The Year-Long Program is our flagship experience, bringing weekly dance instruction to our Partner schools’ children during their academic day. Through the joy of dance and the energy of live music, students directly experience the value of discipline, concentration, and collaboration.
Class is led by professionally trained NHDI Teaching Artists accompanied by highly skilled musicians. With perseverance, confidence gained, and newfound skills, in full costume and accompanied by a professional live orchestra, dancers present their work alongside regional peers in a full theatrical production on the main stage at the historic Colonial Theatre at Keene State College each May. In its 40th year, this program continues to thrive in fourteen schools throughout the Monadnock Region.
To learn more about becoming a Partner School and opportunities to bring a Year-Long Program to your school, please send inquiry to nhdi@nhdi.org
Taught by professionally trained NHDI Teaching Artists, accompanied by a highly skilled pianist and or percussionist.
Directly teaches discipline, concentration, and teamwork.
Learning new moves and performing together builds confidence and a sense of community that carries into every part of life.
Normalizing mistakes and risk-taking.
Each school year, the Year-Long Program centers on a unique curricular theme that serves as a springboard for exploration and discovery, specifically designed for students in grades 3 through 8.
Past themes have been linked to academic subjects such as:
The water cycle
The wonders of the world
Geography
History
Children’s literature
Pollinators
This thematic structure ensures that dance is a creative, engaging component of the students’ overall education.
The program culminates with the joyous annual Event of the Year performances over Memorial Day Weekend at the Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College.
The Performance Experience
For 40 years, the professional stage at the Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College has been the cornerstone of NHDI’s commitment to giving every child an exceptional experience. Each Event of the Year is an original theatrical production, written and directed by NHDI Executive Artistic Director Kristen Leach with music arranged and conducted by longtime Music Director Peter Mansfield, accompanied by a professional live orchestra.
Every child deserves to dance. We offer financial assistance to ensure that cost is never a barrier to access.
Application Deadline: The Financial Assistance Application must be completed by October 31st to be considered.
Confidentiality: All information you provide on the Financial Assistance Application is strictly confidential.
If you have questions about the NHDI Year-Long Program at your school, you may contact the School Coordinator directly (listed below), or contact the NHDI Office at nhdi@nhdi.org.
| School | Coordinator Contact |
|---|---|
| Chesterfield School | Contact the NHDI Office |
| Great Brook Middle School | Siobhan Leclerc — sleclerc@conval.edu |
| Marlborough Elementary | Michaela Hayston — mhayston@sau29.org |
| Mountain Shadows School | Anna Petrova — apetrova@antioch.edu |
| South Meadow School | Lydia Price — lprice@conval.edu |
| St. Joseph Regional School | Andrea Wright — wrightortizfamily@gmail.com |
| Wells Memorial School | Kate Washburn — kwashburn@sau29.org |
| Westmoreland School | Jessica Arrow — jarrow@sau29.org |
| Winchester School | Sheena Bushee — sbushee@wnhsd.org |
