Nonprofit 路 Central
1812 Productions
A Philadelphia theater company that makes comedy and comic theater about community, history, and people. Besides its shows, it runs training programs and holds auditions.
- Paid
Last seen active: April 2026
Theater, dance and performance in Philly
community theater, improv, ballroom, lion dance
156 groups so far
Narrow these down by cost, days and more
Nonprofit
215 Live Entertainment
A Philadelphia performing arts group that teaches acting, dance, and voice to young people and adults, and stages shows about real social issues.
- Paid
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Northern Liberties
Almanac Projects
A dance, circus and theater company in Philadelphia. It makes shows, offers free Helpful Hints workshops, and runs AlmanAcro, an open acrobatics class on Monday evenings.
- Low cost
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers Company
A Philadelphia modern dance company, founded in 1986 by Anne-Marie Mulgrew, that makes experimental dance theater mixing dance with music, technology and art. It also teaches a free adult yoga class on Tuesday evenings at the Whitman Library.
- Free
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 River Wards
Antigravity Performance Project
An ensemble that makes live, mixed-form performance, with members taking turns leading each new piece. The newest show listed is from 2019 or 2020.
Last active date not known yet
Program
Applied Mechanics
A Philadelphia theater company that builds original immersive plays about social change with its performers and director. It also teaches workshops for theater makers and runs sessions for teams.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
ArcheDream for Humankind
A touring blacklight mask and dance theater company, founded in 2001, that makes shows for all ages, teaches workshops, and runs a summer camp with scholarships.
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Online
ArtPhilly
A Philadelphia arts group of creators across many art forms that puts on a citywide arts festival with projects in venues around the city.
- Low cost
- Kids OK
- Online OK
Last seen active: June 2026
Student group
Arts House Dance Company
Penn's student-run dance company. It performs contemporary, jazz, ballet, tap, and hip-hop in two shows a year, plus guest performances and campus events.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
Asian Arts Initiative
An arts center on Vine Street with a free gallery, exhibitions, performances and community nights. It also runs youth arts programs for middle and high school students, and takes volunteer sign ups and gallery tour requests through forms on its site.
- Low cost
- Kids OK
- Wheelchair accessible
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Azuka Theatre Collective
A Philadelphia theater company that stages productions and develops new plays with writers. Its New Play Development program offers readings, events, and a way to submit scripts.
- Low cost
Last seen active: September 2026
Student group
Ballet at Penn
A ballet group for Penn students at any skill level. It offers free weekly open classes and an audition-based company that rehearses each semester for a show.
- Free
- Students only: Penn
Last seen active: April 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Beacon Theatre Productions
A Philadelphia nonprofit theater company that stages affordable plays to reach new audiences. It holds open auditions for a short play festival made of staged readings.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
The Best Day of My Life So Far
A nonprofit that uses storytelling to ease loneliness and isolation, mostly among older adults. Storytelling groups meet at partner sites, and the group also trains youth and professionals in the same storytelling approach.
- Free
Last seen active: June 2026
Nonprofit
Black Spatial Relics
An arts project that supports emerging and mid-career artists, especially Black artists, with residencies, grants, and gatherings. Much of its work is new performance about slavery, justice, and freedom.
Last seen active: March 2026
Student group
Bloomers Comedy
Penn's sketch comedy troupe. Members write and perform sketches for live stage shows and online videos, with a focus on comedy from underrepresented communities.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Cannonball Festival
A nonprofit that puts on a yearly festival of circus and performance art in Philadelphia, with an open call for performing artists.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
Cardell Dance Projects
A dance group that also goes by Scrap Performance Group, on North Uber Street in Philadelphia. Its website would not load for us, so what it offers is not confirmed.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Chinese Dance Club at Penn (PCDC)
A student dance troupe that learns classical and folk Chinese dance and performs as a group. It runs workshops and auditions each fall and spring semester.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
Circus Forge
A nonprofit working to make intermediate and advanced circus arts easier to reach in Philadelphia. It has hosted community flow arts jams and offers memberships, and flying trapeze classes are taught by a partner business.
