DTSBDC DANA TAI SOON BUR G ES S DAN CE CO M PA NY
Founding Artistic Director, Dana Tai Soon Burgess Executive Director, Christine Doyle Associate Director, Felipe O. Moltedo
November 12th, 2025 5:30 pm
AN ASIAN AMERICAN JOURNEY
Pablo Picasso and Jacqueline dancing by David Douglas, Cannes 1957
Movement and Storytelling with Dana Tai Soon Burgess A Tribute to Toshiko Takaezu - excerpt Choreography: Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dancers: Joan Ayap, Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo Composer: Leilehua Lanzilotti Costumes: Sigrid Johannesdottïr
Sudden Snow - excerpt Choreography: Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dancers: Joan Ayap, Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo Composer: Domenico Scarlatti, Claude Debussy, Reynaldo Hahn, Amy Beach, and Rita Strohl Costumes: Sigrid Johannesdottïr and Patricia Michaels
Hyphen - excerpt Choreography: Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dancers: Joan Ayap, Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo Composer: Ryuichi Sakamoto Costumes: Judith Hansen Video: Nam June Paik
A Tribute to Marian Anderson - excerpt Choreography: Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dancers: Joan Ayap, Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo Composer: Johannes Brahms Costumes: Sigrid Johannesdottïr
About the Artists Now in its 33rd season, Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (DTSBDC) creates and performs contemporary dance works to celebrate the indomitable American spirit. DTSBDC performances uplift, inspire and bring insights to seasoned dance lovers and new audiences alike. The Company is a leader in the national movement to collaborate with and perform at visual arts museums, as well as theaters. In 2016, DTSBDC was named the Smithsonian Institution’s first-ever resident dance company. Last year the company began a series of new residencies including a yearlong “social impact” residency at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Company has a long history of artistic collaborations and partnerships with other organizations including: NASA, the U.S. State Department, the Mayor’s Office of Asian Pacific Islander Americans, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and more. DTSBDC has been presented at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, The Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse, the Kreeger Museum, National Gallery of Art, the Noguchi Museum, the United Nations, La MaMa, the Asia Society, the Korean Cultural Center, as well as at the White House at the invitation of President and First Lady Michelle Obama. As a U.S. State Department cultural envoy, DTSBDC has toured extensively internationally, to 5 continents and over 30 countries. For more information about DTSBDC visit www.dtsbdc.org.
Dana Tai Soon Burgess (Founding Artistic Director) is a leading American choreographer and cultural figure known worldwide as the “Diplomat of Dance.” He is a 4th generation Korean American whose ancestors arrived on the plantations of Hawaii in 1903. In 1992, he founded the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (DTSBDC), Washington, DC’s preeminent modern dance company. Burgess’s work often focuses on the intersectional identities of Asian Americans by exploring —the flowing together of diverse perspectives, histories, and traditions. He has served as a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. State Department for over two decades, an appointment he uses to promote international cultural dialogue through “the global language of dance.” Burgess has been awarded three Fulbright Senior scholarships for dance and recently received two prestigious awards – the Selma Jeanne Cohen Fulbright Dance Lecture Award and the Aaron Stein Memorial Award. In 2016, Burgess was named the Smithsonian Institution’s first-ever Choreographer-in-Residence. From 2016-2023 he created new works inspired by museum exhibitions, participated in public discussions about dance and art and designed educational programming. The exploration of dance and art is deeply rooted for Burgess. In 2003, Burgess was one of only three artists featured in the Smithsonian Institution’s “A Korean American Century” – an exhibition highlighting the history and achievements of Korean Americans in the US. He was also highlighted in “Dancing the Dream,” the Smithsonian’s first exhibition on American dance. Three portraits of Burgess are part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian and his family archive resides in the American History Museum. He has created works for The National Gallery of Art, The Noguchi Museum, The National Museum of Asian Art, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The National Building Museum, The Kreeger Museum, The Baltimore Museum of Art, and The UNM Art Museum to name a few. Burgess and DTSBDC have received numerous awards and acclamations including the Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence (2005), seven Metro D.C. Dance Awards, and the Pola Nirenska Award which celebrates trailblazers and leaders of
