In 2016, Joan Brodsky founded New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC) to build and nurture what she described as “a nascent dance scene” in New Hampshire.

“When I moved to New Hampshire in 1975, the lack of any substantive dance presence was notable,” she said. “Those of us who danced or wanted to see dance went to Boston or New York for our exposure.”

According to Brodsky, however, dance has potential for growth in the state, especially if  “packaged” as a consumable product. She cited ‘concert dance’ as one example. “Concert dance has the ability to shift perspectives, open minds, and further our ability to empathize with others,” she said.

Dance, however, is often consumed or presented as mere entertainment, like TV’s Dancing with the Stars or You Think You Can Dance. “That’s not the artful, transcendent dance that I’m hoping to cultivate,” she said.

Referring to it as “a universal language,” Brodsky acknowledged that [concert] dance is a form of communication that must be subtly taught in order to be understood, which is part of NHDC’s deeper mission. She said her belief in this deeper mission is why she formed NHDC as a nonprofit organization.

“I want New Hampshire Dance Collaborative to be of service to others and the community,” she said. “Like music or other art forms, dance fulfills needs related to both arts and culture and the humanities.”

Initially, she used NHDC as a vehicle “to cultivate an understanding and appreciation for dance” through collaborations with other cultural, educational, and arts organizations. These collaborations often involved dance as one interpretive element of an event. “I realized that the way to capture people was best done in casual, social settings where the dance was an unexpected addition,” she said.

This realization stemmed from Brodsky’s experience in ArtFront, a pop-up arts event in 2015 she co-founded with several other citizen activists. “We felt that a more progressive, contemporary, and culturally relevant arts scene was missing in our state, so we organized two nights of challenging, timely and beautiful photography, painting, sculpture, and dance,” she said.

As the dancers made their way in and out of the gallery space, they interacted with the art in an improvisational manner. “I witnessed attendees becoming quiet and transfixed by the power of trained human bodies moving with grace and human spirit,” she said.

Looking to the future, Brodsky said her focus has expanded to promote dance’s relevance as “a communication and meaning-making tool.” She cited her current priority as NHDC’s NH Dance Accelerator. Launched in 2022, the purpose of NH Dance Accelerator is to rapidly accelerate the growth and sustainability of New Hampshire-based dance companies and solo artists.

“I’ve seen many dance companies emerge only to fade into obscurity because of the lack of financial support,” she explained.

Currently, NHDC is working with Zackery Betty in the NH Dance Accelerator. Co-founder of NSquared Dance Company in Manchester, Betty has performed throughout the state since his acceptance into the program, which provides financial support, communication expertise, business coaching, strategic planning, and social media promotion.

“Zack and his company are poised for substantial growth in 2023 and beyond,” said Brodsky, who said NHDC plans to accept applications for their second Fellowship this summer.  “We are also exploring ways in which we can align our nonprofit mission with important social causes to enhance the relevance of dance in New Hampshire…It’s an exciting time for NHDC.”

Often viewed as separate entities, the arts and business communities share much in common, a perspective that informs the 39th Annual Arts Awards Gala on Tuesday, May 8 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown.

“We create opportunities for these communities to interact in new and unexpected ways through shared experiences that help develop a common language,” said Tricia Soule, executive director of the New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts (NHBCA), which presents the Gala. “Arts and cultural organizations need to operate like businesses, and businesses can benefit from the creative thinking processes that characterize arts and culture…These two communities can learn and benefit from one another.”

According to Joan Brodsky, founder of New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC), which sponsors the premier performance at this year’ Gala, Soule’s vision is critical for New Hampshire. “I love her ability to embrace creative ways of thinking and move beyond the narrow confines and walls of traditional business,” she said.

“Business as usual,” according to Soule, is no longer—nor has it ever been—sustainable. “The arts can help business, because they shed light on what it means to be human,” she said.

As for how the two organizations initially began to work with one another, Brodsky said Soule saw ArtFront, an immersive art show of which she was one of several organizers. “Tricia saw the dance element that I used to amplify the sculpture in the show and was blown away,” she said. “She called me to see if I could add dance to the Gala event.”

Noting Soule secured the musicians and she found the dancers, Brodsky said their concept for the 2019 Gala “energized the room.” “We had actors and dancers seated with the guests,” she said. “They were all having wonderful conversations, but the guests were unaware that many of the people at their tables were part of a scheduled performance.”

This performance began when actors from theatre KAPOW rose from their seats at the tables and started to recite lines about the power of the arts to the dancers, who were also seated. “These lines inspired the dance artists to begin to move and then the band began to respond,” said Brodsky, who said NHDC has been involved in the Gala ever since. “NHDC believes that dance can illuminate elements of what it means to be human far more powerfully than words.”

As for the purpose behind the Annual Arts Awards Gala, Soule said it honors businesses, individual artists, and arts cultural organizations for positively impacting communities around the Granite State. This year’s theme is built around the idea that business and art deliver the unexpected.

In addition to featuring the creation of improvisational paintings by Lebanon-based Roger Goldenberg alongside live music and dance movement, the event will include a networking reception and seated meal followed by an awards ceremony and full dance performance.

