Tens of thousands of students worldwide have been forced to start learning online, and online learning has never been more compelling. Understanding the effectiveness and satisfaction of online learning has become crucial. Previously, researchers have explored many determinants of online learning, but so far, only a few have focused exclusively on the field of higher education in dance. Therefore, this study delved into the satisfaction derived from online dance learning by employing the stimulus-organism-response framework, social learning theory, and constructivism theory. The aim was to examine how the effectiveness of online learning and the characteristics of online systems influence satisfaction in dance online learning. Data collection took place from January 1, 2023, to January 31, 2023, with university students majoring in dance participating as respondents in China. The analysis utilized structural equation modeling for data interpretation. The results reveal that the organism (students online learning effectiveness and the online system characteristics) directly impacted students' satisfaction with online education. While changes in four stimulus factors (learning experiences; instructor's inspiration; learning hindrance; quality of technology) indirectly impact online learning satisfaction. Our research enriches the exploration of students' satisfaction factors in dance higher online education, thus filling the research gap in related fields, intending to guide relevant practitioners in the future.