Dancer Profile: Tati Valle-Riestra

Tati Valle-Riestra performs "Island." (Photo: Mary Noble Ours)

Tati Valle-Riestra of Lima, Perú has performed with Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company for more than 12 years. In addition to dancing, she has an interest in painting as well as marine biology. When it comes to her art, she primarily works with watercolor and ink on paper creating images of human figures and beautiful landscapes.
According to Tati, she doesn't have just one favorite piece that she has performed with DTSB&Co. "I love each and every one of them in their own special way," she said. If she had to choose though, she admits she especially enjoyed dancing "Images from the Embers," "Island," "Tracings" and "Chino Latino."
When asked where she sees the DC dance community in 20 years, Tati said she imagines the community "evolving naturally with new artists and talents creating new works." As for herself, she hopes to be back in her homeland of Perú.

For now, she has truly enjoyed dancing and learning with the company. "What I enjoy most about being part of DTSB&Co is simply being part of Dana's company. He is a special person with an incredible charisma," she said. "Being part of his group has been a great opportunity to learn from him continuously for so many years and I feel motivated by his beautiful movement and his artistic vision. A very important part too is the group itself, dancers and other members of the company. I feel closely linked to all of them and enjoy immensely the routine time we share together in class, warm ups and rehearsals." For more information about Tati, read her dancer biography.