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Dana Tai Soon Burgess and his conviction of cultural dialogue through dance
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The dancers of Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company. (The @America Center/-)
Through the language of dance, Dana Tai Soon Burgess has always sought to promote cultural dialogue.
Language barriers exist not just between countries but also within a single country. This is really apparent in countries with a diverse set of cultures and ethnic groups, such as Indonesia, home to more than 600 local languages.
However, there is a language that predates all kinds of verbal communication, one that does not require intimate knowledge of its vocabulary to understand it. That language is the universal language of dance.
One such promoter of the dance language is Burgess, a leading American choreographer and the Smithsonian’s first resident choreographer. His dance company, the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (DTSBDC), is a distinguished modern dance company based in Washington, DC.
Burgess’ choreography tends to focus on personal and cultural history, usually pursed around struggles and social concerns.
For Burgess, cultural dialogue in the modern world is extremely important.
