If anyone but children in the Towson community wanted to take a dance class taught by the professionals at TU, they were out of luck.

But a new modern dance company, Deep Vision Dance, has started collaborating with the dance department’s Community Dance program to provide dance lessons to the greater Towson community.

Artistic Director of Deep Vision Dance and part-time faculty member Nicole Martinell said that with the transition, the community can expect more classes provided for non-dance majors and other adults in the area.

“We’ve noticed that there’s dance in the area, but there’s not a lot for adults,” Martinell said.

Deep Vision Dance is a modern-style company that has a three-part mission, according to Martinell.

“The first part is to create a home for artists, particularly dancers. The second part of our mission is to create environments that foster collaborations. And the third part of our mission is to engage the community in the creative process,” she said. “Deep Vision’s work takes the audience on an emotional ride, and I think it really evokes curiosity and helps them question the inner self.”

The company has previously partnered with the University. As part of that collaboration, Martinell teaches an advanced modern class Friday nights and runs an improvisation jam once a month on Saturdays.

Students from Towson, members of Deep Vision Dance, and members of the community are all welcome to participate.

Sophomore dance major Norah McCrossin said she thinks that the collaboration with Deep Vision Dance is beneficial for the overall improvement of the University’s program.

“Deep Vision Dance is a pivotal aspect in the expansion of dance in the community,” she said. “The company is aiding in the formation of a dance network that expands throughout the community and beyond.”

Towson’s department of dance is also trying to partner with Deep Vision Dance to create internships for students at Towson.

The new classes are expected to start in September. The classes the University plans to offer, ballet, jazz and modern, can be taken on a class-by-class basis, or participants have the opportunity to purchase a class card.

Some students are supportive of the change because making dance more active in the community will help increase interest in the arts.

“I think this is a welcomed change by the community and the University,” McCrossin said. “The arts [are] an integral part of Towson. Expanding the dance program to reach artists of all ages encourages support of the arts and a heightened interest in the Towson University dance program. Dancing promotes people of all abilities to become aware of their bodies and find enjoyment in movement.”

While the program is still in its pilot stage, Martinell said she’s happy to help it grow.

“I feel so lucky. The department has been so warm and encouraging,” she said. “This is a great department and I feel very lucky to be here.”

Deep Vision Dance had its debut concert April 29 and 30. The company will hold another show June 10 and 11 at the Baltimore Theater Projects that will unveil the full “Fractured Spectrum” piece.

Martinell said the venue’s head of multimedia services is doing a video projection for the program.

“We’ll [also] maybe have live music during the intermissions by someone from the improvisation jams,” she said.