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December 2007 Bridging Cultures Through Dance
By Jamie L. Freedman The universal language of dance has the power to unite the world, says GW Assistant Professor of Dance Dana Tai Soon Burgess, M.F.A. ’94, founder and artistic director of the D.C.-based contemporary dance troupe Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co. For more than a decade, the company has traveled the globe, thrilling audiences and promoting intercultural dialogue in far-flung locations like Peru, Latvia, Panama, and Egypt. On Dec. 26, the troupe leaves for a three-week tour of India, supported by the U.S. Department of State, and, in 2008, it’s on to Mexico for a series of performances. “Globally, this is a time when conversations through the arts are more important than ever,” says Burgess, whose troupe celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. “Modern dance brings cultures together in the shared language of movement, while helping to open dialogues in which similarities can be discovered and differences respected.” The company has participated in a number of State Department-sponsored international goodwill expeditions over the years. “My relationship with the State Department began around 12 years ago, when I did some cultural ambassador work in South and Central America,” says Burgess. “They’ve been calling upon me ever since as an envoy to help further intercultural dialogue through dance.” Recent tours include Lima, Arequipa, and Trujillo, Peru; Guayaquil, Quito, and Manta, Ecuador; and Riga, Latvia. In May, Burgess led his troupe on a four-week modern dance tour of Egypt, Israel, and the West Bank. “We were the first U.S. company to offer an intensive American modern dance residency in Egypt, and the response was overwhelming,” he says. Highlights of the Egyptian portion of the tour included multiple performances at the Library of Alexandria and the “Garage,” an alternative theater space; workshops for the national folkloric dance company Reda Co. in Cairo; and performances to full houses at Cairo’s Opera House Complex. “It’s amazing how much Egyptian iconography affected our early U.S. modern dance pioneers, like Isadora Duncan, whose stage name means daughter of Isis, and Ruth St. Denis, who became famous for a work called ‘Egypta,’” says Burgess. Next, it was on to Ramallah in the West Bank, where Burgess conducted an intensive day-long workshop. The tour concluded in Israel, where he taught master classes at the Arab Jewish Community Centers in both Tel Aviv and Jaffa and the YWCA in Jerusalem. “It was interesting to have both Jewish and Arab students in class and great to see how the shared language of dance could be a bridge of conversation and understanding between the two cultures,” he says. Throughout the tour, the company served as cultural ambassadors, promoting understanding between American and Middle Eastern dancers of myriad cultural, religious, and artistic backgrounds. “The artists we worked with were fascinated by and very open to the information we were sharing,” says Burgess, who keeps in touch with many of the dancers he met there via e-mail. On a personal note, Burgess says that the Middle East tour helped to add a new dimension to his artistry. “It was quite inspiring to be able to experience the monumental culture of ancient Egypt by touring the pyramids of Giza and the temples of Karnak and Philae,” he says. “After seeing them, I couldn’t wait to get back to my studio to choreograph!” Since returning home, Burgess and his troupe have barely had a chance to catch their breath. Their 15th-anniversary season was packed with celebration events, including a series of engagements and a gala in New York City and the world premiere performance of Burgess’s latest work, Chino Latino, at the Kennedy Center in October. “Chino Latino is based on the unique intersection of Asian American and Latin American communities throughout the Americas,” explains Burgess, who is known for his Asian-inspired works. Next, it’s on to Chennai and Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, where the company will perform and teach master classes in modern dance. “India has such a rich dance tradition,” says Burgess. “Touring and interacting with dance artists there will be very rewarding as an educator and artist.”
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