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SHEN WEI DANCE ARTS INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 061634051 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE A62 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · shenweidancearts.org
revenue
$155K
expenses
$109K
net assets
$69K
employees
—
program ratio
77%
mission · from form 990

SHEN WEI DANCE ARTS IS DEDICATED TO THE CREATION, PRESENTATION, AND DISSEMINATION OF THE WORKS OF ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SHEN WEI, WHOSE MOVEMENT BASED WORKS ARE AN INNOVATIVE FUSION OF EAST AND WEST, DRAWING ON INFLUENCES FROM CONTEMPORARY DANCE, CHINESE OPERA AND ARTS, WESTERN PAINTING AND SCULPTURE, AND THE RITUAL POWER OF ANCIENT DRAMA. THE COMPANY ASPIRES TO FOSTER CROSS-CULTURAL DIALOGUES OF WESTERN AND ASIAN AESTHETICS AND CULTURES FOR AMERICAN AND GLOBAL AUDIENCES-PROMOTING CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING THROUGH PERFORMANCES, CULTURAL DIPLOMACY, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. CONCOMITANT WITH THE COMPANY'S MISSION IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANCE LITERACY AMONG STUDENTS AND GENERAL POPULATIONS AND THE TEACHING OF THE COMPANY'S UNIQUE NATURAL BODY DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUE TO PROFESSIONAL AND PRE-PROFESSIONAL DANCERS. THE COMPANY GIVES ANNUAL PERFORMANCES AND EXHIBITIONS AT LEADING VENUES IN ITS HOME COMMUNITY OF NEW YORK

profile · synthesized from sources

Shen Wei Dance Arts is a New York-based contemporary dance company founded in 2000 by choreographer and visual artist Shen Wei. The company creates and performs original works that fuse Eastern and Western aesthetics, drawing from Chinese opera, contemporary dance, Western visual art, and ancient ritual. It presents performances, site-specific installations, and educational programs globally, promoting cross-cultural dialogue through movement and interdisciplinary art.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Mindscape
Collaborative world premiere work developed with Guangdong Modern Dance Company in Guangzhou, China, blending contemporary movement and cross-cultural artistic exchange.
Multidimensional Dance
Educational program developed by Chelsea Retzloff that teaches math and science concepts to K–5 students through movement and art, now in its fifth year.
Shen Wei: Dance Strokes
Interdisciplinary exhibition combining painting and live performance, first presented at Asia Society Hong Kong Center during Art Basel, integrating visual art with choreographed movement.
Untitled Series (Site-Specific Performances)
Series of site-specific dance installations such as "Untitled No. 32 (Bodies and Rooftop)" and "Untitled No. 12-1," performed in museums and non-traditional spaces including the Guggenheim, Asia Society, and Miami’s Museum of Art + Design.
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Ballet and Dance Education Programs 1 activity
    • Delivering educational programs in dance and integrated arts
      Teaches the Natural Body Development technique to professional and pre-professional dancers and develops dance literacy among students and the general public. Offers Multidimensional Dance, a program that teaches math and science through movement and art for K–5th grade students, reaching hundreds of school students through dance-related programs or performances.
  • Cultural Exchange and Mutual Understanding Programs 1 activity
    • Engaging in international cultural collaboration and diplomacy
      Promotes cultural understanding through international collaborations, such as co-creating "Mindscape" with Guangdong Modern Dance Company in Guangzhou, China, and participating in artistic programming related to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Performs globally as part of cultural diplomacy efforts to engage diverse audiences.
  • Site-Specific Artistic Installations and Performances 1 activity
    • Presenting interdisciplinary and site-specific artistic installations
      Presents performative installations and site-specific works at museums, galleries, and public spaces internationally, including at the Guggenheim Museum, Asia Society Hong Kong Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New-York Historical Society, and during Art Basel events in Miami Beach and Hong Kong.
  • Original Dance Performance Production 1 activity
    • Producing and presenting original dance performances
      Creates and presents a critically acclaimed repertory of original dance works annually at leading venues in New York and internationally, including Lincoln Center, BAM’s Next Wave Festival, the Kennedy Center, and major festivals across 33 countries on five continents since 2000. The organization has received 23 commissions from major presenting institutions to support its creative work.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$155K
Contributions & grants$100K65%
Program service revenue$55K35%
Investment income$180%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$109K
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead23%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$74K
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$81K
Cash$26K
Investments$0
Liabilities$5K
Net assets$69K
Liquid reserves2.9 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024
relationships · 32