- Low cost
Last seen active: August 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
Concert Operetta Theater
A Philadelphia nonprofit that stages operettas in concert form, with no sets or costumes. Its newest dated item is a 2023 show notice, so check before you go.
Last seen active: April 2023
Nonprofit 路 Upper North
Cross Culture Christian Theater
A Philadelphia theater group that stages productions and sells merchandise through its website. The site lists no current events, so check with the group before planning a visit.
Last seen active: December 2023
Nonprofit
Curio Theatre Company
A professional theater company in West Philadelphia that has been staging plays since 2005. It also runs CuriosiTeens!, a free company for local teens.
- Free
- Ages 13 and up
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
Dance Iquail!
An arts group that turns residents' own life stories into dance and percussion work, with a yearly community festival in Mantua and a long-running youth dance program there.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Dance+Movement Grad Lab
A movement group for Penn graduate students. Sessions start with warm-ups and dance training, then move into creative, exploratory movement.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
Dancefusion Inc
A Philadelphia dance nonprofit with a year round school for children and adults, plus a junior company that trains dancers in ballet, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop.
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Program 路 Upper Northwest
Danse4Nia
A Philadelphia dance organization founded in 2006 that runs a youth company for ages 10 to 18, a professional company, and a conservatory with fall and spring sessions.
Last active date not known yet
Network or meetup 路 Central
Directors Gathering
A free network for theatre directors in and around Philadelphia. It holds salons and gatherings, mostly on Zoom with some in person, where directors talk about their craft and try out new work.
- Free
- Online OK
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
District One Community Education Center
The Community Education Center is an arts space on Lancaster Avenue where artists rehearse, teach and perform. It runs dance classes open to the public, a regular open mic and a jazz night, and it rents space to artists and tenant groups.
- Paid
Last seen active: October 2026
Program
Drexel Late Night Series
A free weekly open mic night at Drexel's Creese Commuter Lounge, run by students in Drexel's music industry and arts management programs. Performers sign up for five-minute slots in music, comedy, poetry or monologues.
- Free
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 South
East Passyunk Opera Project (ePOP)
A Philadelphia opera company that brings opera, musical theater and art song into neighborhood venues, with free or low-cost shows and free community concerts.
- Low cost
- Kids OK
Last seen active: June 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
EgoPo Classic Theatre
A Philadelphia theater company that stages its own productions each season. Single tickets, subscriptions and memberships let people see the season's shows, and volunteers help with productions and public events.
- Paid
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
Eleone Dance Theatre
A Philadelphia modern dance company that performs historical and new dance works that explore themes across generations and cultures, with a second company and an arts in education program.
- Paid
- Kids OK
Last seen active: March 2026
Club
Epic Adventurez
A live action roleplay group that plays costumed games with foam gear. Its core event is a Saturday afternoon Capture the Flag game at Clark Park, and it also runs camps and teaches members to craft foam swords and props.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 North
Esperanza Arts Center
The Latino arts and culture center in North Philadelphia. It presents music, dance, theater, film and art from Latin America and the Caribbean, with family and community events.
- Paid
- Kids OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
The Excelano Project
Penn's spoken word and slam poetry group, founded in 2001. Members write and perform poems built on personal stories and help one another find their voice on stage.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower North
Fidget
Fidget Space is an arts space on North Mascher Street where artists rehearse and perform. It hosts evening shows of experimental music, dance and poetry, plus regular meetups for electronic music makers and free discussions.
- Low cost
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
Freaks of the Beat
Penn's breakdance group. Members learn and perform breaking, train at regular practices, and help run an annual jam. Beginners can start with a weekly lesson.
- Students only: Penn
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
FringeArts
A Philadelphia venue for experimental and do-it-yourself performance that also runs the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Members of the public come as audience, take a workshop, or volunteer.
