Dance is both a personal art form and a shared cultural experience. The statistics below bring together the latest relevant federal and National Endowment for the Arts data available at this update. Each figure links directly to its original source and names the data year.
These are national measures. They do not predict local enrolment or describe every kind of dance participation, but they provide useful context for conversations about dance education, performance, and careers.
Key U.S. dance statistics
52%
of U.S. adults made art in 2022.
The National Endowment for the Arts found that more than half of adults reported some form of art making.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, 202222%
of U.S. adults took part in social dancing in 2022.
Among personal arts activities measured by the NEA, social dancing was the most common.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, 20222.0%
of U.S. adults attended a ballet performance in 2022.
The comparable rate was 3.1% in 2017, showing why the 2022 figure should be read in its post-pandemic context.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts survey, 20223.3%
of U.S. adults attended another type of dance performance in 2022.
The NEA recorded this separately from ballet. The comparable rate was 6.3% in 2017.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts survey, 202243%+
of U.S. adults watched or listened to a livestreamed music, dance, or theatre event in 2022.
Digital access remained a meaningful part of how adults experienced the performing arts.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, 202269%+
watched or listened to an archived online music, dance, or theatre event in 2022.
On-demand performing-arts viewing reached more adults than livestreaming in the same survey.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, 202226%
took an online arts class or lesson, or watched instructional arts videos, in 2022.
The NEA grouped music, dance, theatre, and other art forms in this digital-learning measure.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, 202212,490
dancers and choreographers were employed in the United States in May 2024.
This national estimate covers the combined occupation group reported in the federal wage survey.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024$62,740
was the mean annual wage for dancers and choreographers in May 2024.
This is a national mean, not a starting wage, local rate, or studio-teaching rate.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 20242,200
openings for dancers and choreographers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects overall employment for the combined group to grow 2% over the decade.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025–35 projectionHow to read these figures
Useful context, without false precision.
The participation figures come from national adult surveys. The employment and pay figures describe occupations, not the full range of people who teach, study, volunteer in, or enjoy dance.
For a family considering classes, local fit still comes down to the child, the teacher, and the studio environment. DMSD welcomes families to arrange a free trial class before deciding.
Methodology & sources
Built from primary public data.
This page uses the National Endowment for the Arts’ 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts and its related 2022 General Social Survey analysis, plus U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment, wage, and occupational-projection publications. Figures retain each source’s own definition, geography, and reporting period.
Cite this page
Make attribution easy.
Deborah Messinger School of Dance. “U.S. Dance Statistics: Participation, Work & Learning.” Updated October 5, 2026. https://deborahmessingerschoolofdance.com/dance-statistics
See methodology and original sources →