Lineage Dance Brings Strength, Grace to Breast Cancer Survivors

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Author: Teresa Eilers

In recognition that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Lineage Dance Company presented their Healing Blue: Dancing for a Cure performance this past weekend. The evening raised funds for two of the nation’s most prominent breast cancer awareness organizations.

Lineage Dance is a contemporary dance company that raises support for nonprofit organizations. In its Healing Blue show, the company danced in front of a background of video clips that told the story of breast cancer survivors. They moved in sync with music and spoken word performances by breast cancer patients.

The studio in Old Town Pasadena was adorned with large prints of breast cancer survivors proudly baring their chests and embracing their scars.

These photographs are a part of ONE in Eight’s traveling exhibit that hopes to educate the public about the challenges ahead for the one in eight American women who have breast cancer, while simultaneously encouraging women with breast cancer to stand proudly with their scarred breasts.

ONE in Eight is one of two organizations where Lineage Dance Company donated their proceeds. The other is “From an Arm’s Length,” a documentary based on a series of photographs by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Annie Wells, in which she traces her own journey with breast cancer.

The documentary has yet to be completed, hence Lineage’s donations in order to finish the production. The film also inspired one of Lineage Dances’ nine performances.

In addition to the event working to raise awareness of breast cancer, the dancing itself was inspiring. The dancers gracefully moved their bodies in symbolic gestures while lying on the ground, jumping through the air or balancing on top of fellow dancers. The five dancers’ presences on stage were empowering – turning unfathomable human contortions into graceful realities. The dances brought attention to the endurance of the human body, in both dance and health.

The dancers incorporated a series of moves that required impressive strength, high technical skill and creativity. It was rare when two or more dancers moved in sync, and if they did it was to make certain ideas explicit.

Multiple dancers reached their arms into the air in longing, accompanied by complex footwork, while a voiceover detailed the pain a mother experiences after losing her young daughter to breast cancer.

For audience members, Lineage Dances’ performance was a treat to watch. Its viewers experienced a whirlwind of emotions while watching an excellent production. Enhancing an already entertaining evening, the event benefited a deserving cause.

It is inspiring when individuals find ways to mold their crafts in ways that benefit the community at large. This blending of art and awareness celebrated the human spirit, specifically the growing community of support for women with breast cancer.

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