Who they work with

  • American Dance Festival Partner — Commissioning institution and collaborator on multiple projects, including founding member participation and lifetime achievement recognition.
  • American Dance Festival Partner — Presenting organization for performances on July 17th and 18th.
  • American Dance Festival Partner — Venue for annual performances by the company.
  • Asia Society Partner — Presented a conversation and exhibit preview at Asia Society, including discussion of dance and painting.
  • Asia Society Partner — Presented performances in New York City and hosted a site-specific premiere in Hong Kong.
  • Asia Society Hong Kong Center Partner — Collaborated on the exhibit Shen Wei: Dance Strokes and site-specific dance Untitled No. 32 (Bodies and Rooftop).
  • Asia Society Hong Kong Center Partner — Hosted exhibitions and site-specific performances.
  • BAM Partner — Recent commissioning institution for new work.
  • BAM’s Next Wave Festival Partner — Premiered the work _Neither_.
  • Guangdong Modern Dance Company Partner — Collaborated with Shen Wei Dance Arts in a performance or artistic project.
  • Guangdong Modern Dance Company Partner — Collaborates with Shen Wei Dance Arts on the creation and performance of "Mindscape" in Guangzhou, China.
  • Het Nationale Ballet Partner — Collaborated on performances of Sacre du Printemps/Overture.
  • Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Partner — Presenting venue and festival where the company has performed.
  • Judson Memorial Church Partner — Hosted performances of the revived work Map.
  • Katonah Museum of Art Partner — Supported the presentation of performances.
  • Kennedy Center Partner — Commissioning institution for creative work.
  • Kennedy Center Partner — Hosted a five-year performance residency.
  • Lincoln Center Partner — Presenting organization for performances at Hearst Plaza in July.
  • Lincoln Center Festival Partner — Commissioning institution for creative work.
  • Lincoln Center Festival Partner — Presented the company five times.
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art Partner — Hosted performances of Still Moving.
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art Partner — Presenting venue for commissions and site-specific performative installations.
  • Miami’s Museum of Art+Design Partner — Presented the site-specific work Untitled No. 12-1 in conjunction with the painting exhibition Shen Wei: In Black, White, and Gray.
  • New-York Historical Society Partner — Hosted An Evening of Conversation and Performance with Shen Wei in conjunction with the exhibition Chinese Americans: Exclusion/Inclusion.
  • Park Avenue Armory Partner — Presenting venue for commissioned works.
  • Performing Arts Center at Purchase College Partner — Recent commissioning institution for new work.
  • Pocantico Center Partner — Supported the presentation of performances.
  • Spoleto Festival Partner — Hosted performances and premieres by the company, including Untitled No. 12-2 in 2015.
  • The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Partner — Hosted residency, film development, and major exhibition.
  • The O’Neil Theater Partner — Supported the presentation of performances.
+ 2 more
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.

  • Arts-Integrated STEM Education
    methodology: arts_integrated_education
    By teaching math and science through movement and artistic expression, the organization improves elementary student engagement and comprehension because embodied learning activates multiple cognitive pathways and makes abstract concepts tangible.
  • Cultural Fusion as Cross-Cultural Dialogue
    methodology: cultural_fusion
    By fusing Eastern and Western artistic traditions—including Chinese opera, ancient ritual, European Surrealism, and American modernism—into hybrid dance forms, the organization fosters cross-cultural understanding because this synthesis creates accessible, shared aesthetic experiences that transcend cultural boundaries.
  • Kinetic Visual Art as Performance Aesthetic
    methodology: kinetic_visual_art
    By integrating visual art principles—such as color, design, and spatial composition—into choreography, performances become dynamic, theatrical paintings that engage audiences on a visual and emotional level, enhancing aesthetic impact because movement is treated as a living canvas.