Leadership
In 2015, there were 331-registered professional dance companies in the United States
(DanceUSA.org), and from the Top 50 Dance Companies, only 21% were led by Women.
Leadership
In 2022, within the largest 50 Ballet and Classically based companies in the U.S. 34% of these companies were led by Women artistically. Globally, there were 168 classically based companies, and 29% of the artistic directors were women.
Leadership
The Dance Data Project® 2026 Global Leadership Report found that among 215 large ballet and classically based companies worldwide, women hold just 30.7% of artistic director positions, compared to 68.8% held by men.
Equity
"In 2016, women earned 73 cents for every dollar men earned in the combined Executive/Artistic Director positions." (Dance Data Project®, 2019)
Equity
Pay equity improved among the artistic directors of the Largest 50 companies in FY2024; Female artistic directors earned 2 cents less per dollar than their male counterparts. (Dance Data Project®)
Equity
Pay equity among the executive directors of the Largest 50 companies noticeably decreased. Women earned 11 cents less per dollar compared to their male counterparts in FY2024 (Dance Data Project®, 2025)
Choreography
Female choreographers' work tends to be under-represented by major venues including Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) that presented only 3 works by female choreographers in their fall 2017 season. In the 2018 - 2019 Joyce theater's season only 8 works (out of 19) by female choreographers.
Choreography
In the 2021 - 2022 report by Dance Data Project® :Among the Largest 150 ballet & classically influenced companies, 29% of works were choreographed by women. Only 12% of works comprising an entire evening, either mixed bill or
full-length, were choreographed by women.
Choreography
Sadler’s Wells in the U.K presented 10 female choreographers’ work and 20 male choreographers’ work in 2018 - 2019 season
