Analyzing entrepreneurial identity and capabilities as determinants for business sustainability in the dance Industry

Abstract

This study explores how entrepreneurial identity and capabilities contribute to the adoption of innovative business practices in the contemporary dance industry, which has faced challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative research interviews with fourteen dance professionals—company owners, studio owners, freelancers, and educators—provided insights into their entrepreneurial behaviors. The research identified five key themes: (1) entrepreneurial identity, (2) capabilities, (3) networks, (4) support structures, and (5) innovation. The pandemic forced dance businesses to find alternative revenue streams, which highlighted a lack of business skills and training as a shortcoming and the need for industry-specific entrepreneurial training programs. As academic research related to the dance industry as a creative business is almost nonexistent in a South African context, this study offers new insights into the industry and reveals that the pandemic pushed dance businesses to operate in new ways of doing business.