“We are thrilled to work with some of the state’s most talented artists and prestigious arts organizations, including the NHDC, Ballet Misha, Concord Community Music School, and the League of NH Craftsmen,” said Soule.

Brodsky added, “It will be an evening of spontaneous and organic creativity that will literally move everyone in attendance.”

To learn more about NHBCA, or purchase tickets, visit nhbca.com.

Sponsored by New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC) and presented by New Hampshire Humanities, The Shire takes place on Friday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Lebanon Opera House. 

Created by Zackery Betty, co-founder of NSquared Dance Company in Manchester, The Shire is a bioregional exploration of the state of New Hampshire through the lenses of location, economics, historical references, agriculture, nature, and the region’s culture.

“The performance represents the culmination of 10 days of site visits across the state,” explained Betty, who noted the concept of “shires” is expandable for future use. “Although they represent the 7 distinct regions I visited in New Hampshire, they can be interpreted as environmental, scientific, politics, or cultural—there is room for growth.”

According to NHDC Founder Joan Brodsky, “room for growth” also applies to the role of dance in New Hampshire.

“Dance represents a universal language that deepens our understanding of each other and our shared world,” she said.

This message, however, must be “curated” for broader audiences, which underscores NHDC’s Excerpts and Investigation (E&I) series. Providing a brief preview of a show’s first full performance followed by a moderated discussion with the choreographer and dancers, each E&I is designed to help broader audiences develop their ability to interpret dance.

“Often for the public, dance can seem mysterious or intimidating, but it does not need to be that way,” said Brodsky. “E&I can help lift that veil of mystery.”

An E&I was held for The Shire in September 2022 at The Factory on Willow in Manchester followed by a full performance in October 2022 at The Rex Theatre in Manchester.

According to Brodsky, promoting The Shire and NSquared Dance statewide is “a big part” of NHDC’s current focus through its NH Dance Accelerator program. Launched in 2022, NH Dance Accelerator is designed to rapidly accelerate the growth and sustainability of New Hampshire-based dance companies and solo artists. NSquared Dance Co-Founder Zackery Betty is NH Dance Accelerator’s first Fellow.

“It is our goal to promote him and NSquared Dance throughout New Hampshire while educating audiences as to the inherent power and relevance of dance,” said Brodsky. “We are thrilled to work with New Hampshire Humanities to promote this together and develop relationships with new partners like Lebanon Opera House.”

The Shire takes place on Friday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Lebanon Opera House. General admission tickets are $30 and $18 for students. Tickets may be purchased at lebanonoperahouse.org.

In 2022, nonprofit New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC) launched NH Dance Accelerator, a program designed to rapidly accelerate the growth and sustainability of New Hampshire-based dance companies and solo artists. The program, according to NHDC Founder Joan Brodsky, is starting to take hold in the state and beyond.

“Our first Fellow, Zackery Betty of NSquared Dance in Manchester, is quite busy right now with a number of upcoming performances,” she said.

These performances include Synergy, presented byBoSoma Dance and NSquared Dance, on April 1 and April 2 in Beverly, MA followed by Betty’s The Shire on April 21 at Lebanon Opera House.

Previously performed at several venues, including The Rex Theatre in Manchester, The Shire is the result of Betty’s bioregional exploration of New Hampshire’s 7 regions. “I took into consideration the location, economics, historical references, agriculture, nature, and culture of each region,” said Betty. “I then transposed my experiences through a concert dance work that assimilates movement based upon improvisations done throughout spaces and places in these regions.”

Noting she is helping Betty make connections with new theaters and organizations, Brodsky said another aspect of NH Dance Accelerator is advocacy for dance’s importance and relevance in broader contexts. She noted these broader contexts include “the state of the current world” and what she believes can be the role of dance to help improve it.

“Dance is a form of expression that has enabled humans throughout evolution to build and maintain social bonds and cooperation,” she said. “This kind of expression is especially needed in these dark and complex times.”

Referring to it as “a universal language,” Brodsky acknowledged that dance is a form of communication that must be taught in order to be understood, which is part of NHDC’s deeper mission.

“We have been taught to dismiss our bodies as ‘less than’ our minds, which even science is now discovering is false,” she said. “The body knows and can express so much more than our brains can articulate in words.”

In looking to the future of NH Dance Accelerator, Brodsky said she and the NHDC team are working on formalizing the process by which Fellows are evaluated and selected for the program. Once selected as Fellows, NHDC invests up to $10,000 to accelerate their growth and sustainability.

This investment includes covering the cost of theater rentals, payment(s) for dancers, and additional expenditures related to performances. Financial support also includes the indirect costs of the NH Dance Accelerator team, which provides communication expertise, business coaching, strategic planning, and social media promotion.

“We will work with dance companies and solo artists who have viable products but require assistance on the business side of their craft,” said Brodsky. “With strategic support of selected Fellows, we believe we can transform the public’s appreciation and understanding of dance and its potential to heal and deepen our understanding of one another.”

Founded in 2017, NHDC’s mission is “to present and develop dance as an accessible and utilized art form to deepen our understanding of each other and our shared world.”