NH Dance Accelerator
The New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC) is dedicated to empowering the state’s dance and performing arts community through innovative grants and programs that cultivate sustainability, creativity, and connection. At the heart of NHDC’s work is the NH Dance Accelerator, a transformative program designed to mentor and support both organizations and solo artists. By adapting the business accelerator model, NHDC identifies promising talent and equips them with the tools and resources necessary to become enduring cultural institutions that enrich New Hampshire’s communities.
How does it work?
The NH Dance Accelerator is more than a program—it’s a catalyst for change. Selected Fellows—individual artists and organizations recognized for their vision, creativity, and readiness for growth—receive financial support, mentorship, and tailored training in nonprofit development. From strategic planning and board development to grant writing, corporate sponsorships, and website optimization, Fellows gain essential skills to navigate the challenges of the arts landscape. NHDC’s unique approach emphasizes entrepreneurial thinking, with a focus on earned income strategies that foster financial resilience in a state where government arts funding is limited.
What is your focus in 2025?
This year, the NH Dance Accelerator emphasizes strategic capacity-building for its Fellows. Through programs like “The Art of Gratitude,” Fellows learn how to meaningfully engage donors, volunteers, and community supporters, cultivating the connections necessary for sustained impact. NHDC also facilitates deep-dive dialogues and informal audits to align each Fellow’s mission and vision with actionable goals. By the end of the accelerator, participants emerge with foundational assets: a strategic plan, updated website, grant proposals, sponsorship packages, and the infrastructure for long-term success.
At NHDC, we believe in the power of dance and performing arts to inspire, connect, and transform lives. Through the Accelerator, we are building a vibrant future where New Hampshire’s artists and organizations thrive as cornerstones of our cultural landscape.
Our Fellows
Nathan and Elyssa Moyer, Co-Founders of Lila Productions
Lila Productions
24/25 Fellow
“We want to provide a space where dancers could collaborate together and create professional work to showcase to our community,” said Nathan Moyer, who co-founded Lila Productions with wife Elyssa.
“We are excited to work with the NHDC team because of the professional expertise and financial support that they offer,” added Elyssa. “Producing dance and maintaining an authentic artistic vision, while also operating as a sustainable business, is extremely challenging.”
Matt Cahoon, Artistic Director and co-founder of theatre KAPOW
Carey Cahoon, theatre KAPOW’s Managing Director and co-founder
theatre KAPOW
24/25 Senior Fellow
Founded in 2008, theatre KAPOW puts stories on stage to create a safe space for conversations that can begin to heal communities, families, and hearts. Based in Manchester, NH, theatre KAPOW explores “the truths of human experience through the passion and electricity of live theater.
“This collaboration with NHDC provides us with the opportunity to assess what we have been doing and how,” remarked Matt Cahoon, Artistic Director and co-founder of theatre KAPOW. “Through this partnership, we hope to strengthen our ability to collaborate with like-minded creators and our administrative capacity.”
Zackery Betty
NSquared Dance
NSquared Dance Company
22/23 Fellow
First fellow Zackery Betty (co-founder of NSquared Dance), has built a dance organization with name recognition and a clear and creative mission. He simply needed a welcoming and supportive environment in which to thrive and the opportunities to share his craft.
NH Dance Accelerator News
NSquared Dance Becomes 501(c)3
NSquared Dance has become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization—a major milestone that strengthens their legitimacy, opens doors to new funding opportunities, and supports their long-term sustainability as a vital part of New Hampshire’s dance community.
Keep Up With NHDC