For immediate release
Contact: Janice L. Kaplan, 202-277-5461
DANA TAI SOON BURGESS DANCE COMPANY
DIPLOMATS OF DANCE SOCIETY INAUGURAL COCKTAIL PARTY AUG. 21
Young professionals who enjoy contemporary dance and networking are invited to participate in the newly formed Diplomats of Dance Society, which will sponsor an annual fundraising event in support of Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, Washington’s premier contemporary dance company. The Diplomats of Dance Society’s inaugural cocktail party will be held Thursday, Aug. 21, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Sofitel Hotel, 806 15th St. N.W., and will feature French hors d'oeuvres.
Dana Tai Soon Burgess was the Smithsonian’s first ever choreographer-in- residence in 2013-2014. He has been described by Washington Post dance critic Sarah Kaufman as “not only a Washington prize, but a national dance treasure” and “poet laureate of Washington dance.”
Diplomats of Dance Society was founded in the summer of 2014 by Nikki Hollander, Christelle Gorman, Cecile Remington and Jameson Freeman. In a city that is not only the nation’s capital but an international hub, Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company brings a much needed cross-cultural perspective to the arts scene. Diplomats of Dance Society members are those who celebrate the role of contemporary dance and support those who bring it to life. By being part of this annual event, diplomats share their appreciation, curiosity and generosity while connecting with a critically acclaimed choreographer, dancers, other artists, fans and friends.
Members may participate as Envoys ($50), Emissaries ($100), Ambassadors ($250), or Plenipotentiaries ($500). Tax-deductible donations will be matched by a generous grant from The Cafritz Foundation. Funds from the Aug. 21 event will cover expenses relating to the company’s Sept. 14-22 trip to Suriname on behalf of the U.S. State Department and other expenses relating to the 2014-2015 season (see below). In Suriname, the company will represent the United States at the Moengo Festival of Theatre and Dance and teach master classes in American modern dance.
2014-2015 Season
In addition to its upcoming trip to Suriname, the company announced three other highlights of the year ahead:
Photo Exhibition and Dance Performance
An exhibition, “Ancestry, Artistry, Choreography: Tracing a Korean American Journey,” will be on view from Nov. 7 to Dec. 19 at the Korean Cultural Center, 2370 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed from noon to 1:30 p.m. each day.) An opening reception on Nov. 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. will feature a performance by DTSB Dance Company. Sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the exhibition features photographs and video of the dance company over its 22-year history.
The Kreeger Museum Residency
Beginning in January, DTSB Dance Company will be artists-in-residence at The Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Rd., N.W., Washington, DC. The company will hold public rehearsals on Saturdays, Jan. 24, Feb. 21 and March 14 in the Kreeger Museum’s Great Hall. Using several paintings by Pablo Picasso from the museum’s permanent collection as inspiration, the choreographer will create a new dance, which will debut at the museum on Thursday, March 26.
NASA Collaboration
In the coming year, Burgess will create a major new work about the connection between human beings and the cosmos. The dance will incorporate video and images supplied by NASA and a sound score that includes interviews with astronauts, scientists and historians. Tapping into NASA’s discoveries and cutting-edge research, the choreographer will examine such topics as space exploration, our understanding of the stars, the role of creativity in science and art, and the importance of the stars to different cultures throughout history. Burgess’s research will take him to the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. A world premiere of the new work will take place in the fall of 2015 at the John. F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; the new dance also will be performed at NASA sites around the country and at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in 2016.
For information about Diplomats of Dance Society contact http://dancediplomats.blogspot.com/ or 202-957-2745.
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