Connection through the Arts
“Lineage is always cutting edge, when it comes to "critical issues" shows. Musicals are always creatively staged, choreographed and acted. Your Dance for Joy program is ultra important.”
Lineage Patron
About Us
Lineage serves as a hub for artistic connection and creative expression. We offer dance, music, theatre, and interdisciplinary performances alongside classes and outreach programs for people of all ages and abilities. Since our founding, we’ve prioritized accessibility, education, and inclusion — values we share with East West Bank.
Lineage’s 25 year history is that of a dance company that grew into a community cultural hub and performing arts center for Pasadena and the surrounding areas. Founded by Artistic Director Hilary Thomas in 1999, Lineage began as a dedicated group of artists committed to raising funds and awareness for local nonprofits with dance performances, and incorporated into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2007. In 2009, thanks to a connection to the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Dance for Parkinson’s program, Lineage’s dancers learned about the power of dance in managing symptoms of neurological challenges like Parkinson’s, and launched a series of free weekly dance classes for neurodiverse adults. The company acquired its first home in Old Town Pasadena in 2010 and began expanding its offerings of performances, community events, and dance education. As the lease in Old Pasadena expired in 2018, Lineage negotiated a long-term lease in a new, much larger, 6,200sf building in Northwest Pasadena–an area identified by residents as under-resourced in arts opportunities. After a year of intensive community outreach that confirmed that our presence was desired, Lineage completed a $650,000 capital campaign which transformed a long-abandoned property into a new community arts hub.
Programs & Impact
Our programs combine artistry with purpose. Lineage is primarily focused on 3 main pillars:
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Performing Arts Education - We provide Teaching Artists in Dance to several Title 1 schools in the Pasadena Unified School District, serving over 350 students each year. These are classes that offer high quality dance education and each of the programs are growing annually. We also sponsor the John Muir Mystics Dance Team, providing space free of charge and hosting their dance concert annually. We teach classes in our facility to all ages in Musical Theatre, Modern Dance, and Acting, serving over 100 students each year.
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Dance for Joy - This is a program unique to Lineage, focused on providing dance, music, and acting classes for people with Parkinson’s, MS, TBI, and stroke. They also appear in many of our Lineage productions. This program is free to all participants and provides creative ways to manage and mitigate the symptoms of neurological conditions. There are 6.5 hours of classes each week, attended by a dedicated community of regular participants.
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Original Productions - We produce 7-8 productions each year, performing for an audience of over 2,000 people. These productions are multidisciplinary works, combining dance, music, and storytelling to illuminate a topic. We also do one book musical each year, but with the Lineage innovation of amplifying the story with dance woven throughout the production to bring out the emotional qualities of each scene or character.
Underpinning all of these programs is our mission to serve our community which we do through making our space available to community groups and other non-profits and through collaborating with or amplifying other performing arts organizations. Together, these programs build bridges across demographics, engage underserved residents, and make Pasadena’s cultural life more vibrant and inclusive.
Programs & Impact
Our programs combine artistry with purpose. Lineage is primarily focused on 3 main pillars:
-
Performing Arts Education - We provide Teaching Artists in Dance to several Title 1 schools in the Pasadena Unified School District, serving over 350 students each year. These are classes that offer high quality dance education and each of the programs are growing annually. We also sponsor the John Muir Mystics Dance Team, providing space free of charge and hosting their dance concert annually. We teach classes in our facility to all ages in Musical Theatre, Modern Dance, and Acting, serving over 100 students each year.
-
Dance for Joy - This is a program unique to Lineage, focused on providing dance, music, and acting classes for people with Parkinson’s, MS, TBI, and stroke. They also appear in many of our Lineage productions. This program is free to all participants and provides creative ways to manage and mitigate the symptoms of neurological conditions. There are 6.5 hours of classes each week, attended by a dedicated community of regular participants.
-
Original Productions - We produce 7-8 productions each year, performing for an audience of over 2,000 people. These productions are multidisciplinary works, combining dance, music, and storytelling to illuminate a topic. We also do one book musical each year, but with the Lineage innovation of amplifying the story with dance woven throughout the production to bring out the emotional qualities of each scene or character.
Underpinning all of these programs is our mission to serve our community which we do through making our space available to community groups and other non-profits and through collaborating with or amplifying other performing arts organizations. Together, these programs build bridges across demographics, engage underserved residents, and make Pasadena’s cultural life more vibrant and inclusive.
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