Sean Dorsey Dance Announces 15th Anniversary Season Lineup

SEAN DORSEY DANCE (Sean Dorsey, artistic director; Shawna Virago, general manager) today announced its 15th anniversary home season - a return engagement of its acclaimed dance work, "Boys in Trouble" at Z Space (March 14-16) - along with a 20-city U.S. tour, a full-length documentary, the 18th annual "Fresh Meat Festival" of transgender and queer performance (June 20-22, San Francisco), and other celebratory achievements to mark the modern dance company's 15th anniversary.

Over the last 15 years, Sean Dorsey, the award-winning transgender dancer, choreographer, writer and activist and his highly-regarded dance company have had a profound impact on the performing arts landscape. Recognized as the nation's first transgender choreographer, Dorsey has left an indelible mark in modern dance for the creation and staging of powerful, deeply human dances and his tireless, trailblazing activism.

"Fifteen years ago, I never could have imagined that I would become the first U.S. transgender artist to be presented by The Joyce Theater, or that Sean Dorsey Dance would tour with such warm reception to 30 other leading venues across the country" said Dorsey. "Our home season in San Francisco launches not only a celebration of our artistic legacy, but it is a look forward to the radical expansion of our national trans-supportive education, engagement and advocacy work that Bay Area audiences have embraced since day one." Dorsey continued, "Our mission for the next 15 years begins in 2019 - a critical time when trans communities are facing escalating attacks across the nation."

In recognition of its 15th year, SEAN DORSEY DANCE was recently awarded two prestigious multi-year grants for its work in the dance field: one of the 2019 Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Leadership Grants for Arts Organizations; and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant in support of the company's TRANSform Dance - the first program of its kind in the U.S. to provide education, engagement and advocacy to promote trans equity in dance.

At this milestone, the company is also thrilled to announce that Sean Dorsey himself is the subject of an upcoming full-length documentary. Currently in production, the documentary is directed by Annalise Ophelian and StormMiguel Florez (whose previous documentary "MAJOR!" about Miss Major, the pioneering elder black transwoman and activist, was an official selection at 60 film festivals worldwide and garnered more than 20 awards for best documentary).

SAN FRANCISCO - 15th ANNIVERSARY HOME SEASON: "BOYS IN TROUBLE"

Performances: March 14-16, Z Space (450 Florida Street, SF), four performances only.

(Thursday evening 8 PM; Friday evening 8 PM; Saturday 4 PM matinee with ASL interpretation; Saturday evening 8 PM - gala performance followed by champagne toast and reception with SEAN DORSEY DANCE.)

Tickets: prices range from $15-$30.

Online: http://SeanDorseyDance.com/Boys-in-Trouble/ for more information.

ABOUT "BOYS IN TROUBLE"

With stark honesty, powerful storytelling and breathtaking dancing, "Boys in Trouble" is a timely and urgent commentary on contemporary masculinity. The work places a trans and queer lens onto intersectional questions of embodiment, violence, Black queer love, whiteness, shame and posturing. The award-winning, multi-generational SEAN DORSEY DANCE ensemble (Sean Dorsey, Brian Fisher, ArVejon Jones, Nol Simonse, Will Woodward) performs this intensely athletic work with gusto - moving seamlessly between full-throttle dancing, live speaking and intimate storytelling.

Development: Dorsey created "Boys in Trouble" over a two-year period, after visiting communities across the U.S. where he hosted community forums on masculinity, recorded interviews and taught free movement workshops for transgender, gender non-conforming, cisgender, gay, bi and queer people on the masculine spectrum.

Award Nominations: "Boys in Trouble" was recently nominated for two regional 2019 Isadora Duncan Dance Awards (Best Company Performance; Best Music/Sound/Text).

Creative Team and Performers: Choreographed, written and directed by Sean Dorsey. Performed by Sean Dorsey, Brian Fisher, ArVejon Jones, Nol Simonse and Will Woodward. Original music composed by Alex Kelly, Ben Kessler, Anomie Belle, LD Brown and Jesse Olsen Bay. Sound engineering by Grace Coleman and Laura Dean. Lighting design by Clyde Sheets. Costume design by Tiffany Amundson. Technical direction by Emily Paulson.

U.S. TOUR DATES for "BOYS IN TROUBLE"

"Boys in Trouble" is currently performing a 20-city U.S. tour. Visit online for the full 2019 tour performance schedule and upcoming 2020 date announcements: http://seandorseydance.com/boys-in-trouble/.

SAN FRANCISCO - 18th ANNUAL "FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL" (June 20-22)

Sean Dorsey curates the highly-anticipated "Fresh Meat Festival" of transgender and queer performance in San Francisco, performing June 20-22. Now in its 18th year with an international following, the annual three-day festival of live dance, theater, spoken word and music will present 12 gender-nonconforming, transgender and queer artists and ensembles from across the U.S. (SEAN DORSEY DANCE performs at the festival each night.)

The "Fresh Meat Festival" is one of the year-round programs of the San Francisco nonprofit FRESH MEAT PRODUCTIONS. Founded by Sean Dorsey in 2002, the organization's mission is to invest in the creative expression and cultural leadership of transgender and gender-nonconforming communities through year-round transgender arts programs, including works by its resident company SEAN DORSEY DANCE.

SEAN DORSEY (founder and artistic director, Sean Dorsey Dance, now in its 15th anniversary year) is an award-winning San Francisco-based choreographer, dancer, writer and trans activist. Recognized as the nation's first critically-acclaimed transgender choreographer in modern dance, Dorsey has toured his work to 30 U.S. cities and abroad. With a career spanning more than 20 years, Dorsey has been awarded four Isadora Duncan Dance Awards and the Goldie Award for Performance. He has been named as "25 to Watch" (Dance Magazine) and "Top Theater Artist to Watch" (American Theatre Magazine) and as "San Francisco's Best Dance Company" (SF Weekly). Dorsey is the first U.S. transgender artist ever presented by The Joyce Theater (NYC), American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, and on more than 30 major stages across the US.

Dorsey's dances are powerful explorations of human experience. His works are a fusion of full-throttle dance, luscious partnering, intimate storytelling and theater. Highly physical, accessible, rooted in story, and danced with precision and guts and deep humanity, Dorsey's works have been praised as "exquisite...poignant and important" (Germany's Ballet/Tanz), "trailblazing" (San Francisco Chronicle) and "evocative, compelling, elegant" (LA Weekly).

Dorsey is a national leader in the fight for Trans Equity in dance. Dorsey is the founder and artistic director of Fresh Meat Productions, the nation's first organization to create, present and tour year-round multidisciplinary transgender arts programs. Fresh Meat's award-winning programs include its annual "Fresh Meat Festival" of transgender and queer performance (June); resident dance company Sean Dorsey Dance (San Francisco home season performances and touring engagements); national LGBTQ community residencies; TRANSform Dance, a national education, engagement and advocacy program supporting trans equity in dance; and arts services for emerging transgender artists and arts organizations. For more information visit SeanDorseyDance.com and FreshMeatProductions.org.

Photo Credit: Kegan Marling

To post a comment, you must register and login.