Sneak Peek of Renowned Trans Choreographer's First New Show in 4 Years

The Lost Art of Dreaming

Sean Dorsey, the country's leading trans dancer/choreographer, reveals his first new program in four years, November 18-20, in San Francisco.

The Lost Art of Dreaming by the Sean Dorsey Dance company is an all-new dance-theater work that invites audiences to embrace longing, imagination, and joy to ring in anmore loving future. The production is a fusion of contemporary dance, soul-stirring music, intimate storytelling, and exquisite (queer) partnering.

Dorsey explains, “At a time when America is experiencing escalating, hate-fueled violence, increased attacks on trans and LGBTQ+ communities, and a clamp-down on civil rights and liberties, The Lost Art of Dreaming expansively imagines our futures, disrupting long-entrenched constructs that deny our communities the space to dream.”

Sean Dorsey Dance company

The Lost Art of Dreaming is performed by an ensemble of five trans, queer and gender-nonconforming dancers – with a layered soundscore featuring original and commissioned music. The troupe includes Sean Dorsey, Brandon Graham, Héctor Jaime, David Le, and Nol Simonse.

The work is choreographed, written and directed by Sean Dorsey, founder and artistic director of Sean Dorsey Dance. Original music composed by Jesse Olsen Bay, Anomie Belle, LD Brown, Frida Ibarra, Alex Kelly, Ben Kessler and Kelsey Lu. Costume design by Tiffany Amundson, Krystal Harfert and Melissa Castaneda. Lighting design by Clyde Sheets. Technical direction by Emily Paulson. Soundscore engineering by Grace Coleman.

Sean Dorsey in The Lost Art of Dreaming

Sean Dorsey is a San Francisco-based choreographer, dancer, writer, and activist. Recognized as the U.S.’ first acclaimed transgender modern dance choreographer, Dorsey has toured — and taught his explicitly body- and trans-positive dance pedagogy — in more than 30 cities across the US and abroad. It frequently takes him 3 years in deep relationship LGBTQ+ communities to develop a new program. Dorsey's previous award-winning projects include Boys in Trouble and The Missing Generation.

Following the world premiere of The Lost Art of Dreaming, Sean Dorsey Dance will launch a 10-city national tour to Seattle, Maui, Washington DC, Reston, Martha’s Vineyard, American Dance Festival in Durham, and Atlanta beginning in spring 2023, with more US cities and 2023-24 tour dates to be announced.

The Lost Art of Dreaming was commissioned by American Dance Festival, Dance Place (Washington DC), 7 Stages (Atlanta GA), Velocity Dance Center (Seattle WA), Queer Cultural Center (San Francisco CA), and Yerba Buena Gardens Festival; and developed through residencies with the National Choreography Center in Akron (Akron OH).

Sean Dorsey Dance's Brandon Graham

Brandon Graham (he/they) was born in Rochester New York and trained at School Of The Arts and Odasz Dance Theatre under Jessica Odasz. He graduated from Alonzo King Lines BFA program in 2020 and they have been doing freelance work with Kristin Damrow, David Herrera Performance Company, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Alyssa Mitchel and more. This is Graham’s first season with Sean Dorsey Dance.

Sean Dorsey Dance's David Le

David Le (he/they) is a San Jose native who grew up doing Vietnamese cultural dance, taiko drumming, and martial arts. At San Jose State University he was a member of SJSU’s pre-professional company University Dance Theater from 2014 to 2019. They performed works under the direction of Gary Masters, Raphael Boumaila, and Heather Cooper. Le earned the Hawes Award for Excellence in Performance for 2016-17 and Outstanding Graduating Dance Senior in 2019. Upon earning a degree in Dance and Kinesiology, they continued their passion for learning about the body by becoming a Certified Neuromuscular Therapist.

Le’s movement influence blends the cultural, Hip-Hop, and classical styles of San Jose. He is an active member of the community, where he guides in opening dance studios, attends dance sessions centered around inclusion, and is currently curating his own practice of dance and bodywork. He is a company member of sjDANCEco, Decypher Dance Company, Quirk Dance, Archive, and Barron&Co. They are excited for their first season with Sean Dorsey Dance!

Sean Dorsey Dance's Nol Simones

Nol Simonse (he/him) grew up in Washington, D.C., and trained at the Boston Conservatory of Music. He moved to San Francisco in 1997, and is a founding member of Kunst-Stoff, Janice Garrett and Dancers, Garrett+Moulton Productions, and Sean Dorsey Dance. Simonse teaches at Lines Dance Center and Shawl-Anderson Dance Center. This is his 15th season with Sean Dorsey Dance.

Sean Dorsey Dance's Héctor Jaime

Héctor Jaime (they/she/he) was born and raised in Mexicali, Baja California, México. They began their training with Manuel Torres in El Centro Estatal de las Artes (CEART) and attended a couple of summer intensives in the US throughout high school. She was one of the recipients of The Herb Alpert Foundation Scholarship when she attended the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) in 2015. Héctor graduated from the Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet BFA Program in San Francisco. He's a member of Sean Dorsey Dance and Dawson Dance SF, and appears in the dance film Falling Up directed by Detour Dance Company and Maurya Kerr. Jaime is a ballet instructor at Stapleton School of Arts and a teaching artist with the Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s HeART with LINES program. Recently, she became part of the 2022 LatinXtensions Cohort, a 12-month program advising emerging Latinx dance artists in developing their professional artistic practice. Jaime recently founded their own company, Xochipilli Dance Company, based in the San Francisco Bay Area.