Join renowned modern dance choreographer Dana Tai Soon Burgess in conversation as he shares how his multi-faceted background inspires his creative process. Burgess is the son of visual artists Anna Kang Burgess and Joseph Burgess. He grew up in Santa Fe, NM where he met Toshiko Takaezu, a longtime family friend of the Burgess’s. Burgess speaks about his interactions with Asian American artists including Alice Kagawa Parrott and Isamu Noguchi and the unique generational impact of Jack Lenor Larsen. He will be interviewed about his memoir Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly. This insightful journey delves into an artist's process that is inspired by the intersection of varying cultural perspectives, stories, and experiences. Candid and intelligent, Burgess gives the opportunity to experience up close the passion for art and dance that has informed his life. Burgess was the first ever choreographer in residence at the Smithsonian from 2016-2023. His acclaimed dance company is now in its 31st season.

Dancers from the company will perform four excerpts from their repertoire. Burgess will sign copies of his memoir, also for sale, at the event.

"Burgess makes art with movement. His memoir illuminates how he has navigated his hyphenated world as a gay Asian American man and his metamorphosis as an artist. Finding strength in diversity, his artmaking brings multiculturalism, social justice, and equity to the forefront in the universal language of dance. His voice is honest, open, and important."

-George Takei actor and activist

Photo Credits: Dana Tai Soon Burgess portrait by Sueraya Shaheen; Transformations Dancers: Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo, Aleny Serna, Joan Ayap, and Valerie Peña Photo Credit: xmbphotography.

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