New Hampshire Dance Collaborative Welcomes Ellen Ahern Smith as New Fellow
Ellen Smith Ahern dancing with Kate Elias. Photo Credit – Sam Kann
The New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC) has selected Ellen Smith Ahern as its newest Fellow in the NH Dance Accelerator program. The selection marks another significant step in NHDC’s mission to make dance and the expressive arts better understood and more accessible to the public.
“I’m filled with gratitude for adding Ellen, with all of her promise to harness dance for social good,” said NHDC Founder Joan Brodsky. “Ellen represents exactly the kind of artist we’re seeking—someone who sees dance not just as performance, but as a practical tool for community building and representation.”
Smith Ahern said she is “thrilled and honored” to be selected as a Fellow. “I’m excited to build relationships with other dance artists and a wider community of audiences throughout the state and the region,” she said. “I’m also excited to be in dialogue with the NHDC team, to have thinking partners and co-conspirators.”
The timing of her fellowship comes as arts funding faces substantial cuts across New Hampshire, making NHDC’s entrepreneurial approach to sustainability increasingly vital. “I’m ready to be creative and innovative together and to think expansively beyond traditional funding methods, so that dance making—and art making in general—continue to be vibrant and accessible in New Hampshire communities,” added Smith Ahern.
In addition to offering financial support through NH Dance Accelerator, Brodsky spends substantial time working behind the proverbial scenes to “deepen relationships that already exist for our Fellows and build other relationships.
“I want to broaden their footprint and increase their impact,” said Brodsky, who noted she is in current discussions with a variety of organizations, including 3S Artspace in Portsmouth and Manchester Boys and Girls Club.“Opportunities arise when you are open to them.”
This openness intrigues Smith Ahern. “I’m curious about new partnerships with collaborators, presenters, and community organizations—who else can I be connecting with through dancemaking?” she said. “How can our work support one another’s?”
According to Brodsky, this community focus and profound commitment to use dance as a tool for representation is why she selected Smith Ahern as a Fellow.
“I was interested in her very socially minded approach,” she explained. “Investing in Ellen will be very generative…She is committed, savvy, and has the potential for significant impact.”
Launched in early 2022, NH Dance Accelerator was initially formed to rapidly accelerate the growth and sustainability of New Hampshire-based dance companies and solo artists. However, it has evolved into something more expansive.
“I see expressive movement as a connector of communities, a bridge between art forms, and a catalyst for social change,” said Brodsky. “Expressive movement—whether in dance or theater—can open minds and provide deeper insight into the human condition.”
Ellen Smith Ahern is a Fellow in NH Dance Accelerator, a program developed by nonprofit New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC). Founded in 2017 by Joan Brodsky, NHDC’s mission is to make dance and the expressive arts better understood and more accessible to the public.
