Four of the region’s most accomplished modern dance companies are converging this December for an intimate concert that represents far more than a typical recital. The Foothills Dancemakers—bringing together Benita Bike’s DanceArt, Pennington Dance Group, Nancy Evans Dance Theatre, and Lineage Dance—will present their fourth collaborative performance at A Room to Create (ARC) in Pasadena.
The four artistic directors—Benita Bike, John Pennington, Nancy Evans Doede, and Hilary Thomas—collectively represent more than 150 years of professional choreographic practice. The Foothills Dancemakers consortium, founded in 2019, demonstrates an innovative model for how performing arts organizations can survive in an era of significant economic pressures. By pooling resources while maintaining distinct artistic identities, these companies address fundamental questions about artistic sustainability without sacrificing creative vision.
Benita Bike’s DanceArt, now in its 45th season, will present “From Where I Sit” and an excerpt from “Benches.” Pennington Dance Group, founded in 2000 and based at A Room to Create (ARC) in Pasadena, will perform “Goodman Dances,” set to songs by Alexander von Zemlinsky, along with an excerpt from “Ungoverned Spaces.” Nancy Evans Dance Theatre, in its 16th year, will present excerpts from “Charlatan” and “Parallel Universe.” Lineage Dance, celebrating 25 years, will present a new piece from its “Healing Blue” project alongside excerpts from “Rent,” “Cabaret” and “Tick, Tick… Boom!”
The programming reflects each company’s distinctive aesthetic approaches, positioning the concert as a site for artistic risk-taking and innovation within established professional practice.
*Foothills Dancemakers in Concert will run on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. A Room to Create (ARC), 1158 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, California. For more information, call (626) 204-0331 or visit https://www.penningtondancegroup.org/roots-and-branches. Ticket prices: $30 general admission, $25 students and seniors with valid ID.
