Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company Debuts ‘Homage’ at the National Portrait Gallery (photos)

The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company performed Burgess’s new piece “Homage” at the National Portrait Gallery’s Kogod Courtyard Nov. 16. This performance is part of the exhibition, “Dancing the Dream,” which is on display at the National Portrait Gallery. From the late 19th century to today, according to the exhibit, dance has captured this nation’s culture in motion. “Dancing the Dream” will showcase generations of performers, choreographers and impresarios. The show will include images of performers, such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Michael Jackson, Savion Glover, George Balanchine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Beyoncé, Isadora Duncan, Agnes de Mille and Lady Gaga. Dance has drawn from the boundless commotion of cultures to represent the rhythm and beat of American life. This exhibition will explore the relationship between the art of dance and the evolution of a modern American identity.

Burgess set his piece to a background of interviews and a diverse set of dance music from such notables as Bob Fosse, Shirley Temple, John Travolta, Josephine Baker, Shirley MacLaine and Elvis Presley. Next April, Burgess has been commissioned to perform a second “Homage”.

View our photos of the performance at the Kogod Courtyard and open rehearsals inside the exhibit area by clicking on the photo icons below.