named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Teaching and Artistic Workshops
Instructional programs led by Co-Artistic Director Annie-B Parson at NYU and for emerging artists worldwide, including performance lectures and creative workshops on choreographic structure and postmodern performance.
The March
A collaborative dance/theater work co-created by Annie-B Parson, Tendayi Kuumba, and Donna Uchizono, exploring themes of collective movement and institutional scale through three distinct choreographic sections.
The Oath
A choreographic piece by Annie-B Parson examining humanity’s historical and cultural use of unison movement as a form of bonding, belief, and collective promise.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Experimental Circus and Immersive Theater Production 1 activity
- Creation and production of original dance/theater worksDevelops and stages original, multi-genre performance works that integrate dance, theater, music, visual design, and literary or found text through collaborative, long-term rehearsal processes. The company has created over 25 large-scale works since its founding, including productions such as *The Oath*, *17c*, *Man in a Case*, and *Supernatural Wife*, presented at venues across the United States and internationally.
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Film Festival and Screening Programming 1 activity
- Exhibition and touring of performance filmsProduces and exhibits film adaptations of its stage works, including the film *The Oath*, which has been presented at venues such as the Bates College Museum of Art, EMPAC’s Corpus Festival, and the Fuse Box Festival.
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Mentorship and Professional Development Programs 1 activity
- Provision of mentorship and professional development for artistsOffers free one-on-one mentorship sessions with core artistic staff, including Sara Pereira da Silva and Annie-B Parson, for early-career and emerging artists in areas such as choreography, career development, fundraising, and arts management. Sessions are available in person and virtually to professionals across the U.S. and internationally.
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Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
- Publication of books and performance documentationProduces and publishes books related to dance and performance, including *Dance by Letter*, *Another Telepathic Thing*, and *Dance History(s): Imagination as a Form of Study*, as well as photographic records of its performances and company history.
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Arts Education Professional Development 1 activity
- Teaching and leading workshops in dance and performanceProvides instruction in dance making at New York University’s Experimental Theater Wing and leads workshops for emerging and mid-career artists in New York City, across the U.S., and internationally, focusing on choreographic and theatrical expression, postmodern techniques, and artistic development.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Lending of theater props to artistsProvides free access to its inventory of theater props for use by emerging choreographers, dance producers, and other artists, supporting independent and small-scale performance projects.
- Licensing of repertory worksOffers licensing of its original dance/theater productions to professional dance and theater companies and universities for performance and educational use.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$396K
Contributions & grants$288K73%
Program service revenue$104K26%
Investment income$2K0%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$592K
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$293K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$222K
Cash$161K
Investments$0
Liabilities$8K
Net assets$214K
Liquid reserves3.3 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -26.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SARA PEREIRA DA SILVA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $80K |
| ANNE PARSON LAZAR | VICE PRESIDENT | 20 | $68K |
board members · 6
- ANNE DELANEY — PRESIDENT
- CRAIG T PETERSON — DIRECTOR
- EDWARD MCKEANEY — SECRETARY/TREASURER
- JANET WONG — DIRECTOR
- JAY WEGMAN — DIRECTOR
- SHERVIN ABACHI — DIRECTOR
relationships · 43
Who they work with
- Alan Smithee Directed This Play: Triple Feature Partner — Collaborated on multiple roles including performer, music director, producer, and set designer.
- American Dance Festival Partner — Co-commissioned the performance _The March_.
- Antigonick Partner — Collaborated on multiple roles including performer, associate director, and management.
- Bates College Museum of Art Partner — Hosted exhibition of "The Oath".
- Bessie Awards Government — Honored a performer in Big Dance Theater’s production *17c* with an Outstanding Bessie Award.
- Brooklyn Academy of Music Partner — Presented multiple Big Dance Theater productions, including premieres of "The Mood Room" and "Supernatural Wife."
- Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU Funder — Commissioned Big Dance Theater works.
- Comme Toujours Here I Stand Partner — Collaborated on multiple roles including performer, executive project producer, production manager, stage manager, video design, lighting design, and sound design.
- Dancing Foxes Partner — Co-published "Dance History(s): Imagination as a Form of Study" with Big Dance Theater in 2024.
- David Byrne Partner — Collaborated on multiple projects including *American Utopia* and *Here Lies Love*.
- Fuse Box Festival Partner — Hosted exhibition of "The Oath".
- Heimbinder Family Foundation Funder — Major private funder supporting Big Dance Theater
- Howard Gillman Foundation Government — Public funder supporting Big Dance Theater
- Les Subsistances Partner — Commissioned and hosted the premiere of "Alan Smithee Directed This Play" in Lyon, France in 2014.
- Lyon Opera Partner — Provided choreography for the opera *Candide*.
- Martha Graham Dance Company Partner — Created two large-scale works for the company.
- National Endowment for the Arts Government — Public funder supporting Big Dance Theater
- National Theatre, London Partner — Presented choreography for *Here Lies Love*.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Public funder supporting Big Dance Theater in partnership with the City Council
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Public funder supporting Big Dance Theater
- New York University Partner — Collaborates through teaching engagement at the Experimental Theater Wing.
- Old Vic/Dance Umbrella Funder — Commissioned Big Dance Theater works in London.
- Onassis Foundation Funder — Provided commission funding for Big Dance Theater productions.
- PAC NYC Partner — Co-commissioned the performance _The March_.
- Sadlers Wells Company of Elders Partner — Created a large-scale work for the company.
- Saint Paul’s School in New Hampshire Partner — Hosts creative workshops led by Big Dance Theater artists.
- Shunkin Partner — Collaborated across multiple roles including performer, composer, set designer, lighting designer, costume designer, and sound designer.
- Spike Lee Partner — Collaborated on the filming of *American Utopia*.
- Spoleto Festival USA Partner — Co-commissioned the performance _The March_.
- St. Vincent Partner — Collaborated on concert tours and theatrical productions.
+ 13 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.
- Collective Artistic Inquiry for Ensemble Developmentmethodology: collective_artistic_inquiryBy using collaborative processes that involve shared choreographic, musical, and visual exploration, the organization develops performances grounded in collective inquiry, because group-based artistic investigation strengthens ensemble cohesion and produces multi-layered storytelling.
- Contemporary Reinterpretation of Canonical Worksmethodology: contemporary_reinterpretationBy reimagining classical and literary material through dance-theater adaptation and choreographic reworking, the organization makes canonical texts accessible and relevant to modern audiences, because using movement as metaphor recontextualizes narrative meaning and fosters new interpretive dimensions.
- Interdisciplinary Synthesis as Creative Innovationmethodology: interdisciplinary_synthesisBy integrating dance, theater, music, text, and visual design through collaborative remixing and synthesis, the organization creates original performance works that transcend traditional genre boundaries, because combining incongruent artistic forms generates novel expressive possibilities and deeper audience engagement.