Dana Tai Soon Burgess

he Oxford Community Center (OCC) welcomes internationally acclaimed choreographer, author, and cultural ambassador Dana Tai Soon Burgess and members of the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, Washington, D.C.’s preeminent contemporary modern dance company, for a unique evening combining conversation, storytelling, literature, and live dance on Friday, October 9 at 5:30 p.m. The event offers audiences an intimate look inside the life and creative work of one of the nation’s most distinguished choreographers. The Washington Post hails Burgess and his eponymous Company – “not only a Washington prize, but a national dance treasure.”   Burgess will discuss his award-winning memoir, Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly, in an onstage conversation with Margaret Andersen. Their discussion will explore Burgess’s remarkable personal and artistic journey, his multicultural heritage, the development of his career, and the experiences that have shaped his choreography. Members of the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company will bring the conversation to life through live dance excerpts of the Company’s signature work, giving the audience an opportunity to see how memory, identity, history, and personal experience are translated into movement.This special OCC presentation offers audiences something rarely experienced in a traditional performance setting: the opportunity to hear the story behind the dance and then see those ideas expressed through movement onstage.   Burgess founded the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company in 1992 and has become a leading figure in American modern dance. Known internationally as the “Diplomat of Dance,” Burgess has served as a U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassador for more than two decades. His work explores the joy, sorrow, beauty, and complexity of the human experience, frequently drawing upon questions of cultural identity and belonging. His company has performed throughout the United States and internationally, bringing modern dance to audiences around the world. In 2016, he was named the Smithsonian Institution’s first-ever Choreographer-in-Residence, establishing a groundbreaking relationship between contemporary modern dance and the visual arts at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.   His memoir, Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly, traces the experiences and relationships that helped shape him as an artist and choreographer. The award-winning book provides a deeply personal window into the cultural influences, mentors, family history, and artistic discoveries behind his work. A fourth-generation Korean American, Burgess’s ancestors arrived in Hawaii aboard the Gaelic in 1903. They were among the very first groups of Korean immigrants who settled in America, working on sugarcane and Del Monte pineapple plantations. His mixed-race heritage (Korean and Scottish-Irish ancestry) serves as a primary thematic anchor for his career. Copies of his book will be available on site for purchase.   Thanks to exclusive partnership between the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company with the Asian Wine Association of America, the evening also features a viticultural experience. Guests will be treated to a premier wine tasting, where they can savor a curated selection that pairs exceptionally well for an evening of arts and community.   EVENT DETAILS Dana Tai Soon Burgess: An Evening of Conversation, Memoir & Dance Friday, October 9, 2026 | 5:30 p.m. Doors – Program 6:00 p.m. Oxford Community Center, Oxford, Maryland General Admission: $40 VIP Experience: $80 Includes the evening’s program plus a VIP meet-and-greet with Dana Tai Soon Burgess and a signed copy of Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly. Books will also be available for purchase during the evening. For tickets and additional information, visit oxfordcc.org. This program is funded in part by a grant from Talbot Arts with revenues provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.   About Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, the nation’s contemporary modern dance company, is world renowned for its rich tradition of authentic cultural storytelling.   For 34 seasons, the Company has explored universal themes of the human spirit through artistic excellence, integrity and creativity. The Company’s timeless repertoire alongside bold, new commissions are committed to diverse perspectives, histories, and traditions that flow together to create cultural dialogue and understanding.   As global cultural ambassadors for the U.S. State Department, the Company has extensively toured internationally, to 5 continents and over 30 countries on a mission to use its signature storytelling through movement to bridge communities worldwide.   At home in the nation’s capital, the Company is deeply invested in serving its community by bringing a myriad of performances and education programs to all in neighborhoods, libraries, museums, and performing art