Garba, Kuthu, Contemporary, Tamil/Telugu/Kannada/Marathi folk and pop, etc.), original theater productions and dance dramas performed at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, an annual MinneUtsav festival featuring dance, fashion, comedy and workshops, acting programs, and community storytelling events. The organization addresses social issues through art, with productions exploring mental health, disability, immigration, cultural identity, and queer narratives. Services include customized choreography for events, private lessons, workshops, and performances for various occasions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Dance Classes Weekly Thursday dance classes open to all ages and skill levels covering South Asian dance styles including Bollywood, Bhangra, Garba, Kuthu, Contemporary, Tamil Folk, Telugu Pop, Kannada Pop, Marathi Fusion, and Afro Bollywood. Currently offered FREE with donations welcome.
• MinneUtsav Festival Annual performing arts festival created and produced by SAATH, featuring original Bollywood dance dramas, fashion shows, improv comedy, and workshops for children and adults, with social-issue themes.
• GIDO - Great Indian Dance Off Virtual dance competition open to all participants, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic as SAATH pivoted to online programming.
• Performances and Choreography Services (Hire Us)

Quantifiable outcome

• First Bollywood dance drama at Minnesota Fringe Festival (2014)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered foundational and core.

• Tapestry Folkdance CenterfoundationalOthers · 1 January 2012SAATH was founded in 2012 when three founders began teaching weekly classes at Tapestry Folkdance Center. This was the genesis of the organization before they grew to become a 501c3 non-profit.
• Threads Dance ProjectcoreOthersWeekly Thursday dance classes are held at Threads Dance Project, 2213 Snelling Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Classes are currently offered FREE to the community.
• Metropolitan Regional Arts CouncilcoreOthers2026 Thursday dance classes are made possible by a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, funded by a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
• Minnesota State Arts BoardcoreOthersDance classes are made possible by voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
• MinneUtsavcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAATH created their own Bollywood performing arts festival called MinneUtsav, featuring original Bollywood dance dramas, fashion shows, improv comedy (BollyProv), and workshops for children and adults.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Pratidhwani: Seattle-based South Asian performing arts organization producing theater, dance, and music. Comparable in mission and South Asian performing arts focus, but operates on the West Coast.
• Leela Dance Collective: Los Angeles-based South Asian dance company producing Kathak-based performance works. Comparable artistic focus on South Asian dance narratives, but operates on a larger national scale.

Direct peers

• Threads Dance Project: Minneapolis-based dance company and venue partner of SAATH (hosts weekly classes). Peer in Twin Cities performing arts ecosystem with shared audience and production infrastructure.
• Natya Dance Theatre: Chicago-based South Asian dance company rooted in Bharatanatyam with a repertory of narrative dance dramas. Comparable to SAATH's dance-drama productions and touring model.
• TU Dance: St. Paul-based dance company offering classes and performances. Comparable Twin Cities non-profit dance organization with shared community education focus.
• Ananya Dance Theatre: Minneapolis-based South Asian (Indian) dance company producing socially-engaged dance theater. Directly comparable to SAATH's dance-drama model and Twin Cities footprint.
• Shapiro & Smith Dance: Minneapolis-based contemporary dance company. Comparable non-profit performing arts operations in the same metro, sharing venues, audiences, and donor pools.
• Ragamala Dance Company: Minneapolis-based South Asian dance company rooted in Bharatanatyam and contemporary work. Closest direct peer to SAATH given shared geography, South Asian heritage focus, and blend of dance, music, and storytelling.
• Chhandika Dance: Boston-area dance company dedicated to classical Indian dance and storytelling. Peer in the South Asian dance-theater space with similar community-driven non-profit structure.

Broad incumbents

• Mixed Blood Theatre: Established Minneapolis-based theater known for diverse, socially-engaged programming. Comparable in producing mission-driven theater in the Twin Cities, but operates at a much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SaathMN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bollywood-dance-scene

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 →

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