recap by Alaina Joby,  Grade 9

The Pasadena Public Library hosted the Lineage Dance Company for a performance on February 11, 2017. The Lineage Dance Company is a contemporary dance company dedicated to raising awareness for several non-profit organizations. The piece they performed this Saturday was titled “Ceiling in the Floor” and was about how a couple of high school students – Brandon and Hillary – connected through their similar passion for music and became close friends. Their friendship would have been perfect, had it not been for Brandon’s depression that caused him to get sudden seizures and have suicidal thoughts. After college, he suddenly cut Hillary out of his life and they lived like that for a decade. Brandon had a history of suicide attempts that continued during this ten-year break. Unfortunately, this time, he was successful and left Hillary with only hours and hours of music he had composed for her.

Overall, the performance was excellent. The program was part monologue and part dance and it really anchored the tone of the story. Told from Hillary’s perspective, the narrative stirs great emotion among the audience. Personally, I liked the production for its smooth narration and impressive dance steps. The dancers were well-rehearsed and the moves flowed and synchronized with one another. It was definitely a magnificent way to raise awareness for people with mental disorders and opened a doorway to see how life might change for someone diagnosed with one.

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Photos by Erik Hernandez


For more information about the Lineage Dance Company, visit their website:

http://www.lineagedance.org/company

For information about mental health resources, visit our guide: http://cityofpasadena.libguides.com/webteen/mentalhealth