named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Choreography Institute
An annual residency program that invites emerging and established choreographers to create new works on pointe for the company's male-identifying and nonbinary dancers, with potential for future commissions.
Dance Workshops for Seniors and Unhoused LGBTQ Youth
Community dance classes offered at senior and LGBTQ centers in NYC, using ballet and humor to engage older adults and marginalized youth.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Original Dance Performance Production 1 activity
- Commission and develop new choreographic worksOperates the Choreography Institute, launched in November 2023, which provides choreographic residencies, commissions new ballet works, and supports guest choreographers such as Durante Verzola and Seán Curran; resulting pieces enter the company’s touring repertory.
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Dance Performance and Community Engagement 1 activity
- Deliver educational and community engagement programsOffers technique classes, movement and comedy workshops, lecture demonstrations, and community outreach programs for diverse audiences, including low- or no-cost programming for LGBTQ+ youth and elders in New York City, as well as virtual sessions via Zoom and Streamyard for global participants.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Present public exhibitions and retrospectivesOrganizes and presents retrospective exhibitions on the company’s history and impact, such as the "Gender Neutral" exhibition at the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame.
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Performing Arts Archival Preservation 1 activity
- Preserve and share historical archives and costume designsMaintains and preserves costume designs and historical materials in collections and archives, including a donation of forty years of archival materials to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and shares designs through souvenir books and exhibitions.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Perform comedic ballet productions en pointe and en travestiProduces and tours live comic ballet performances that parody classical and romantic ballet conventions, performed by an all-male company en pointe and in drag personas, with approximately 30 weeks of touring annually across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, and other international locations.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.50M
Contributions & grants$518K35%
Program service revenue$954K64%
Investment income$14K1%
Other revenue$13K
expenses
Total expenses$1.68M
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$884K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$919K
Cash$406K
Investments$270K
Liabilities$29K
Net assets$890K
Liquid reserves4.8 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -21.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELIZABETH HARLER STEPHENS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/BOARD MEMBER | 40 | $99K |
| TORY DOBRIN | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/BOARD MEMBER | 40 | $99K |
board members · 6
- AMY MINTER — TREASURER
- JAMES CP BERRY — BOARD MEMBER
- JENNY PALMER — VICE-PRESIDENT
- MARTHA COOPER — PRESIDENT
- MARTIE BARYLICK — BOARD MEMBER
- MARY LYNN BERGMAN-RALLIS — SECRETARY
relationships · 25
Who they work with
- Ali Forney Center Partner — Community partner collaborating on the NYC Dance Engagement Initiative for LGBTQ elderly and youth.
- Denise Littlefield Sobel Funder — Provided leadership support for the Trocks’ Choreography Institute during the 2025/2026 season.
- Detroit Opera Partner — Presented live orchestra performances by the company during their 50th anniversary season.
- Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund Partner — Performed at the Royal Variety Performance in 2008 to benefit the organization.
- Greenwich House Partner — Community partner collaborating on the NYC Dance Engagement Initiative for LGBTQ elderly and youth.
- HdK Partner — Provider of web design and consultancy services.
- Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Partner — Featured the company as opening performers during Pride Month in their 50th anniversary season.
- Kennedy Center Partner — Hosted nearly-sold-out performances during the company's 50th anniversary tour.
- Marianthe Bolhmeijer Partner — Website designer who created multiple versions of the organization's website.
- Mattachine Society Network — Parent organization of the West Side Discussion Group, an early performance venue partner for the Trocks.
- National Endowment for the Arts Government — Qualified for the National Endowment for the Arts Touring Program in 1975.
- National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame Partner — Hosted the "Gender Neutral" retrospective exhibition drawn from co-founder Natch Taylor's archives.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provided public funds for the Trocks’ Choreography Institute in partnership with the City Council.
- New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Partner — Acquired the company's 40-year archive for public preservation and access.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Provided support for the Trocks’ Choreography Institute with funding from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
- PBS Network — Broadcast the documentary "Ballerina Boys" featuring the company on its American Masters series.
- PBS Partner — Broadcast the documentary Ballerina Boys as part of the American Masters series in 2021.
- SAGE Partner — Community partner collaborating on the NYC Dance Engagement Initiative for LGBTQ elderly and youth.
- Shubert Foundation Funder — Supported the Trocks’ Choreography Institute during the 2025/2026 season.
- The Harkness Foundation for Dance Funder — Supported the Trocks’ Choreography Institute during the 2025/2026 season.
- The Howard Gilman Foundation Funder — Supported the Trocks’ Choreography Institute during the 2025/2026 season.
- The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Funder — Supported the Trocks’ Choreography Institute during the 2025/2026 season.
- The Rallis Foundation Funder — Supported the Trocks’ Choreography Institute during the 2025/2026 season.
- West Side Discussion Group Partner — Hosted early performances of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo in New York City.
- West Side Discussion Group Partner — Hosted the Trocks' first performances in its loft space in downtown New York City.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artistic Integration of Inclusionmethodology: artistic_integration_of_social_valuesBy embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion into the core of artistic practice—including casting and choreographic development—the company expands access and representation in classical ballet, because systemic integration ensures underrepresented dancers (by gender identity, sexual orientation, size, class, race) are central to the art form’s evolution.
- Cultural Bridge for LGBTQ+ Communitiesmethodology: intergenerational LGBTQ cultural preservationBy centering intergenerational engagement and preserving LGBTQ+ performance traditions, the company fosters community continuity and empowerment, because dance becomes a vehicle for mentorship, cultural memory, and future artistic development within the LGBTQ+ community.
- Gender Subversion Through Satirical Balletmethodology: gender-subversion-through-performanceBy using all-male casting, parody, and comedic reinterpretation of classical ballet, the company challenges traditional gender norms and shifts audience perceptions of dance, because humor and technical precision together make LGBTQ+ themes accessible and disarming for broad audiences.