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Written by DCist contributor Meghan Welsh
Cultures will collide this weekend at The Kennedy Center as Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company presents the world premiere of "Chico Latino," a work which explores the intersection of Asian American and Latin American communities throughout the Americas.
"Chico Latino" is a fusion of Latin and Asian modern dance, and the program will also include classic works by the choreographer, inspired by his experiences, such as a visit to Pakistan and his own family's history. The group has more of an international reach than many others in the area, with company members hailing from all over the world, and is the only one rooted in the Asian-American style.
Following this weekend’s shows, the company will be off to New York and then heads to India. They recently toured throughout the Middle East, and even blogged about it.
When DCist spoke with director Burgess earlier this week, he told us that the work is more about an interweaving of cultures than any specific one.
"I grew up in New Mexico, Santa Fe specifically, and went to bilingual schools, so I grew up in the Asian community but in the Latin construct," he said. "I wanted to use four pieces of music from parts of South America— old songs that contain lyrics about Asians living there. It’s really a celebration and recognition of the fact that there were Asians present in these areas."
Burgess said this piece is more celebratory and a bit lighter than some of his past works. His experience growing up in Santa Fe adds a personal bent to the proceedings.
"Growing up, I used to go to a nightclub and watch all the people dancing," he said. "I went back to that and played with the idea of a memory landscape based on the individuals that I remember from my teenage years. A lot of their movements inspired ones that are in this piece."
Next year, the company will unveil a new work about generational differences in the Asian-American community.
Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company performs this weekend on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. to kick off the Kennedy Center’s 2007-2008 Contemporary Dance Season. Tickets to this weekend’s performances can be purchased at the Kennedy Center box office or by calling (202) 467-4600.
Photo by Steve Vaccariello.
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Great to have this unique company back home in DC. Catch them while you can.