- Paid
- Wheelchair accessible
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 North
Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music
A faith-based music and dance school on West Allegheny Avenue, founded in 1999. It teaches piano, voice, guitar, drums, strings, handbells, and dance to children, teens, and adults, and runs a summer camp for ages 6 to 13.
- Paid
- Kids OK
- Online OK
Last seen active: January 2026
Club 路 Upper Northwest
Germantown Country Dancers
A dance group that holds weekly English country dances, monthly workshops and dances, barn dances, and teen dances, with live bands, callers, and a Colonial performance group.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
Group Motion Multi Media Dance Theater
A dance and movement group that runs open Friday night workshops, retreats and projects. Dancers and non-dancers are both welcome, and the mailing list announces new workshops.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
- Online OK
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Hype Dance Crew at Penn
A co-ed dance crew at Penn that mixes hip hop with jazz funk, contemporary, and other styles. New dancers join through auditions the club announces.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
IllReality, DBA MoveMakers Philly
A hip hop dance school for kids and teens, ages 3 and up, with two studios on Chestnut Street. It teaches hip hop dance and music, runs after school pick up programs, and offers camps, sibling discounts, and financial aid.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: October 2026
Club
Independence Squares
A square dance club for LGBTQ+ dancers in Philadelphia. Members dance modern Western square dance, and you change partners with each tip, so you can come without a partner.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
InterAct Theatre Company
A Philadelphia theater company that develops and stages new and contemporary plays at The Drake, and takes in new scripts from playwrights.
- Paid
- Wheelchair accessible
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
International Ballet Exchange
A Philadelphia ballet group that teaches a free 30-week ballet course in neighborhood public schools and stages story ballets for school and community audiences.
- Low cost
- Kids OK
Last seen active: May 2025
Nonprofit 路 Upper North
International Capoeira Angola Foundation
A Philadelphia nonprofit on the IRS rolls whose name points to capoeira angola, the Afro-Brazilian martial art and dance. Its website did not load, so its classes and events are not confirmed.
Last active date not known yet
Program
Inti Media
A media organization that makes news, films and podcasts with a focus on Black and Latin American communities. Its news sections are in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and community members can pitch story ideas.
- Free
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Jazz Attack
A nonprofit swing dance group that runs a lesson and social dancing every Thursday night, with live jazz on some nights.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Keepers of the Culture
A Philadelphia storytelling group that shares African and African American oral traditions through public programs. The newest listing found is a 2010 library program, so it may no longer be active.
Last seen active: November 2010
Nonprofit 路 Online
Khmer Performing Arts and Culture
A community nonprofit that teaches Khmer (Cambodian) language, dance, and music for free, based at the Preah Buddha Rangsey Temples. It also hosts family events open to the public.
- Free
- Online OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Koresh Dance Company
Dance company based at Rittenhouse Square that also runs a studio with adult and children's classes. Its public work includes performances, outreach, and a school.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper North
Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble
An African dance and drumming group that teaches classes for beginners and experienced dancers and drummers. It also stages public concerts and community events.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: May 2025
Program 路 Lower North
La Guagua 47 Community Arts Project
A multi-year arts residency at Taller Puertorrique帽o that helps neighbors shape La Guagua 47, a bilingual Puerto Rican musical about migration and belonging in Philadelphia. Workshops in storytelling, music, dance and visual art invite neighbors, youth, elders and families, and the group also presents concerts and street performances.
- Free
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble
A Philadelphia tap company, founded in 2011, that makes its own tap work and stages a holiday show each December. It runs a Class Series, a Youth Ensemble for young women ages 9 to 18, and free tap lessons for students at a Philadelphia elementary school.
- Paid
- Kids OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Laos in the House
A nonprofit that uses storytelling and the arts to bring together Lao and Laotian Americans. It has run a summer camp for children that covers Lao music, dance, customs and cooking, keeps a volunteer sign-up form, and invites people to share their own stories.
