Dance Data Project

Dance Data Project provides metrics-based analysis to examine the gender distribution of artistic and administrative leadership in dance companies, venues, and organizations. Using publicly available information, DDP ranks national and international dance companies based on their annual financial reporting from the IRS and other sources. We encourage the dance community to be forthright in its policies and procedures to help advance our mission toward full gender equity. In 2025, DDP released 9 full research reports and 4 Data Bytes, bringing our total output to 67 studies since DDP's inception, a reflection of both sustained inquiry and new areas of exploration: * Season Overview 2023-2024 * DATA BYTE: Nutcracker and Holiday Productions (2023-2025) * 2025 Performing Arts Center Leadership & Programming Report * 2024 Global Festivals Report * Global Leadership Report 2025 * 2025 Global Resident Choreographers Report (DDP's 60th report) * Largest 150 U.S. Ballet and Classically Based Companies Report 2025 * The Largest Ballet & Classically Based Companies Leadership Report * The Largest U.S. Contemporary & Modern Dance Companies Report * DATA BYTE: Percussive Dance Companies (DDP's first exploration of this sector) * Number of Dancers by Company Report (DDP's first study of this kind) * Leadership Transitions Data Byte (6th annual) * Revenue Data Byte (Our inaugural study) Our Largest 150 U.S. Ballet and Classically Based Companies Report resonated widely, going viral on social media with 60,638 views and 2,816 interactions, demonstrating a growing appetite for transparent, data-driven insights across the dance field. DDP's online Leader Board, an index spotlighting women and gender-diverse leaders across dance, now features 2,000 individuals, including choreographers, artistic and executive directors, as well as artisans in front of and behind the curtain. This growing resource/archive continues to serve as a tool for visibility, hiring, and accountability. In 2025, DDP announced the significant expansion of the Leader Board to the world of music, both classical and commercial, to include opera and orchestral composers, music directors, and commercial productions, broadening visibility for the full ecosystem of artists and leaders whose work shapes these intersecting performing arts fields.

The Dance Data Project team compiled a useful set of resources around equity in the ballet world, as well as articles, books, and a list of women active in the community. In 2025, DDP published four newsletters, two external and two internal. The external newsletters focused on mentorship pathways and educational institutions creating commissioned opportunities for female choreographers, while the internal newsletters highlighted DDP's incredible staff, board, and advisory council accomplishments. * Pointe by Pointe: Mentorship * In The Wings: Spring 2025 * Pointe by Pointe: Educational Institutions * In The Wings: Fall 2025