Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1518-8535

Date Available

5-2-2025

Year of Publication

2025

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Fine Arts

Department/School/Program

Arts Administration

Faculty

Dr. Yuha Jung

Faculty

Dr. Yuha Jung

Abstract

Smaller dance organizations are an integral component of the arts and culture sector in the United States, making valuable artistic, economic, and social contributions despite limited resources. They provide employment for professional artists, contribute to a region’s economic vitality, and increase accessibility to quality arts-related programming. However, there are numerous professional dance companies that have permanently closed these past ten years alone, such as Dance Theatre of Tennessee, Ballet Theatre of Indiana, and Missouri Ballet Theatre, to just name a few—all of which can be considered smaller dance organizations.

The purpose of this interdisciplinary, exploratory study is to address the survival rate and longevity of small dance companies in the United States in order to prevent permanent closures. In this convergent mixed-methods study, predictive modeling and survival analysis utilizes financial data from IRS Form 990s, organizational data, and U.S. Census data to test how financial and nonfinancial indicators could predict the survival rate of small dance companies with an annual operating budget under $250,000 in the United States. Semi-structured interviews with leaders, former leaders, and dancers of open and closed dance organizations explore the common struggles and challenges faced by small dance companies. The triangulation of open systems theory, organizational lifecycle theory, and organizational culture theory allows for a holistic understanding of small dance companies and their survival.

The study’s predictive modeling results indicate that months of cash (p-value = 0.044), presence of a founder position (p-value = 0.046), and NTEE Core-Code A63 (Ballet) (p-value = 0.005) are statistically significant indicators and total assets (end of year) (p-value =0.068) is a marginally statistically significant indicator. The study’s survival analysis results indicate that the program expense ratio is a marginally statistically significant indicator (p-value = 0.068). The study’s findings also reveal that revenue diversification, in-kind value of board contributions, community type, and quality of community partnerships are additional indicators that could be utilized to effectively predict the survival rate and longevity of small dance companies in order to prevent permanent closures.

Additional findings reveal that the current business model is not sustainable for small dance companies in the United States and that the dance field at-large perpetuates a culture of poverty that makes it challenging for small dance companies to survive long-term. As such, actionable takeaways include creating the resources needed to successfully launch, build, and sustain a small dance company for current and future leaders and promoting advocacy efforts to shift the cultural mindset of the dance field to improve financial and professional sustainability for dancers and leaders.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.65

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