REACH: Adaptive Dance for EveryBODY!

Realizing Excellence And Creating Happiness Through Movement.

The New Hampshire Dance Institute believes that dance is for everyBODY. For 40 years, our core mission has been to provide a rich arts experience that is fully inclusive of children of all abilities.

While all NHDI programming is inclusive, REACH is our specialized adaptive dance program. We move away from the idea of “modifying” dance and instead focus on creating movement that is unique and specific to our participants. We don’t focus on what can’t be done—we celebrate everything that can be done.

Adaptive Dance Program

REACH is our extended program of adaptive dance for children with disabilities and special needs. We focus on what can be done, creating movement that is unique and specific to the participants.

What We Do: We partner age-matched peers with children who are neurologically or physically diverse to create and perform unique choreography.
Our Focus: The choreography is a discovered collection of the dancers’ favorite movement that highlights their strengths while cultivating empathy, collaboration, and a sense of community.

The REACH Community Collaborative Team

This team is the heart of our adaptive outreach, offering a dedicated space for community members to connect through the joy of movement.

Who: Open to community members, pairing dancers with and without disabilities to create a unified team.
Commitment: The class meets Tuesday evenings from 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM at Trinity Christian School.
The Big Stage: The team performs in our signature Event of the Year at the Redfern Arts Center over Memorial Day weekend—an empowering moment of shared achievement.

Get Involved

We are always welcoming new dancers and partners to the REACH family. If you would like more information or would like to recommend a dancer with disabilities or an accompanying partner, please reach out to us.

Family Testimonial

“Last Spring, my son Kelly (age 23 with Down Syndrome) was fortunate to be a part of NHDI’s new dance initiative, Team REACH. He had a blast dancing on stage with all of his new friends. All of the kids and instructors were so welcoming and kind. We can’t wait for the next show to come around!”

Funded in part by...

All possible with the support of our community partners

Our ability to provide high-quality, accessible programming is made possible by the incredible support of our community and business partners. Thank you for investing in our youth and making the Event of the Year possible.