Across the Generations

**Elders' and Students' Life Stories Become Original Dance in *Across the Generations***

*The School for Contemporary Dance & Thought's Hatchery young artists, UMass public health students, and Northampton Neighbors members come together for a one-of-a-kind performance to combat loneliness and cultivate connection through ART. Sunday, October 18 at 2 PM in the Workroom Theater at 33 Hawley in Northampton.*

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — What happens when a 20-year-old college student and a 75-year-old neighbor sit down and tell each other the stories of their lives? This fall, the answer takes the stage. *Across the Generations*, an intergenerational performance celebrating creative connections and 10 years of Northampton Neighbors, premieres Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 2:00 PM at The Workroom, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton. 

The performance grew out of the Storytelling Project, a collaboration between Northampton Neighbors, and the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Students in the UMass course *The Epidemic of Loneliness: On Connection, Belonging, and Public Health*, taught by Professor Gloria DiFulvio, are paired one-on-one with members of Northampton Neighbors, the local neighbor-helping-neighbor nonprofit. Over a series of Zoom conversations, the pairs share personal stories, build trust, and discover how much two people from different generations have in common. Their stories are collected in a growing public archive at storyshareumass.org, whose motto is **"Everyone has a story to share."**

Now SCDT's Hatchery Young Artist Project, a program for teen dancers, is transforming those stories into original dances built from the elders' and students' own words. The result brings three generations into one room: the people who lived the stories, the students who listened, and the young artists moving to them. 

**Event Details**

*Across the Generations: An Intergenerational Performance Celebrating 10 Years of Northampton Neighbors* Sunday, October 18, 2026, 2:00 PM The Workroom, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA Tickets: $15–$35 sliding scale. All are welcome. No one turned away for lack of funds. Ticket link 

Hear the stories: storyshareumass.org 

*Across the Generations is supported by the Northampton Arts Council, The Monadnock Foundation, and the Mass Cultural Council.*

**The School for Contemporary Dance & Thought (SCDT)** provides innovative programming for all ages to activate imaginations and facilitate empowerment, transformation, and development through the movement arts. SCDT connects dance practices, performances, and classes with thoughtful public conversation, encouraging and invigorating community engagement. 

**Northampton Neighbors** was founded to provide services and support for older adults in our community. We welcome people of all ages to participate in whatever ways are meaningful to them: to give, to receive, and to feel connected and fulfilled. 

**The UMASS School of Public Health and Health Sciences** is a national leader in finding ways to maximize public health and quality of life. The school addresses complex health issues by integrating traditional core areas of public health with related health science disciplines, fostering a unique environment in which transdisciplinary research collaborations can flourish.