dance/usa

What dance/usa does

Dance/USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit national service organization for professional dance, established in 1982 and headquartered in Washington, DC. The organization champions an inclusive and equitable dance field by leading, convening, advocating, and supporting individuals and organizations, with core programs focused on engagement, advocacy, research, and preservation. Its primary constituents are independent dance artists, dance companies of all genres and sizes, arts administrators, dance presenters and festivals, and identity-based professional communities (Advocacy Network, Individual Artists Network, Deaf & Disability Network, Latinx Network, LGBTQ+ Network).

The organization's product portfolio centers on a tiered membership program — Individual ($75/year), Dance Company (tiered $125–$5,000 based on operating budget), Individual Affiliate ($125), US Business Affiliate ($250), and International Affiliate ($750) — alongside the Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists (DFA) program (currently awarding 25 fellows $31,000 each in unrestricted support in Round 3), a biannual national conference, advocacy and federal-policy initiatives, archiving and preservation programs, research, and leadership/learning offerings (including the Dance/USA Institute for Leadership Training). Supporting channels include the "From The Green Room" eJournal blog, the Dance/USA Bulletin email newsletter, social media properties, and a Jobs & Auditions Listings platform that receives nearly 80,000 visits per year.

Dance/USA is not a technology company; its underlying stack is non-proprietary digital infrastructure for membership management, content distribution, and job listings. Revenue is generated through three streams: annual membership dues, biannual conference registration and sponsorships, and donations/sponsorships from a concentrated group of major funders (National Endowment for the Arts, Mellon Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, Wallace Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, and others). The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees, currently led by Executive Director Amy Fitterer (previously Director of Government Affairs), with a small staff of approximately 13 named individuals supplemented by contracted consultants in development, institutional giving, and marketing.

Name

dance/usa

Legal name

Dance/USA

Website

https://danceusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dance/USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit national service organization founded in 1982 that provides membership, advocacy, research, convening, and fellowship programs for individual dance artists, dance companies, and arts administrators across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Dance/USA generates revenue through annual membership dues from individual artists, dance companies, and organizational affiliates. Membership tiers range from $75 for individual artists to $5,000 for large dance companies based on operating budget.
2. Conference Revenue: The organization hosts biannual national conferences where members receive discounted pricing. Revenue is generated through conference registration fees and sponsorships.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Dance/USA receives support through donations and sponsorships from foundations and organizations including Alphawood Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and Wallace Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dance/USA is the national service organization for professional dance, providing tiered membership programs, advocacy for the dance field, biannual national conferences, professional development, dance fellowships, research, archiving and preservation programs, and a national network connecting independent artists, dance companies, and arts administrators. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Washington, DC, the organization also operates the Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists (DFA) program, the Jobs and Auditions Listings board, the eJournal blog 'From The Green Room,' and the Task Force on Dancer Health.

Product overview

Dance/USA is the national service organization for professional dance, established in 1982. It operates as a membership-based organization offering a portfolio of programs and services centered around engagement, advocacy, research, and preservation. The core offerings include: Dance/USA Membership (tiered national network for dance professionals), Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists (DFA - a national fellowship providing $30,000+ unrestricted awards to individual artists working in dance and movement-based modalities for social change), the biannual National Conference, Advocacy Programs, Archiving & Preservation initiatives, Research, Leadership & Learning programs, and the eJournal blog. Additional services include Jobs & Auditions Listings, the Dance/USA Bulletin email newsletter, and the Task Force on Dancer Health. The organization champions an inclusive and equitable dance field by leading, convening, advocating, and supporting individuals and organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists (DFA): A national dance fellowship program that offers direct support to individual artists who have developed a sustained and intentional practice of working through dance and movement-based modalities to address social change.