- Low cost
- Kids OK
Last seen active: August 2025
Student group
Latin and Ballroom Dance (LBD) at Penn
A Penn student dance group for Latin and ballroom dance that takes part in competitions and holds socials. Its page lists a fall 2026 season with a ballroom competition on October 10, 2026.
- Students only: Penn
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
Leah Stein Dance Company
A Philadelphia dance company, founded in 2001, that makes performances blending movement, sound, and place. It runs the Art Room Studio, which hosts workshops, shows, and dance parties open to the public.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
Liberty City Arts
A grassroots opera group in Philadelphia. It offers free vocal training to singers, puts on public opera and cabaret shows, and gives artists chances to perform.
Last seen active: September 2026
Program 路 Lower North
MAAS Building
An arts venue in North Philadelphia that presents the MAAS Presents concert series, public nights such as monthly Jazz Nights, and a summer outdoor Garden Bars series. It also rents rooms for rehearsals and classes and offers no-cost residencies to artists.
- Paid
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
MacGuffin Theatre & Film Company
A nonprofit theater company that teaches classes in acting, musical theatre, comedy and film for children and teens, with camps and after-school programs. It also runs troupes for improv, cabaret and acting, and holds auditions for its productions.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Mamad锚l锚 Foundation
A Philadelphia arts foundation that teaches and performs the music, dance and culture of Bahia, Brazil. Its ensembles perform, it runs adult community classes and youth education programs, and it leads trips to Bahia.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
Mantua Theater Project
A youth theater group in West Philadelphia that helps young people write their own 10 minute plays, then stages them with professional directors and actors in free public performances.
- Free
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 South
Mascher Space Cooperative
A Philadelphia space for dance and performance that hosts artists in residence, offers classes and workshops, and presents shows. Its website shows no dated events since 2023.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
Mauckingbird Theatre Company
A Philadelphia theatre company that stages affordable plays with LGBTQ themes. The site lists A Midsummer Night's Dream, presented with Hedgerow Theatre, as its current show, and actors audition for each show when a call is posted.
- Paid
Last seen active: August 2016
Student group
Mock Trial at Penn
Penn's competitive mock trial team, active since 1996. Members learn courtroom debate and acting, and the team travels to tournaments around the country.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Models@Penn
A Penn student modeling club focused on runway skills and confidence. Members take part in castings, photoshoots, workshops, and fashion shows.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Program
Modero & Co.
A community dance group founded in 2011 that shares Indonesian culture through dance and immersive public events. Its dancers perform at public festivals and community events, sometimes alongside gamelan music.
Last seen active: November 2024
Nonprofit 路 Central
Music Theatre Philly
A nonprofit theater school for ages 2 and up that teaches singing, acting, and dance. It also runs an adult choir, adult dance classes, and productions for students and adults.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
MusiCoLab
A Philadelphia group that helps local writers and composers build new musicals, with showcases and readings that audiences can attend.
Last seen active: August 2025
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
The Naked Stark
A West Philadelphia modern dance company that makes close up, immersive dance shows and teaches movement classes and workshops, including an all-ages creative movement workshop.
- Low cost
- Kids OK
Last seen active: September 2025
Nonprofit 路 West Park
Narberth Community Theatre (NCT)
A community theatre group that stages musicals and plays at Overbrook Presbyterian Church on City Avenue. Members vote on the theatre's business, and volunteers help with ushering, ticket sales, set building and stage crew.
- Low cost
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
New Paradise Laboratories
A theater company, active since 1996, that makes its own performance projects. Its site shows photos and videos of past work and lists no current show on the pages read.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 South
Nichole Canuso Dance Company
A Philadelphia dance company that makes and performs new work, and offers movement workshops for community members, dancers and students.
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit
Ninth Planet
A Philadelphia arts group on the Cultural Fund list. Its site shows only its name, so what it offers is still unknown.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 South
Notsolatin
A performance space and recording studio in Philadelphia that presents artists in an intimate setting. It has shows on Tuesdays and Fridays and Big-Band Sundays, and it was founded in 2018.
