Join Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company for the New York premiere of their Fall season repertoire.

The program features:

Hyphen – Represents the turbulent struggle that Asian Americans feel as they solidify their identity in the American cultural tapestry. The mixed-media piece features the full Company and a video backdrop of some of Nam June Paik’s earliest experimental films.

After the performance, there will be a post-performance Q&A with choreographer Burgess, discussing his memoir "Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly" and his unique modern dance aesthetic, shaped by his Korean American identity. A book signing will follow.

Becoming American – Based on the real-life story of Katia Norri, a dancer with DTSBDC who was adopted from Korea by an American couple in New Jersey. The work delves into her journey to understand her new home. 

Leaving Pusan – Tells the story of Dana’s great grandmother’s emotional and physical departure from Korea in 1903 – she voyaged to Oahu, Hawaii on the first steamship, the Gaelic, that delivered Koreans to work on the sugar cane and pineapple plantations. She worked on the Del Monte plantation her entire life. 

The evening includes a post-performance Q & A with Dana regarding his memoir Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly and his unique modern dance aesthetic informed by his Korean American identity.

The Washington Post says of the company, “Not only a Washington prize, but a national dance treasure.” The Washington City paper named the Company the “2024 Best Dance Company.”