Danceast Collective
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To cultivate a community of students, artists, and audiences by offering high-quality and accessible dance education, creation, performance, and engagement opportunities.
- Income
- $334,000
- Spending
- $333,352
- Spent on programs
- 59%
- Reserves
- 0 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 89%
- Employees
- 14
- Highest pay
- $45,000, education director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 42 out of 100. Higher than 11% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.0 months of spending.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1559% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- Dance for Every Body. DancEast Collective is committed to making dance accessible to students, artists, and audiences. The Dance for Every Body project was centered around the portion of our mission that seeks to offer highly-accessible, community-based dance programs. While a project focused on offering free dance instruction to pretty much anyone interested in moving their body may on the surface appear to be about dance education (and it is for sure), this project was just as much about exposure to the art of dance and building an appreciation for that art. The impact of the project is in the cultivation of love for the art of dance and the fact that we were able to offer the experience of dancing together as a community to many individuals - ranging from those with a fairly significant amount of dance education/experience to those who had never even stepped foot into a dance class before. DancEast has been offering and promoting dance education, artistry, and outreach throughout the Nashville community for more than a decade. Funding from the Metro Nashville Arts Commission - via a grant for $16,400 - allowed us to expand our reach in very exciting ways in FY25. Additional revenue is donations from community members and businesses. DancEast was founded with the intention of creating a space where anyone could dance in a positive and non-competitive environment, regardless of their background, body type, or socioeconomic level. This project moved us forward in pursuit of that goal.
- DancEast Collective Youth. We were highly successful in achieving the goals for our youth programming in FY25. DancEast Collective served 63 youth between the ages of 8 and 18 in the DancEast Studio. We served an additional 28 youth in that age range in Metro Nashville Public Schools. The DancEast Collective Youth program was offered to 22 youth between the ages of 8 and 18 at no cost. An additional 12 students in that age range received dance instruction at a significantly reduced cost, and one 7-year-old did, as well. 20 youth in Metro Nashville Public Schools received dance instruction at no cost to them, and an additional 8 students in MNPS received instruction at a significantly reduced cost. 29.6% of the total 91 students served are BIPoC. While we contracted with 8, rather than the projected 14, teaching artists, we did surpass the goal of half of them identifying as BIPoC or LGBTQIA+ (75%). We paid them on average $60/hour, surpassing the goal of $50/hour. We met our goal of offering 2 youth dance performances for the community, surpassing our goal of 20 youth and 40 adults for the free show in December and also surpassing our goal of 20 free tickets given out for the April show. Revenue is from payments for youth dance lessons, ticket sales, and contracts with Metro Nashville Public Schools to provide after school dance programs. The grant was $1,600 from the Capezio Foundation.
- DancEast Company. Being able to pay competitive wages to dancers is an incredibly important part of our mission. The fact that 3 of the 6 dancers in the company are Latine (1 born in Cuba and another in Mexico) is something of which we are quite proud. We hear from audiences that they are moved by the diversity of the company and the ingenuity of the movement they represent. A member of the audience at the free performance in the gallery at the downtown Nashville Public Library stated "I see collaboration. I see reaction. I see consciousness." He just happened into the performance but was moved to sit down and stay for the entirety of it. That single interaction was so perfectly representative of what we are trying to do by offering dance in unexpected places for anyone and everyone to experience and enjoy. This project was made possible in part by an Arts Project grant in the amount of $8,800 from the TN Arts Commission. Revenue is from ticket sales and payment for adults to take dance lessons.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 2021.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.