- Low cost
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
Obvious Agency
An arts group that posts its events and past projects, and links to a Philadelphia arts workers group. No current event was listed when we checked.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower Northwest
Old Academy Players
A community theater on Indian Queen Lane where every role is filled by an unpaid volunteer, and where crew help is needed for set and tech strike and build sessions.
- Low cost
Last seen active: October 2026
Faith community 路 Upper North
Oxford Presbyterian Church
A Presbyterian church on Stenton Avenue with Sunday worship in person and online, a weekday morning adult program called Literacy ED, and a Wednesday prayer time.
- Faith community: Protestant
- Online OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
Pan-Asian Dance Troupe
A Penn dance group that performs traditional, modern, and fusion dance from across Asia. It runs workshops during the academic year and a yearly production each February.
- Students only: Penn
Last seen active: August 2026
Nonprofit 路 West Park
Pasi贸n y Arte Flamenco
A Philadelphia flamenco dance company that teaches classes and stages shows, festivals and tablao nights. Its fall and winter classes are listed on its own site.
- Paid
Last active date not known yet
Club
Patchwork: A Storytelling Guild
A storytelling guild that puts on public story nights and showcases, with free or pay-what-you-can tickets, at venues that include The Rotunda on Walnut Street.
- Low cost
- Online OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
Penn Dhamaka
An all-male South Asian fusion dance team at Penn that performs Bhangra, Hip-Hop, Bollywood, Kuthu and Raas. It holds a fall show and travels to dance competitions at other East Coast campuses.
- Students only: Penn
Last seen active: August 2025
Student group
Penn K-Beats
Penn's student K-Pop dance group. It performs K-Pop and cover dances on campus and off, and holds an annual show.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Penn Lions
A University of Pennsylvania student lion dance troupe, founded in 2007, with close to 30 student members. It performs and hosts intercollegiate lion dance events.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Penn Masti
A South Asian fusion dance team at Penn with dancers of all genders. Members rehearse fusion routines, perform on campus, and compete.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Penn Singers Light Opera Company
Penn's student musical theatre company. Students put on a full musical each fall and a light opera each spring, with singers, actors, orchestra players and a tech crew.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
PENNaach
Penn dancers who blend South Asian styles into fusion routines. They compete, and each year they hold a February show of pieces they choreograph themselves.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Pennsylvania Players
Penn's student theatre group, open to actors, singers, dancers, musicians, designers and stage crew. Each year it stages a fall musical and a spring drama, and it helps produce a winter one act festival.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Pennsylvania Six-5000 (Penn Six)
Penn's co-ed comedy a cappella group, founded in 1980. It mixes songs from many genres with sketch comedy in its shows.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
Performance Garage
A dance center in a renovated former stable on Brandywine Street. It hosts classes taught by resident companies and instructors, youth and education programs, performances, and a 105-seat theater.
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Online
Philadelphia Chinese Opera Society, Inc.
A nonprofit based in Chinatown that teaches and performs Chinese opera. It has given free and public shows at libraries, museums and festivals.
- Online OK
Last seen active: January 2023
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!)
A professional dance company that performs in Philadelphia, run alongside a dance school for children and adults. The school teaches ballet, modern, jazz, tap and hip hop.
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Philadelphia Dance Theatre
A classical ballet school and performing company in Mount Airy, founded in 1998. Its training runs from preschool through adult classes, and its company dances an annual Nutcracker and a spring new-works show.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Philadelphia Scenic Works
A nonprofit scene shop that builds sets and scenery for arts groups and trains people who want backstage careers. It runs a free High School Tech Theatre Club and free one-day skills workshops for the public.
- Free
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: January 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
The Philadelphia Suns
A volunteer nonprofit in Chinatown that runs youth basketball and volleyball, a lion dance troupe, a tech team, scholarships and college visits.
