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Professional dance companies in America have a direct economic
impact of over $350 million.
A study by the NEA in 1997 estimated that 35.6 million people
attend dance performances.*
* This figure may include pre-professional performances and recitals.
There are about 675 professional dance companies in the USA.
Of these, 15 have budgets in excess of $5 million.
An estimated 55 to 65 have budgets between $1 million and $5 million.
About 12 to 14 of these are modern companies; the rest are ballet.
New York City has more dance companies -- slightly over 200 --
than any other metropolis.
But this number includes only 13 of the 70 - 80 companies with
budgets over $1 million.
Dance is a relatively young “industry” in America.
In 1965, the NEA identified 37 professional dance companies in
America.
Only 72 companies claim founding dates earlier than 1970.
The oldest companies are the Metropolitan Opera Ballet (1895),
the Martha Graham Company (1926), the Atlanta Ballet (1929),
and the San Francisco Ballet (1933).
Between 2,000 – 3,000 dancers make their livings exclusively as
performers in not-for-profit concert dance companies.
Most dance companies do not offer year-round work.
Dancer contracts in the 70 - 80 largest companies average 30 -
35 weeks per year.
Smaller companies offer fewer.
There are an estimated 11,000 - 13,000 dancers making part or
all of their livings
as performers in not-for-profit concert dance companies.
Dancers in the 15 companies with budgets over $5 million earn
$600 - $1,400 per week.
A handful of stars earn more.
Most other dancers in the 70 - 80 large companies earn $400 to
$600 per week for the duration
of their contracts.
Since the recession of the early 1990’s, large dance companies
have regained financial health while smaller
companies have continued to struggle.
In 1991, 60 - 70 percent of companies with budgets over $1 million
and many modern companies with budgets over $250,000 reported
ending the year in the black.
In 1992 and 1993, years impacted by recession, only 40% - 62%
of these companies
reported operating gains. In 1999, 75% - 90% of companies over
$1 million reported gains.
By contrast, only 62% of companies under $1 million posted gains
for 1999. In 1998,
with a larger number of these companies reporting, only 40% posted
gains.
Direct federal funding for dance companies in 1999 accounted for
less than 1% of ballet company budgets
and less than 3% of modern company budgets.
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