GENDER DISPARITIES IN DANCE LEADERSHIP: DDP’S FOURTH GLOBAL REPORT FINDS 70% OF ARTISTIC DIRECTORS AT CLASSICALLY BASED COMPANIES ACROSS 61 COUNTRIES ARE MEN

Northfield, IL | April 1, 2025 | Dance Data Project® (DDP) has released its fourth annual report analyzing gender distribution among leadership at ballet and classically based companies worldwide. This year’s study expands upon previous findings by incorporating data on music directors and principal conductors for the first time, as well as providing a comprehensive analysis of artistic directors by continent. The 2025 report examines 163 companies from 61 countries alongside the Largest 50 U.S. companies, bringing the total sample size to 213 companies. DDP President and Founder Elizabeth ‘Liza’ Yntema noted, “Despite having almost no outside funding, DDP has produced an impressive 59 reports—43 full reports and 16 Data Bytes—in just six years. As we carefully expand our global footprint, we remain committed to providing the data and analysis needed to drive meaningful change in the dance industry worldwide.”

The report identifies that of the 217 artistic directors leading classically based dance companies in the U.S. and internationally, 65 (30.0%) are women, while 152 (70.0%) are men. Comparatively, in 2024, 29% of artistic directors were women and 71% were men, demonstrating little change over the past year. Europe has the highest number of female artistic directors, with 26 women in leadership roles. South America has the highest proportion of women artistic directors, where 55.6% (5 out of 9) of artistic directors are women.

Among the 11 largest ballet companies, globally, those with more than 100 dancers, only 3 (27.3%) are led by women, while 8 (72.7%) are led by men. This marks a slight decline from 2024, where 4 of 12 such companies (33%) were led by women. Women are more likely to hold leadership positions at smaller companies, with 35.8% of companies with 24 or fewer dancers led by women. Additionally, 1.9% of these companies have co-artistic directors of different genders. DDP Archivist and Researcher Bailey Walker said, “The decline from 33% in 2024 highlights a persistent lack of gender equity at the top. While there is progress in smaller companies, larger institutions with bigger budgets and more clout remain overwhelmingly led by men.”

Women currently hold 60.9% of head of school positions, 49.2% of executive director roles, 46.2% of assistant/associate artistic director roles, 32.3% of artistic director positions at second companies, and 57.9% of rehearsal director roles. Of note: The percentage of female heads of schools has steadily declined, from 71% in 2023 to 70% in 2024 and now to 60.9% in 2025, indicating a shift toward male leadership in a position traditionally held by women. “The decline in women serving as heads of schools is worth investigating,” said DDP Research Lead Jenna Magrath. She continued, “Head of School has historically been one of the few leadership roles open to women, but we are now witnessing a trend toward men taking over this role. This change raises important questions about compensation, prestige, and the roles that are considered essential stepping stones to becoming an artistic director.”

For the first time, the report includes data on music directors and principal conductors, revealing that only 12.5% of these positions are held by women, compared to 87.5% by men. “The inclusion of music directors and principal conductors in this year’s report is a significant step in our effort to provide a fuller picture of gender equity in dance company leadership,” said DDP President and Founder Elizabeth ‘Liza’ Yntema. She continued, “Our findings show that women hold 12.5% of these critical roles globally, underscoring the persistent gender imbalance not just among artistic directors, but across the entire leadership structure of classical dance. This mirrors the classical music world, where women still face significant barriers to being considered for positions like head conductor or orchestra leader. However, the key difference in the United States is that there are specific leadership and mentorship programs in music designed to advance women and candidates of color—something largely absent in the dance field.”

The 2025 Global Leadership Report is now available for download on the Dance Data Project® Research Page.