- Kids OK
Last seen active: February 2026
Nonprofit
Philadelphia Suns Lion Dance
A volunteer-run nonprofit in Chinatown with a lion dance troupe that teaches people of all ages on Sundays and performs at Lunar New Year and other events.
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: February 2026
Nonprofit 路 River Wards
Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival
A two-week festival held in August that shows plays and performances by local women, with a panel, a monologue night, and an industry brunch. Auditions for each festival are posted on its website.
Last seen active: August 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Philadelphia Young Playwrights
A nonprofit that brings playwriting to young people through classes, school programs and a yearly playwriting festival. It also stages showcases and productions of young writers' work.
- Free
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: June 2026
Program
Philadelphia Youth Dance Fest
A festival that brings young dancers together for three days of master classes and a chance to perform. It runs in Philadelphia and in the Lehigh Valley.
- Paid
- Kids OK
Last seen active: February 2026
Student group
Philippine Association (PPA)
A Penn student group that shares Filipino culture with anyone who wants to learn about it, through cultural dance, potlucks, cooking sessions, and social hangouts.
- Students only: Penn
Last seen active: April 2024
Team or league 路 Central
Philly Cheer Elite
An all-volunteer cheerleading team in Philadelphia that uses cheer to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ equality.
- Ages 18 and up
Last active date not known yet
Club 路 South
Philly Dance Share
A volunteer-run dance collective that offers affordable weekly classes for adult dancers at every level.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: October 2026
Program 路 Central
Philly Improv Theater (PHIT)
An improv and acting school in Old City with beginner classes, a longer course, and a monthly Community Night that mixes a short improv show with an open jam.
- Newcomers welcome
- Wheelchair accessible
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
Philly Sensory Theatre
Makes original, inclusive, immersive live theatre for families. Its current show, Quack Quack Philly! A Sensory Musical, follows a duck that gets lost after a river flood and travels across Philadelphia.
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower North
Pig Iron Theatre Company
A Philadelphia theater ensemble that makes new performance work, trains performers at its own school, and rents its studios to other artists.
Last seen active: September 2026
Club 路 Central
Plays & Players Theatre
A membership collective of theatre people at 1714 Delancey Place. It runs public shows, comedy nights, open mics, readings and a gallery, and members produce some of the shows.
- Paid
Last seen active: October 2026
Program
Power Street Theatre Company
A West Philadelphia arts group that runs a free monthly Sunday open mic, a free community happy hour, free bilingual adult acting courses, and a new-play reading series that asks for donations.
- Free
- Newcomers welcome
- Spanish
Last seen active: October 2026
Network or meetup
Practice Space Collective
A theater collective that makes plays, a podcast and performance projects about social and economic change, including stories from Philadelphia schools. It also runs creative workshops and storytelling circles for organizations.
- By invitation
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
Prismatic Arts Ensemble
A Philadelphia classical music group that stages concerts with bold programming, immersive staging, and storytelling.
Last seen active: June 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Project Capoeira, Inc.
A nonprofit that teaches capoeira, a Brazilian style that blends fighting moves, music, dance and acrobatics, to people of all levels. It also runs kids classes, arts programs in schools and libraries, and public events such as Brazilian Day Philadelphia.
- Kids OK
Last seen active: September 2024
Nonprofit
Project Moshen Dance Company
An all-female jazz dance company in Philadelphia that performs two shows a year, visits schools, and teaches master classes at local universities.
Last seen active: April 2019
Nonprofit
Putty Dance Project
A husband and wife team, a dancer and a composer, who make new dance works about social issues, mixing live jazz, projections and jazz dance improvisation.
Last seen active: April 2026
Student group
Quaker Girls Dance Team
Penn's student spirit dance team. It performs at Penn football and basketball halftimes, the Big 5 tournament, and a spring halftime show with the Philadelphia 76ers.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
Queerobics West Philly
A pop-up dance class and performance project led by queer and trans dance artists, disabled people and chronically ill community members. Low-impact and seated versions are offered.
