DTSB&Co In Concert Series: Hyphen

"Hyphen" looks at the experience of being a hyphenated
American—Asian-Americans but also other ethnic Americans and multi-racial Americans, The set design includes short black-and-white “Fluxus films” by famed Korean video artist Nam June Paik.

Hyphen premiered in October 2008.

Another performance review

DTSB&Co's performance this past weekend at Dance Place was reviewed by dance critic George Jackson of danceviewtimes.
Read the review

Washington Post review of "Becoming American"

"In the hands of a lesser choreographer, this piece could be a maudlin mess, the modern dance equivalent of an after-school special. But Burgess, a professor at George Washington University, is pretty much the best dancemaker around, and what he’s made here is a beautiful allegory about alienation and acceptance." - Rebecca Ritzel,  Washington Post
Read the full review

Face time with Dana

Find out about Dana's new work Becoming American and a few of his favorite things in the Express

Becoming American

Scene from this weekend's performance of Becoming American at Dance Place

the Express and the Wash Post

Check out our stories in the Express and the Washington Post this week regarding our Dance Place show Oct 14-16!!! Dana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Tai_Soon_Burgess

a great sunday

What a great Sunday. Dropped Miyako at work, ran to the Georgetown flea to hunt down props and then off to rehearsal. I love speaking with our designers: Anne, Laura, the Southalls, Connie, Rick, Judy, Ben and Annie. The conversations are so stimulating. Wow we are so blessed to work with fine artists. It takes a community to build a dance! Thank you everyone!

Hugs, Dana

Oct 14-16 Dance Place show

http://www.danceplace.org/dance-performances/dana-tai-soon-burgess-company/

Here it is the link to buy tickets for our show on Oct 14-16 at the Dance Place. I am very excited to show Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love again as well as premiere Becoming American. I learned so much in this process and I believe it represents wonderful growth for the company in the ability to interpret personal stories on the journey to self-actualization. I love the dance and visual images in Becoming American. I believe the ending which conveys a fragile tentative message of new beginnings is quite poetic. See you at the show! Dana

archival videos

I hope everyone is enjoying our new archival library. As we get ready for our 20th next season it has been great to look back at key works and think about the inspiration for them. Growing up in Santa Fe as a Korean American has influenced so many works. The issue of how we find a place to belong within the complicated layers of American society is an amazing journey. I remember sitting watching my parents who are visual artists work through decisions in their creative processes, meeting visual artists such as Isamu Noguchi, going to bilingual schools and martial arts academies. So many images and communities intersecting. I can look at our archives and understand now that every dance is a reflection of personal experience. Adulthood gives us the lens through which to interpret these experiences and distill messages for the audience.

National Portrait Gallery

Today the youth program students went on a field trip to Portrait Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter at the National Portrait Gallery. It is a great exhibit and it brought up a lot of conversation on identity. I hope the Smithsonian continues to represent!

Rehearsing "Becoming American"

Becoming American rehearsal 1 a photo by dtsbcodance on Flickr.

Don't miss the premiere of "Becoming American" October 14-16! Ticket Information

Rehearsing "Becoming American"

Becoming American rehearsal 2 a photo by dtsbcodance on Flickr.

"Becoming American" will premiere October 14-16 at Dance Place

The Washington Diplomat features DTSB&Co

DTSB&Co was featured in two articles in The Washington Diplomat:

• DTSBCo's International Travels
• Dana's new work - Becoming America

DTSB&CO In Concert Series

Check out the first video in the DTSB&Co In Concert Series - performance of Island with interviews with dancers and collaborators.

DTSB&Co In Concert Series: Island from dtsbcodance on Vimeo.

New DTSB&Co publicity photos

New DTSB&Co publicity photos by Zain Shah.

Click to view more photos

What is an Asian American?

Dana is featured in an Washington Post review of a new exhibit Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
Collection of Cindy Hwang - WASHINGTON, DC - HANDOUT: "The Kyopo Project - 240 Portraits," by Cindy Hwang. Digital pigment print, 2004-present. Collection of the artist. Copyright CYJO.

DTSB&Co 20th Anniversary is coming!

Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co. will celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2012 and preparations for performances and events have already begun. Today videographers Damaris Hay and Kelli Cook filmed Dana and his dancers as they rehearsed Dana's new work and later interviewed Dana at his home. They will be creating a 20th anniversary promotional video for the company. Stay tuned...

Damaris Hay, DTSB&Co dancer Connie Fink, Kelli Cook and Dana
preparing for Dana's interview.

Dana visits the White House for Obama's Asian American Heritage Month Address

Dana attended President Obama's address for Asian American Heritage
Month at the White House this week:

Obama was spectacular. I had a wonderful time eating dim sum there with Julie Koo, the Director of the Asian Pacific Islander American Office of the Mayor. We hung out with actor John Cho and Senator Akaka from Hawaii, among others. Fabulous and festive event. There is something so magical about the White House; its many rooms spill over with a sense of American history. Makes me feel so proud and blessed to be an artist in America!

Dana with Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii

Dana with actor John Cho and Julie Koo, Director of the Washington DC Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs

President Obama

Asian American Youth Program Video Project

The DTSB&Co Asian American Youth Outreach Program provides young people with experiences that enrich their view of Asian American culture, of dance as a communicative and expressive art form, and of the value and importance of peer communication. This year activities included a video project that has just been released. Take a look!

Finding Self: Asian America's Youth from dtsbcodance on Vimeo.

Reception at the Mongolian Embassy

DTSB&Co's dancers and Board members attended a lovely reception at the Embassy of Mongolia hosted by Ambassador Khasbazaryn Bekhbat. Dana and the dancers talked with the ambassador and his staff about their wonderful experiences on their tour to Mongolia and the ambassador noted that the tour and reception were part of an expansion of friendship between the US and Mongolia.