Products and services

• Dance/USA Membership A national network membership program connecting dance professionals, artists, and advocates through tiered membership levels (Individual $75, Dance Company $125-$5,000 based on operating budget, Individual Affiliate $125, US Business Affiliate $250, International Affiliate $750), providing networking, advocacy support, professional resources, and event discounts.
• Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists (DFA) A national dance fellowship program offering direct unrestricted financial support to individual artists who have developed a sustained practice of working through dance and movement-based modalities to address social change. Fellows receive awards (currently $31,000 per fellow in Round Three).
• Dance/USA National Conference A biannual national gathering attracting independent artists, dance presenters, executive directors, artistic directors, company managers, fundraisers, and development and marketing staff. Members receive discounted ticket pricing, with sessions covering presentations, networking, and professional development.
• Jobs & Auditions Listings An online job and audition board for the dance field, receiving nearly 80,000 visits per year. Provides job listings, audition notices, and opportunity postings for dance professionals.
• Advocacy Programs Advocacy initiatives supporting the dance ecosystem including practical dance advocacy resources, storytelling campaigns providing roadmaps for local action, side-by-side convenings at conferences, and partnerships with other service organizations.
• Leadership & Learning Programs Professional development programs including the Dance/USA Institute for Leadership Training (DILT), leadership fellowships, and training opportunities for dance professionals across the field.
• Research Services Research initiatives providing data and insights for the dance field, including consulting research services and field-wide studies.
• Archiving & Preservation Core program focused on preserving dance history and documentation for the field, providing archives and preservation resources for dance professionals and organizations.
• Task Force on Dancer Health A task force providing informational papers and resources on dancer health topics, co-chaired by Sheyi Ojofeitimi and Rosa Pasculli, MD, in partnership with the International Association of Dance Science and Medicine.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dance/USA Jobs Listing receives nearly 80,000 visits per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grounded Growth MarketingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarketing consultant providing services to Dance/USA. Grounded Growth Marketing shares research-backed marketing strategies for dance organizations and has contributed content to Dance/USA's blog on marketing and organizational sustainability.
• International Association of Dance Science and MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization focused on dance science and medicine that aligns with Dance/USA's Task Force on Dancer Health initiatives.
• Performing Arts AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance/USA participates in coalition activities with the Performing Arts Alliance, advocating for performing arts funding and policy at the federal level including NEA, Arts in Education, and technology policies at the FCC.
• Performing Arts Visa Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance/USA is an active member of the Performing Arts Visa Working Group, advocating for improved and reliable visa processing systems for international dance artists and performers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Performance Network (NPN): National network supporting performing artists and presenters with regranting, professional development, and community-building — highly overlapping in mission and program structure with Dance/USA.
• OPERA America: National service organization for the professional opera field, operating on an analogous membership, advocacy, conference, and research model. Notably, prior Dance/USA Executive Director Amy Fitterer moved directly from OPERA America's government affairs role.
• Chorus America: National service organization for the choral field, with a comparable membership, advocacy, research, and conference model, including regranting programs such as the Catalyst Fund.
• Theatre Communications Group (TCG): National service organization for the not-for-profit theatre field, providing membership, advocacy, grants (e.g., Alan H. Smith Fund), and convenings — directly parallel to Dance/USA's role in dance.
• Pentacle: Dance-specific service organization providing management support, fiscal sponsorship, and producer services to independent dance artists, serving the same core constituency as Dance/USA.
• Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP): National membership and service organization for the presenting and performing arts field, convening an annual conference that serves the same professional ecosystem as Dance/USA's biannual conference.
• New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA): Regional arts organization that administers major regranting programs (e.g., NEA's New England States Touring program, Creative Ground directory) and supports dance artists with grants and touring funds — comparable service-and-grantmaking model.

Others

• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA): Membership association of the US state and jurisdictional arts agencies, focused on public funding policy. Adjacent to Dance/USA because both organizations influence federal/state arts funding flows that affect the dance field.
• Performing Arts Alliance: National policy and advocacy coalition for performing arts service organizations, of which Dance/USA is an active member; useful peer for understanding Dance/USA's federal advocacy footprint rather than its core service delivery.

Regional players

• Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation: Regional service and regranting organization for the mid-Atlantic US, administering USArtists International and other programs that overlap with Dance/USA's touring-visa and artist-support work in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DanceUSAorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/DanceUSAorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dance-usa
• Instagraminstagram.com/danceusaorg
• Xx.com/DanceUSAorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about dance/usa