My understanding is that these a groups of performers. It could also be an opera company, a ballet troupe, or a theater group. Note the range of options in the following examples:

Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Art Museum Guide and Information ...
www.artsamerica.us/miami/index.php
**Resident performing arts groups include Broadway Across America, Florida Grand Opera, Gold Coast Jazz Society, Miami City Ballet, and Symphony of the ...**

Tennessee Performing Arts Center - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_Performing_Arts_Center -
**... the Nashville Opera, and the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, which are all resident performing arts groups of TPAC and provide year-round programming. ...**

Welcome to the Nevada Ballet | Executive Director
www.nevadaballet.com/html/NBT39_ExecutiveDirector.html - Cached
... to facilitate the company's transition to the new Smith Center for the Performing Arts, where **it will be one of two resident performing arts groups. ...**

Catch a Glimpse of Philippine Culture at PhilFest 2011 ...
www.pcfitampa.org/projects-and-events/.../72-philfest-2011?... - Cached
**Our resident performing arts groups (The Philippine Performing Arts Company, The Philippine Choral Group** and our one-of-a-kind Musikong Kawayan Bamboo ...



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Note added at 18 hrs (2011-07-19 18:25:07 GMT)
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It should be 'resident performing arts *companies*'. 'Groups' isn't wrong, but 'companies' is best.