Choreographer, dancer, and teacher Dana Tai Soon Burgess

Cultural Envoy Dana Tai Soon Burgess uses his expertise as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher to encourage dancers and audiences alike to explore dance, and the arts more generally, as an expression of the global connections among individuals and communities. Burgess has served as a Cultural Envoy on several occasions, including to Panama in 1999, to Peru in 2004, and to Egypt, Israel, and India in 2007. He also traveled as a Fulbright Specialist to Peru in 2006 and 2008. Burgess’ many exchange experiences have bolstered his belief that dance is a shared language capable of building bridges of understanding. Of his exchanges, Burgess says, "International dialogue has, and continues to, inform every aspect of my artistic and educational work. I search out the universal symbols which connect humanity across all cultures, through the medium of dance."

Mutual understanding and international dialogue are clear themes in Burgess’ work in academic curriculum development as chair of the Department of Theater and Dance at The George Washington University (GW), and at his own dance company, Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company. Burgess says, "My work as a dancer and choreographer has been enhanced by encounters with other cultures – whether similar or different. I have become convinced of the value of cultural exchange in building meaningful dance work and in transmitting that work to students, dancers and audiences."