Founded by artists in 1978, the mission of On the Boards is to introduce audiences to international innovators in contemporary dance, theater and music while developing and presenting new work by Northwest performing artists.

Since its inception, OtB has featured artists who have redefined theater, dance and music all before they became household names. This has included legends such as Laurie Anderson, Bill T. Jones, The Wooster Group, Sankai Juku, Romeo Castellucci, Crystal Pite, Mark Morris and zoe|juniper.

Founded as a program of Seattle Center in 2004