- Low cost
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Quintessence Theatre Group
A theatre company in residence at the Sedgwick Theater in Mt. Airy. It stages a season of plays and runs classes, student matinees and a summer camp.
- Paid
- Wheelchair accessible
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Raas at Penn
A co-ed garba and raas dance team at Penn that performs on campus and competes with other teams around the country.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Program
Rebel Arts Movement
A Philadelphia circus arts and gymnastics studio.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
The Renegade Company
A theater company that makes plays, including a neighborhood play about Kensington that residents create and perform.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
Revolution Shakespeare
A Philadelphia company that puts on Shakespeare in new forms, including adaptations, readings and digital work, with a focus on how audiences hear and learn from the plays.
Last seen active: July 2026
Program 路 Central
Rittenhop
Free outdoor swing dancing every Sunday afternoon in Rittenhouse Square, with jam sessions, jazz events and a holiday party.
- Free
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
Sawubona Creativity Project
A South Philadelphia theatre group that teaches improv, acting and storytelling to adults, kids and teens. It also runs free Sunday improv jams, summer camps and family shows at its theatre space.
- Free
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Scene-N-Action Productions
A nonprofit that runs dance and theater classes for children and adults, plus performance companies. Classes include ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, creative theater, a toddler movement class, and adult dance.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
Shakespeare in Clark Park
A theater company that puts on Shakespeare plays outdoors in Clark Park each summer. Audiences come to the shows, and the company posts job openings for artists on its site.
- Free
Last seen active: July 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
SHARP Dance Company
A modern dance company in Philadelphia that tells stories through movement. Students can take its dance classes or its summer dance intensive, and anyone can see its shows.
- Low cost
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 North Delaware
Shine Arts Alliance
A Philadelphia arts group that works with young artists in performing, visual and media arts. It runs public fundraising events, and its youth arts initiative is listed as coming soon.
- Paid
- Kids OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Program 路 Central
SideQuest Theater
An improv theater near Rittenhouse Square that offers a free intro workshop, eight-week improv classes from beginner to advanced, and its own shows.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
Simply Chaos
A student stand-up comedy group at Penn that puts on its own show each semester and performs at campus events and local venues.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group 路 University City
Society for Creative Anachronism
Penn's student chapter of a volunteer group that recreates crafts, music, dance and combat from before the 1600s. Members practice these skills and show them at events and demonstrations.
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group
Soundworks Tap Factory
Penn's student tap dance group. Members choreograph their own tap shows, mixing rhythm tap with Broadway, hip hop and jazz styles.
- Students only: Penn
Last seen active: April 2026
Program 路 University Southwest
Speakeasy Open Mic at the Kelly Writers House
A monthly open mic at the Kelly Writers House on Penn's campus. Anyone can sign up at the podium for a short slot and read poems, prose, or other short performances.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
The Stagecrafters Theater
A community theater company in Chestnut Hill that stages five shows a season. Anyone can buy tickets, audition, volunteer, or join as a member.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: September 2026
Student group
Stimulus Children's Theatre Company
Penn's student theatre company. It stages shows for young audiences with lessons about friendship, acceptance, and kindness, and it does community service for Philadelphia youth.
- Students only: Penn
Last seen active: August 2026
Student group
Strictly Funk
Penn's student hip-hop and contemporary dance company, founded in 1997. It mixes jazz, lyrical, and funk styles.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
Swim Pony Performing Arts
A Philadelphia theater company that makes immersive and playful devised shows, including interactive work in unusual spaces. Its site lists its shows but no current dates.
Last seen active: October 2017
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
Tangle Movement Arts
An aerial dance theatre company in Philadelphia that makes circus shows and teaches private and small group aerial and trapeze lessons, with a sliding scale on lesson prices.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Tango Therapy Project
A group that teaches adapted Argentine tango to people with Parkinson's, stroke survivors and older adults, and trains volunteers to dance alongside them.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 South
Team Sunshine Performance
A Philadelphia performance group that runs theater and movement workshops for students, a youth series about hope and the future, and internships for city high school seniors.
