Dance Nation by Clare Barron at Bank of NH Stage

Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen, competitive dancers plots to unleash their POWER and take over the world. But in this unapologetically candid portrayal of the mysteries of adolescence, these young dancers have more than choreography on their minds. Each pli and jet puts them one step further from childhood and one step closer to discovering their own identities, amidst a raucous pageant of ferocious ambition. With all parts played by adult actors of middle age and beyond, focus is drawn to the memory of the body and the memories that live in the body. A refreshingly unorthodox play, Clare Barrons Dance Nation conveys the joy and abandon of dancing, alongside the changes to body and mind of its preteen characters as they peer over the precipice toward adulthood. 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist // Winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the Relentless Award