the dance community. Burgess received the Paul Ré Peace Prize for bridging communities around the globe through choreography. He has served as a Mayoral appointed commissioner for the DC Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Burgess is the author of Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly: A Memoir by University of New Mexico Press and the editor of and contributor to Milestones in Dance History by Routledge/ Francis&Taylor. He is the host of Slantpodcast.com which focuses on the Asian American arts experience. Joan Ayap (Audience Engagement Coordinator and Dancer) is in her ninth season with Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company. Ms. Ayap was born in Washington, DC, and raised in Manila, Philippines. She started her dance training at the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet and the Philippine Ballet Theatre Conservatoire. While earning a B.S. in Interior Design from Assumption College, San Lorenzo, she also pursued a dance career. Her professional journey began with the Philippine Ballet Theatre, where she worked with renowned teachers and choreographers such as Gener Caringal, Ronilo Jaynario, Anatoli Panasiukov, Enrico Labayen, TonyFabella, Maiqui Mañosa, and Graham Lustig. In Washington, DC, she has performed with DC Contemporary Dance Theatre and Bowen McCauley Dance. She has competed in Rising Star and Open Pro divisions in American Rhythm, as well as Amateur International Latin events. Additionally, she worked as a correspondent and field producer for The Filipino Channel. She teaches at CityDance, The VIVA School of Dance, and DTSBDC’s educational programs. Currently, Joan is pursuing an M.A. in Cultural Heritage Management at Johns Hopkins University. Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo (Associate Director & Dancer) is in his fourteenth season with the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company. Originally from Santiago, Chile, he began dancing at the age of twelve and has since received numerous awards and distinctions, including Chile’s Best Dancer Inter-
American Circle of Dance Professionals Award. In Santiago, he founded and directed his own contemporary dance company, which toured both nationally and internationally. Mr. Moltedo holds a B.F.A. in Dance and an M.A. in Dance Education with honors from the University of Chile, as well as an M.F.A. in Dance from The George Washington University. Mr. Moltedo’s choreography has been shown at different national venues such as The Kennedy Center, Dance Place, The Arts Club of Washington, The Corcoran Museum, and the National Dance Institute to name just a few. In addition to his roles as Associate Director and dancer, Mr. Moltedo is the company’s multimedia designer and creator, producing engaging visual content that connects audiences to the company’s artistic mission. He also serves as webmaster and consulting UX/UI designer for a diverse portfolio of clients including DTSBDC’s digital platforms, ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group and The Department of Transportation for the DC Government.
Find us at our upcoming performances February 26th, 2026 Arts Club of Washington Washington, DC
April 24-26 and May 1-3, 2026
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Washington, DC
Photo by Lauren Victor
DTSBDC STAFF AND BOARD Leadership
Dana Tai Soon Burgess, Founding Artistic Director Christine Doyle, Executive Director Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo, Associate Director
Staff
Bianca DeLille, Development Director Patch Canada, Public Relations Specialist Jan Tievsky, Educational Principal Joan Ayap, Audience Engagement Coordinator William Robinson, Production Assistant Isel Perez, Accountant Max Goldman, Intern
Artists
Anne Sidney,
Rehearsal Director Sarah Halzack, Assistant Rehearsal Director Judith Hansen, Costume Designer Sigrid Johannesdottïr, Costume Designer Millicent Scarlett, Resident Musician Dana Nichole Scott, Resident Musician
2025-26 DTSBDC Dancers Natasha Ames Joan Ayap Christine Doyle Tomas Fischer Trevor Frantz
Felipe Oyarzun Moltedo William Robinson Baylee Wong Armani Colón (Apprentice)
Board of Directors Susan Gigli, Jan Tievsky, Erick Hosaka,
President Vice President
Mary Eccles,
Treasurer
Secretary Jack Davis Jameson Freeman Nicole Hollander Bonnie Kogod Ellen Boyers Kwatnoski Marcia Lim Leigh Adams Slaughter Kelly Moss Southall Dana Tai Soon Burgess (ExOfficio) Bianca DeLille (Ex-Officio)
Advisory Board
Kay Casstevens Josue Castilleja Nicole Colameta Diane Dragaud Sara Gay Forden Sarah Halzack Joshua Kaufman Kelly Dinglasan Minton Mark Ohnmacht Steve Oshana Anatol Steck Lauren Victor Yang-Ro Yoon
Organizational Mentors Patch Canada Michael Kaiser
JOIN US IN OUR MISSION TO SHARE THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF DANCE Every contribution makes a significant difference. Together, we can make our 2026 season the most impactful yet. To make a contribution please scan/tap the QR code below.
