Master Classes in Peru

As a dancer with Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co., I recently had the opportunity to spend almost two weeks in Cusco and Lima, Peru, where we performed and taught master classes. This was my second time visiting Peru with the company since I joined, and it is definitely starting to feel like an artistic home-away-from-home for us.

The tour was a great success. Our performance was well-attended in Cusco and each of our performances in Lima was sold out with would-be audience members turned away at the door. Particularly in Lima, the audience seemed very engaged and open. It is so fun to perform for an audience when you really get the sense that they are so supportive and invested in the performance. I find it makes me dance harder and commit even more to my character.

That said, being on tour is never without its challenges. Many of us struggled to adjust to the high altitude in Cusco. I certainly noticed that in certain sections of the choreography where I didn't usually feel particularly tired, I was suddenly feeling like I was gasping for breath! I also got a stomach bug while I was there and had to take care to rest and pace myself so I could resume performing. It's just a reminder that no matter what happens, you've got to roll with the punches and be as professional as you can!

One of the things I loved most about this trip and others I have taken with the company to Mexico and Egypt is the opportunity to meet new people. From the students who took our master classes to the Peruvians who assisted our stage crew, we made some new friends and as all of us did our best to speak each other's language. We also got to meet Linda Gonzales, the cultural attache, who was so warm and welcoming.

We had time to explore the country a bit, too. Of all the sightseeing we did, I was most excited to visit Machu Picchu. The ruins are really incredible and the Andes are even more massive and majestic than I could've imagined. We also visited churches, museums, the Pacific Ocean, and more than our fair share of souvenir shops.

After a whirlwind trip, we're now back in D.C. and on a brief break. We'll resume rehearsal in August, when we'll ramp up our preparation for our October performance at Dance Place. With a brand new work on the program (a piece called "Island," that tells the story of Chinese immigrants trapped at Angel Island and employs some pretty neat new multimedia elements), we're going to have our work cut out for us!
–Sarah Halzack