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 “I took into consideration the location, economics, historical references, agriculture, nature, and culture of each region,” said Betty.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.”

On Wednesday, December 7, at 7:00 p.m., New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC) will present ‘Are You Okay’ at The Rex Theatre in Manchester. Created by Anthony Bounphakhom of The Block Collaborative in Portsmouth, ‘Are You Okay’ sheds light on the subject of mental health and the value of self care through hip-hop dance/street styles and dance movement.

“Dance can reveal so much about ourselves and our struggles as people,” said Bounphakhom, who expressed gratitude for the recent sneak preview of the full show that took place on November 17 at The Factory. “I’m appreciative of the support offered by New Hampshire Dance Collaborative and their belief in the power of dance as a way to deepen understanding of one another.”

Whereas the sneak preview revealed just excerpts of ‘Are You Okay,’ the full performance will fully explore the struggles of three main characters as each grapples with personal demons. “The story will take the audience on a fantastic, imaginative adventure through dance movements,” added Bounphakhom. “It’s an adventure you will feel in your body.”

Learning dance on the street and through workshops, Bounphakhom has found widespread success with his choreography featured at venues throughout New England, including The Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston. He is also a featured dancer in the recently released film, Hocus Pocus 2, now streaming on Disney Plus.

According to NHDC Founder Joan Brodsky, her support of Bounphakhom and The Block Collaborative reveals a deeper mission. “I believe that incorporating more dance into our human experience would be a powerful tool in further developing human understanding and tolerance for each-other.,” she said. “My support of Anthony’s work is reflective of my belief that dance is an underappreciated form of human expression in our culture. I hope to change that.”

In addition to serving as narrator for ‘Are You Okay,’ Najee Brown will moderate a discussion after the performance. Brown is founder of Theater For The People, a BIPOC produced touring theater in Eliot, ME.

“I want to help people open their minds and bodies to possibilities only dance can offer,” added Brodsky, who said NHDC’s mission “to make dance a more well understood, accessible and utilized art form.” “We are very grateful that Najee can help us demonstrate the relevance and importance of dance.”

‘Are You Okay’ takes place on Wednesday, December 7, at 7:00 p.m. at The Rex Theatre. Tickets start at $15. Click here to purchase tickets.