Scan/Tap
Photo by Jeff Watts
DONOR LISTING We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following corporations, foundations, goverment agencies, and individuals who supported Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company during our 24-25 season.
Major Supporters $51,000 - 150,000 DC Commision on the Arts and Humanities The National Endowment for the Arts $20,000 - 50,000 The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Patch Canada* March Forth Foundation Maryland Youth Ballet* Philip L. Graham Fund $5,000 - 19,000 Committee for the Future Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts Dwight Stuart Youth Fund Mary Eccles Eric Naison-Phillips Family Foundation Fulbright Scholars Cary Fuller Elizabeth Wilson Harter JBG Smith Ellen Kwatnoski Microsoft Morningstar Foundation Katia Norri Teresa Saavedra The Share Fund Jan and Seth Tievsky Heinz and Liselotte Nehring
Stiftung Foundation Winged Keel Group $500 - 4,000 Anonymous (3) John Ashford Bloomberg Philanthropies Anna Kang Burgess Ian Tai Kyung Burgess Jason and Melissa Burnett Jane Cafritz Michael Caplin Alan Cariaso Kay Casstevens Cherry Blossom Giving Circle Claudia de Colstoun-Werebe Laurie Davis and Joseph Sellers Bianca DeLille Diane Dragaud FBB Capital Partners David Fischer and Joy Kassett Izette and Neil Folger Jameson Freeman and Dana Tai Soon Burgess Mary A. Gifford Susan Gigli Ross Goldman Google Sarah Halzack Sergio Herrera and Kelly Southall Wayne Hickory Celia Hoke Nicole Hollander Erick Hosaka Jill and Bill Hudock *Educational Partner or in-kind service
DONOR LISTING We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following corporations, foundations, goverment agencies, and individuals who supported Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company during our 24-25 season. $500 - 4,000 (continues) Janice Kaplan Roxane Kaufmann and Neal Fitzpatrick Lisa Kaye Rebecca Klemm Bonnie Kogod Richard Kwatnoski Marcia Lim Barbara and Robert Liotta Elizabeth McCallum Laura McDonald Alanna McKee Kelly Dinglasan Minton and Joel Minton Felipe Moltedo Elvi Moore Judith Viggers Nordin Mark Ohnmacht Dr. Susan Ohnmacht Eser Ozdeger Stacey Perelman Young-Key Kim and Bertrand Renaud
Sheri and Robert Rosenfeld Joan and Berry Rosenthal Stephanie Rosenthal and Scott Meisler Stuart Ross and Patricia Devine Eric San Juan and Jack Davis Ben Sanders Marian and Neel Saxena Scout Properties Leigh Slaughter Steve Slaughter Arnie Stolberg Peter and Judith Storandt Aaron Tievsky and Frank Delaney Maida R. Withers Barrie Zucal We appreciate and acknowledge our donors who give between $25-499
Are you between 21 – 40 years old? We invite you to be a member of the Diplomats of Dance Society. The Diplomats of Dance Society is the young professionals affinity group of the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company. The Society brings together emerging arts leaders who are passionate about modern dance.
Scan/Tap
Photo by Matailong Du
This podcast is an ongoing conversation around the Asian American experience through the lens of artists and luminaries. Hosted by Dana Tai Soon Burgess. Listen on all streaming platforms.
Scan/Tap Photo by Matailong Du
Join our newsletter to stay up to date with news, performances, events, and behind the scenes moments.
Scan/Tap