- Students only
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
Theater of Witness
A testimonial theater group that turns true stories from people whose voices are often overlooked into plays and films, which the storytellers perform themselves.
Last seen active: June 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Theatre Exile
A nonprofit theatre in South Philadelphia that stages new and provocative plays. Its education programs include school residencies and camps, and volunteers and ushers can help at the theatre.
- Paid
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
Theatre in the X
A free theater company in West Philadelphia that stages productions for the African American community and gives chances to playwrights, actors, directors, and behind-the-scenes crew.
- Free
Last seen active: December 2025
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
thINKingDANCE
A collective of dance writers that runs an online journal of dance reviews, interviews and essays. It also takes pitches from outside writers.
- Free
- Online OK
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Far Northeast
Three Aksha
A dance group that teaches and performs Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance style. Its site lists a beginner class and past productions, but the newest dated item is from 2018.
Last seen active: April 2018
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Thursday Night Contra Dance (PATMAD)
A weekly contra dance in Mount Airy run by the nonprofit Philadelphia Area Traditional Music and Dance group, with a beginner lesson before each dance.
- Low cost
- Newcomers welcome
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
Tiny Dynamite
A Philadelphia theatre company that stages one-hour plays for modest ticket prices in small Center City venues. Volunteers can usher at shows and see them for free.
- Low cost
Last seen active: February 2026
Program 路 Lower Southwest
Trinity Kristen School of the Arts
A dance school for kids, teens and adults, with classes in ballet, hip-hop, tap, jazz and modern. The school says no experience is needed to start.
- Paid
- Newcomers welcome
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Club
Troupe Da Da African Dance and Drum Ensemble
A Philadelphia African dance and drum ensemble formed in 1992 that performs and has brought African dance into schools.
Last active date not known yet
Student group
The University of Pennsylvania Glee Club
A long-running performing group at Penn with four sections: choir, pit band, technical crew, and accompanists. It gives three major concerts a year and tours internationally each spring.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
The Unscripted Project
An improv nonprofit that uses improv games to build speaking, teamwork and confidence in young people. It runs free improv workshops in Philadelphia public school classrooms and a free afterschool improv program for high school students.
- Free
- Students only
- Kids OK
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit 路 River Wards
Usiloquy Dance Designs
A Philadelphia nonprofit that teaches Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance, and makes and performs its own dance productions. It offers classes at three levels and workshops for children, families and adults.
- Kids OK
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit
W.O.R.X. (Works of Raphael Xavier)
A nonprofit that brings arts training to young people, with a focus on Breaking, the dance form from hip hop culture. It runs youth programs, often with local schools, and hosts community jams.
- Free
Last seen active: June 2026
Nonprofit 路 West Park
West Park Cultural Center
An arts nonprofit in West Philadelphia that runs after school art, dance, theater and guitar classes for young people, plus summer camps and a yearly outdoor arts festival.
- Kids OK
- Clearances needed
- Background check
Last seen active: June 2026
Student group
West Philly Swingers
Penn's swing dance troupe, which dances Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing. It is part social group and part stage group, and dancers at any level can audition.
- Students only: Penn
Last active date not known yet
Student group
Without a Net
Penn's improv comedy troupe, open to undergraduates. The group performs long and short form improv and puts on a spring comedy run each year.
- Students only: Penn
Last seen active: March 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
Yes! And... Collaborative Arts
A Philadelphia nonprofit that uses performing arts to build confidence, voice and community in children and teens from kindergarten through 12th grade. It runs fall to spring classes, summer camps, and Shadow Company, a year-round youth theater group for high schoolers.
- Paid
- Kids OK
Last active date not known yet
Includes: community theater, improv and comedy, social dancing, dance companies and classes, cultural and folk dance, backstage and front of house, storytelling and spoken word, variety, drag and circus shows.