Kristin Damrow & Company

What Kristin Damrow & Company does

Kristin Damrow & Company (KDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary dance company founded in 2013 by Artistic Director Kristin Damrow and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization creates and presents immersive, design-inspired dance performances that integrate movement with scenic design, original soundscapes, and thematic content, with 18 original works produced since 2010 including three evening-length productions (Eames, Impact, FRAMEWORK). Core productions are staged at Bay Area venues such as ODC Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Fort Mason Center, The Lab SF, and Joe Goode Annex, and have been commissioned by institutional clients including Oakland Museum of California, Airbnb Design, Iowa State University, and Lindenwood University.

The company's revenue model blends philanthropic support with diversified earned income. As a registered nonprofit, KDC relies on tax-deductible donations and grants from foundations including Phyllis C. Wattis, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, and Center for Cultural Innovation. Earned revenue comes from performance ticket sales (general admission $28-$35, supporter tiers up to $100), drop-in and class-card sales ($20-$25 per class), 8-week performance workshops ($285-$300), the WORK week-long movement research lab, donation-based online classes, hourly Oakland loft studio rentals ($15/hour trial rate), and special fundraising events. Programs are supported through venue partnerships with ODC Dance Commons, Bandaloop Studios, and Joe Goode Annex, and the organization operates sub-brands Bodies of Empowerment (free community classes) and Merde Project (artist commissions) to extend its community footprint.

Name

Kristin Damrow & Company

Legal name

Kristin Damrow & Company

Website

https://kristindamrow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kristin Damrow & Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary dance company in the San Francisco Bay Area that produces immersive, design-inspired performances, classes, workshops, and community programs for adult dancers, arts institutions, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Dance Performance

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112), Dance Companies (711120), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), 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), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance performances
• Dance education programs
• Site-specific dance
• Performance workshops
• Community dance classes

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, KDC relies heavily on tax-deductible donations from supporters. Donations fund productions and free programming.
2. Class and Workshop Fees: Revenue from ongoing dance classes (drop-in, class cards) and performance workshops with registration fees ranging from $20-$300.
3. Performance Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales to live performances and showings, with general admission and supporter ticket tiers.
4. Studio Rentals: Hourly rental of Oakland loft studio space to artists for rehearsals and small group work at discounted rates.
5. Film Access and Special Events: Revenue from access to recorded dance films and special experiential events like Taste pop-up fundraisers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kristin Damrow & Company creates and presents original contemporary dance performances that integrate physical movement with scenic design, visual art, and original soundscapes. The company also delivers dance education through weekly in-person classes at Bay Area studios, 8-week performance workshops, online on-demand classes, and a week-long WORK movement research lab. Additional offerings include commissioned site-specific performances for institutional clients and hourly studio rentals at the Oakland Loft.

Product overview

Kristin Damrow & Company is a 501(c)(3) non-profit contemporary dance company based in San Francisco, founded in 2013. The company operates as a single unified offering combining live dance performances and dance education programs. Their core product consists of original dance performances including Sound, Boundary Layer, FRAMEWORK, Intentional Shift, Medium, Impact, Eames, and others presented at venues like ODC Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Fort Mason Center. Supporting these productions are educational programs including Contemporary Classes (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced levels), Performance Workshops, the WORK Movement Research Lab, Bodies of Empowerment community classes, and Online Classes. The company also offers studio rentals at their Oakland loft space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sound Original contemporary dance performance exploring the physical and visual effects of sound on bodies and minds, featuring scenic design depicting the sensations, texture, and essence of sound.
• Boundary Layer Contemporary dance performance exploring how tactile sensations shape perception of surroundings, using scenic design as a visual representation of tactile experiences.
• FRAMEWORK Immersive dance experience welcoming audiences to explore the design of the skeletal structure through dance, sound, and visual art.
• Intentional Shift Interactive, site-specific dance performance and art installation focused on community closure and activism at Hunters Point Shoreline in San Francisco.
• Medium Immersive dance performance guiding audiences through Firehouse at Fort Mason Center featuring dance films, installations, and live performance.
• Impact Brutalist contemporary dance featuring 16 performers inhabiting a dystopian world inspired by Brutalist architecture.
• Eames Dance vision of Ray and Charles Eames exploring their explosive originality and the design of relationships in 1950s America.
• Contemporary Dance Classes In-person contemporary dance classes at multiple skill levels (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced) taught weekly at ODC Dance Commons, Joe Goode Annex, and Bandaloop Studios in the Bay Area.
• Performance Workshops 8-week contemporary dance workshops for intermediate dancers focusing on building original performance pieces through choreography, floorwork, inversions, and partnering, culminating in a public showing.
• WORK Movement Research Lab Week-long intensive movement research lab for dancers curious about exploration and creation beyond technique, offering full-week, full-day, half-day, and single-class enrollment options.
• Oakland Loft Studio Rentals Hourly rentals of the Oakland Loft Studio at 730 29th Street for solo and small group rehearsals (up to 5 people) in a historic former linen service building with exposed brick, hardwood floors, and 20-foot beam ceilings.
• Oakland Museum Art & Public Practice Commission

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 original works created since 2010, including 3 evening-length productions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and major commission.

