Mental Health Addressed with Collide Theatrical Dance Company Performance

October 30, 2023

Collide Theatrical Dance Company, a non-profit professional dance company dedicated to telling narrative stories through dance and movement, was at CDH on October 30 presenting to our sophomore students.

They presented the musical production Wonderland, a show that aims to de-stigmatize mental health issues. Set in a psychiatric hospital, characters from Alice in Wonderland face challenges, explore what “normal” means, and share an uplifting story of empathy, acceptance, and friendship in the face of mental illness. The story is told using Collide’s signature blend of high-energy dance set to a pop-rock soundtrack.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 20% of youth ages 13–18 live with a mental health condition. In 2021, pediatric health experts and the U.S. Surgeon General publicized a growing mental health crisis among youth and how it has become worse during the Covid-19 pandemic period. Among the recommendations to address this crisis are “programs to promote healthy development and provide avenues for help.”