2026 Global Resident Choreographers Report

The 2026 Global Resident Choreographers Report is the seventh annual report examining resident choreographers at dance companies, and the third report on companies worldwide. The report examines 300 U.S. and 170 international dance companies, for a total of 470 companies, adding 30 companies to those analyzed in 2025. For this seventh edition, DDP has included the newly expanded Largest 150 U.S. Contemporary and Modern Dance Companies. 

DDP identified 161 companies employing a total of 249 resident choreographers in 2026. Of these 249 resident choreographers, 120 are women (48.2%), 126 are men (50.6%), and 3 are gender expansive individuals (1.2%). From 2021 to 2026, there has been a consistent, gradual increase in the representation of female resident choreographers. In 2025, women accounted for 44.6% of resident choreographers. In 2024, 43.7%, in 2023, 36.2% , in 2022, 31.6%, and in 2021, 28.6%. 

Among the 170 sampled companies located outside of the U.S., DDP identified 37 ballet companies and 14 contemporary and modern dance companies with resident choreographers. Within the ballet sector, 29.7% of resident choreographers were women, an increase from 23.8% in 2025. Within the contemporary and modern dance sector, 40.0% of resident choreographers were women; this is a notable decrease compared to 2025, where 57.1% were women. The general trend towards gender parity of resident choreographers is concentrated in the United States.

Based on available FY 2024 data, DDP sourced compensation information for 55 resident choreographers within the United States. The average compensation of the 55 resident choreographers is $74,498 (range $2,000 – $378,409). The median compensation is $59,052. DDP identified 19 male resident choreographers with an average compensation of $99,849 and a median compensation of $64,480. There are 35 female resident choreographers with an average compensation of $57,436 and a median compensation of $57,500. 

In the analysis of partnerships between artistic directors and resident choreographers (including those with additional roles), all-male and all-female director-choreographer configurations increased, but collaborations with female resident choreographers increased in greater numbers. The most common relationships between artistic directors and resident choreographers in 2026 are male-to-female pairings and female-to-female pairings (24.0% each). This is a reversal from the 2025 report, where the most common pairing was a male artistic director with a male resident choreographer (25.9%). 

The Largest 150 U.S. contemporary and modern dance companies have 20 female and 10 male founding artistic directors who also serve as resident choreographers. This is 1.4x more than the Largest 150 U.S. ballet companies, where there are 14 female and 7 male founding artistic directors who also serve as resident choreographers. No female founding artistic directors who also serve as resident choreographers are identified within the 170 global companies examined.

Figure 1 shows how 2026 marks the most progress for U.S.-based female resident choreographer tenure maintenance. Women resident choreographers equal or outnumber men in every category of position tenure. 57.8% (26) of the resident choreographers in the U.S. who also hold another position with a tenure of 21+ years are women.

FIGURE 1:
U.S. Resident Choreographer Tenure by Gender in 2026