• Merde ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDC provides artist commissions through Merde Project, supporting emerging and independent dance artists in creating new work. This partnership enables KDC to foster artist development and expand the ecosystem of contemporary dance in the Bay Area.
• Bodies of Empowerment (BOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDC provides free classes throughout the Bay Area with Bodies of Empowerment (BOE), a community program focused on making dance accessible. BOE offers guided classes led by various instructors covering house dance, contemporary, Flying Low, and other techniques at no cost.
• ODC Dance CommonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDC teaches classes at ODC Dance Commons in San Francisco, including Beginning, Intermediate, and Intermediate Floor Work classes on Saturdays and Thursdays. ODC provides the studio space and scheduling infrastructure for ongoing dance education.
• Bandaloop StudiossecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDC offers evening Intermediate/Advanced Contemporary classes at Bandaloop Studios in Oakland, providing accessible East Bay dance education in a large, beautiful space with ample parking.
• Joe Goode AnnexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance workshops and showings are held at Joe Goode Annex in San Francisco. Workshops culminate in performances at this venue, creating a pathway from training to professional presentation.
• ODC TheatersecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKDC performed Sound (2023) at ODC Theater in San Francisco, a premier venue for contemporary dance presentations.
• Yerba Buena Center for the ArtssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKDC premiered Impact (2019) at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, a major cultural institution and performance venue.
• Airbnb Designmajor commissionStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDC was invited to perform at Airbnb Design-Talks series at the Bently Reserve in San Francisco, working with vocalist Julia Bullock on a production about chaos. This represents a significant corporate commission.
• Oakland Museum of Californiamajor commissionStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDC was commissioned for Oakland Museum of California's Art & Public Practice program, creating a day-long symposium showcasing artists creating powerful public art practice.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Axis Dance Company: Axis Dance Company is an Oakland-based integrated dance company (physically integrated, disabled and non-disabled performers). Comparable as a Bay Area nonprofit contemporary dance company producing original work and community programming.
• ODC: ODC is a San Francisco contemporary dance company and venue operator that hosts KDC's classes at ODC Dance Commons and performances at ODC Theater. It is the most direct Bay Area peer—both as a presenting venue and a producer of original contemporary work—and comparable in mission and audience.
• Bandaloop: Bandaloop is an Oakland-based vertical dance company whose studios KDC uses for evening classes. Direct peer as a Bay Area contemporary dance organization with shared class offerings and overlapping dancer talent pool.
• Alonzo King LINES Ballet: LINES Ballet is a leading Bay Area contemporary dance company producing original work and community programming out of its own BART-stop-adjacent facility. Highly comparable to KDC in producing original contemporary choreography and educational outreach, though with a larger company and longer history.
• Robert Moses' Kin: Robert Moses' Kin is a San Francisco-based contemporary dance company known for text-driven choreography. Direct Bay Area peer producing original contemporary work with shared donor and venue competition.
• Margaret Jenkins Dance Company: Margaret Jenkins Dance Company is a long-established San Francisco contemporary dance company producing original choreography and touring nationally. Direct peer as a Bay Area contemporary dance producer with a similar artistic development and performance model.
• Joe Goode Performance Group: Joe Goode Performance Group is a San Francisco-based contemporary dance company that operates the Joe Goode Annex, which KDC uses for workshops and showings. Directly comparable as a Bay Area contemporary dance producer with overlapping artistic territory and venue overlap.

Regional players

• Smuin Ballet: Smuin Ballet is a San Francisco-based dance company producing original and repertoire work. Regional peer serving the same Bay Area audiences and competing for similar donor and ticket revenue, though focused on ballet rather than contemporary dance.

Emerging players

• Sara Shelton Mann: Sara Shelton Mann is a San Francisco-based choreographer and small dance company producing experimental contemporary work. Comparable in artistic approach (experimental, immersive choreography) though smaller scale than KDC.

Broad incumbents

• San Francisco Ballet: San Francisco Ballet is the largest ballet company in the US, operating from its own Civic Center home. Broad incumbent sharing the Bay Area dance audience and donor base, though classical rather than contemporary in focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kristin-damrow-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/kristindamrowcompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Kristin Damrow & Company