Organization

The Cashion Cultural Legacy (CCL) was founded in July, 1996 by Susan Cashion, PhD. In its first years, the foundation was solely focused on performing Latin American dance. However, in 2009 its mission was redefined to focus on 4 main pillars: supporting Los Lupeños Mexican folk dance group, fomenting dance education by holding classes accessible to the community, sponsoring an annual artist exchange that gave young talent a chance to broaden their perspectives, and preserving the art form by researching, documenting, collecting, curating, and ultimately publishing works on the Mexican folklórico genre.

In its transnational role, Mexican folklórico dance and music fulfill a multitude of roles including national pride, nostalgic introspection, celebration of diversity, resistance to acculturation, catalyst for social change, and individual artistry. The CCL strives to honor this place of dance in México and the Mexican Diaspora community of the United States. In July, 2014 the CCL acquired Los Lupeños de San José, one of the first Mexican dance companies in the United States, founded in 1969.  In July, 2015 a new youth performing ensemble, Los Lupeños Juvenil, was officially launched after existing as a dance class for many years. In mid 2021 the CCL relaunched our in-person educational offerings to the community via Los Lupeños Academy with a new schedule, new instructors, and Covid protocols.

The CCL has an active Board of Directors and a volunteer support group that ensures that its mission is adhered to in every project. An Executive Director and Artistic Director cover operations and artistic development respectively.  Los Lupeños Academy is managed by our Academy Administrator. Fundraising campaigns and corporate sponsorships are handled by our Fund Development Manager.

As a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, the CCL accepts monetary and in-kind donations. Our Federal Tax ID is 93-1203502 and we can be found on both GuideStar and SMU|DataArts.