South End · Boston, Massachusetts
Urbanity Dance
South End nonprofit contemporary dance company and school founded by Betsi Graves. Three South End facilities (725 Harrison Ave, 1180 Washington St HQ, 111 W. Concord St Balance studio) covering children, teens and adults with sliding-scale community access.
- Contemporary
- Children's Dance
How Urbanity Dance comes across
Urbanity Dance comes across as a school built outward from a social conviction rather than a studio that added outreach later. Its mission states plainly that "dance belongs to everyone — not just those who can afford it," and the structure backs the claim: three interconnected pillars of Community, School, and Company, founded by Director Betsi Graves in 2011. The community work reads as unusually substantive — free "Movement Meets" classes developed with Dana-Farber, McLean, and Spaulding for people facing cancer, stroke, addiction, or homelessness, plus Dance with Parkinson's and an "Access for All" fund covering up to full tuition. The school itself serves "over 500 students of all ages," promising to "teach to the whole dancer." Its professional company carries real credentials, with "Best of Boston" recognition and appearances at Jacob's Pillow and the ICA. The impression is of a contemporary, breadth-minded organization where craft and access are genuinely intertwined — welcoming to a first-time toddler or adult, ambitious for the serious.
An editor's impression, drawn from the school's own website and public materials, 13 June 2026. Not a review — if it misses the mark, the school or a parent can tell us via the form below.
About the school
Urbanity Dance is a Boston nonprofit arts organization founded by Director Betsi Graves with the mission of bringing contemporary dance to the forefront of Boston's cultural landscape, providing affordable and accessible dance training, and using dance to foster bodily autonomy and creativity. The organization operates three South End facilities: 725 Harrison Avenue (Unit 100), 1180 Washington Street (Urbanity HQ), and The Balance studio at 111 W. Concord Street. Programming runs across children, teens, adults, professional company, school-residency outreach, and a school for younger performers.
At a glance
- Address
- 725 Harrison Ave Unit 100, Boston, MA 02118
- Suburb
- South End
- City
- Boston
- State
- Massachusetts
- Age range
- 3+ years
- Disciplines
- Contemporary, Modern, Ballet, Hip-Hop
- Approach
- Both
- Price band
- Budget
What stands out
- i.Founded by Betsi Graves — Boston's South End contemporary anchor
- ii.Three South End studio facilities
- iii.Sliding-scale access mission