Dana Tai Soon Burgess has brought the artistry of movement to audiences local and global. In June, a Kennedy Center show celebrates his company’s 25th anniversary.
Growing up Korean-American in Santa Fe could get lonely at times, but Dana Tai Soon Burgess, CCAS MFA ’94, eventually discovered a means of artistic expression that smoothed differences and came to define his life.
“I think that dance is its own language that bridges all cultural borders,” he says. “All cultures around the world dance, and I think we all inherently understand the language of movement.”
Burgess has spoken that language, preached it even, throughout a career that started late by comparison — he only began as a dancer at 16 — and continues to thrive now, when he is 50. The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, the current iteration of the dance company he founded while a graduate student at the George Washington University, has performed throughout the world for dance fans and dignitaries alike.
In June, the company will perform three new dances at the Kennedy Center to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The themes vary – veteran experience inspired by returning US soldier from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the life of poet Sylvia Plath, a National Portrait Gallery photograph of dancer Doris Humphrey by Barbara Morgan — and spotlight GW’s heavy influence.
Burgess, founding director and choreographer, is joined by five other GW alumni in a company of 15 people. It reflects Burgess’ commitment to his alma mater, where he has also taught since 2000, and the dance area’s active involvement in the field.
“I think one of the great things about the program is it allows for students to have professional experiences,” says Burgess.
That integration with the real world of dance inspired Burgess to choose GW for his Master’s in Fine Arts after he was invited to explore the program by longtime professor Maida Withers.
“It was a place where active artists could hone their choreographic skills even further,” he says of GW.
While working as a professional dancer in D.C., he pursued a course of study in choreography, doing his thesis on successful Asian American choreographers and dance company directors. He has put that training to use running a modern dance troupe recognized in the industry for artistic innovation and financial sustainability.
In 1992, he founded Moving Forward: Contemporary Asian American Dance Company, which was renamed after him in 2005. Burgess established himself as a cultural force, with Washington Post dance critic Sarah Kaufman describing him as “poet laureate of Washington dance” in a 2010 review. He returned to his alma mater as a professor of dance in 2000, and served as chairman of the Department of Theater and Dance from 2009 to 2017.
He also has long served as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State, traveling with his company for performances in more than 30 countries, most recently in Cambodia. In May 2013, he presented his dance Dariush at the White House at the invitation of President Barack Obama. In March, his company performed for Swiss Ambassador Martin Dahinden at the National Portrait Gallery, where in 2016 Burgess was named the Smithsonian’s first-ever choreographer in residence.
Burgess credits his company’s longevity to an unwavering focus on creating innovative, high-quality artistic perfomances that resonate.
“I think the quality of the dancers’ execution now is higher than it was when we started, but the overall intention of making works that are sublime and really speak to the audience has always remained the same,” he says. “I think it’s really important for a dance company to have a clear mission and vision and be constantly returning to that. It’s what keeps the company moving and going forward.”
He continues to have his belief confirmed in the power of his art to build bridges and communicate across cultures.
“Being in Washington and having the opportunity to perform nationally and internationally has really solidified that belief,” he says.
If You Go
What: Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company celebrates its 25th anniversary with three dances: “Confluence,” “After 1001 Nights” and “I Am Vertical”
Where: The Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater
When: June 15-16, 7:30 pm
Tickets: http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/RSXAL
More: dtsbdc.org
