INPRACTICE SEAN DORSEY, FRESH MEAT PRODUCTIONS, AND TRANS JOY
by SIMA BELMAR
ribbons attached to it, so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t classical ballet.
SB: I too remember having a tambou- rine with ribbons attached to it among other things with ribbons attached to them. I remember being around four and dancing with these wire things with flowers attached to them to the song “Thank Heaven for Little Girls.” SD: I had no other formal dance training until right after I graduated from high school when I did a sum- mer session largely based on the cho- reography of Janet Jackson—it was amazing. And then I started taking classes, mostly modern dance, some jazz, in college [University of Brit- ish Columbia], but community level, drop-in stuff. I remember loving it so, so much, but my career and my heart’s trajectory was on the commu- nity organizing, social justice path. I felt clear that my calling was to be of service and do justice-seeking work. SB: So that’s why you’re able to make work and organize so many events and programs! What was your major? SD: I did a double major in Political Science and Women’s Studies. After that, I started a graduate program in community economic develop- ment, and also started taking classes in the dance department. When I was 25, I started thinking about getting more training. I couldn’t dance often enough! I was taking ballet with this one teacher who one day asked me to stay after class. When she asked me if I’d ever thought about being a pro- fessional dancer, my mind exploded. It was a landscape-altering moment.
KnowShade Vogue
A s he looks back on 20 and queer artists in the Bay Area and across the country, Sean Dorsey, Artis- tic Director of Sean Dorsey Dance (SDD) and founder of Fresh Meat Pro- ductions (FMP), is positively glowing. Founded in 2001, Fresh Meat Pro- ductions is a trans-led-and-serving, history-making organization commit- ted to shining a light on and reflect- ing the light of artists who, despite years of making and pro- ducing performance by trans, gender-nonconform- ing (GNC), two-spirit,
Belmar: Have you always been a dancer?
increased visibility in popular cul- ture, continue to struggle to find their voices amplified, uplifted, and repre- sented in theatrical contexts. To mark the milestone, FMP has launched The Lost Art of Dream- ing Project , a constellation of online events spread out over the course of 2021, a Spring 2022 premiere, and a 10+-city tour through 2024. This year, The Lost Art of Dreaming will feature SDD’s AT-HOME Season (April 16-18) that includes a series of gorgeous site-specific dance films and messages from Dorsey; a second
season of “Stay Fresh At Home,” a free online series of videos dedi- cated to creative wellness; the 20th Anniversary Fresh Meat Festival (June 17-19, online), showcasing an incredible lineup including the work of commissioned artists, Antoine Hunter/Purple Fire Crow, J Mase III, Jahaira & Angelica, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, Mark Travis Rivera, and Randy Ford, supported by FMP’s FRESH WORKS! program; and a monthly release of free activ- ities, including Postcards from the Future, which highlights the work
of four commissioned visual artists, and The Dictionary of Joy and Plea- sure, a free, interactive online A-to-Z with contributions by ten commis- sioned artists. There’s even a “Futur- ist Pledge” that folks can download, print, and sign. The Lost Art of Dreaming is a proj- ect with a singular yet expansive mis- sion: “to explore and create expansive futures” for trans, GNC, two-spirit, and queer communities. Dorsey and I had two lengthy conversations about what it looks like to center joy and pleasure in artistic and social practice.
Sean Dorsey: Yes! But I always say that I did not grow up at the ballet barre. I loved dance with every cell in my body. I spent all my time in my leotard, dancing around to records. I was always making up dances. I did have a lot of early training and per- forming in theater and music, mostly piano, choral stuff, youth theater. But most of my dancing was in my liv- ing room. I took a “ballet” class series when I was 5 and remember having an awesome tambourine with long
6
6
SPRING 2021 in dance 7
in dance SPRING 2021
I
|
|
rs r
. r
In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n amp l i f y u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n a p l i f y
44 Gough Street, Suite 201 San Francisco, CA 94103 www.dancersgroup.org
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker