AN ASIAN AMERICAN DANCE JOURNEY – Program A
In honor of Asian American Heritage Month, Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (DTSBDC) triumphantly returns to Woolly Mammoth with their signature grace in storytelling.
Exploring the inner emotional terrain of humanity, the world-renowned Company presents beloved pieces from their 33-year history repertoire with a special emphasis on the Asian American experience. The Company will perform the world premiere of “Drawing in Space” – a dance homage to the inveterate artist, Ruth Asawa.
The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company creates and performs modern dances that explore diverse perspectives, histories, and traditions. The result is a shared audience understanding and empathy that attest to the transformative power of dance. It’s why the Company has been hailed by The Washington Post as “Not only a Washington prize, but a national dance treasure” and has been voted “Best Dance Company in DC” by Washington City Paper readers in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
More information and tickets here.
PROGRAM A
April 24-26 (Fri. 7:30pm, Sat. 7:30pm and 2:00pm, Sun 2:00pm)
Meditations (2008)
Originally choreographed by Burgess for Ballet Memphis, Meditations is a full-company work that celebrates the Asian American community through sublime phrasing and breathtaking elegance of movement set to music by Lou Harrison. 13 minutes
Drawing in Space (2026) ***A World Premiere***
Paying tribute to the artistry and life of Japanese American artist, Ruth Asawa (1926-2013), Burgess draws inspiration for the new piece from the looped wire-metal works Asawa herself described as “drawings in space.” 10 minutes
Caverns (2012)
A pensive piece for a trio of dancers, Caverns is set to Für Alina by Arvo Part. It follows the cyclic emotions of a protagonist caught within a web of remembrance and her inability to escape the haunting of an unrequited love. 11 minutes
Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love (2010)
This full-company dance was inspired by Burgess’s own coming of age story as a young gay Korean American in Santa Fe, NM in the early 1980’s. The work explores themes of belonging, love and identity in modern day, multi-faceted America. 30 minutes