Dana Lawton Dances (DLD) was founded in 2007 by Bay Area choreographer Dana Lawton. Interested in the ‘human experience and all it encompasses’ Dana creates dances that celebrate social diversity and challenges ageism. The company is currently made up of 10 dancers ranging in age from mid-twenty to early seventies.

DLD (in collaboration with various composers; musicians, poets, lighting designers, set designers and costume designers) has produced work in the Bay Area, and toured nationally and internationally. The repertory includes over 35 individual dances, 5 evening-length works and a film. Home seasons have included: The Farallonites (2023), DLD’s 10th  Anniversary (2018), HOME (2015), Silence Of (2014) and Beyond This Moment (2013). In addition to its fully produced seasons, DLD showcases performance excerpts multiple times per year at venues throughout the Bay Area. DLD has presented at The Cowell Theater, Dance Mission Counter Pulse, ODC Theater (San Francisco, CA) The Lobero Theater and Center Stage Theater (Santa Barbara, CA), The Red Hook Theater (Brooklyn, NY)  and the Grounds for Sculpture (Hamilton, NJ). Internationally, DLD has been presented at the ROYÈRE DE VASSIVIÈRE FESTIVAL (Chamberet, France), The Crescent Arts Center (Belfast,  N. Ireland) and BANGKOK ARTS AND CULTURE CENTRE (Bangkok, Thailand). DLD was an Artist-in-Residence at the Flight Deck in Oakland (2014-2015) and Company-in-Residence at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley (2016-2023).

The way Dana Lawton Dances celebrates diversity of age within their performances truly resonates with me. It's a refreshing and relevant portrayal that reflects the richness and diversity of our society today.
– audience member 2022