Sean Dorsey is a Canadian-American transgender and queer choreographer, dancer, writer and trans rights activist.
[11] "Creative" also focused on the idea of physical ornamentation as a negotiation of power and a way to demonstrate discrimination against queer and transgender individuals.
[11] The second piece, "Lou," is a 45-minute suite of dances performed by Dorsey, Brian Fisher, Juan de la Rosa, and Nol Simonse.
[11] "Lou" consists of 12 sections, and is based on two major textual sources: Sullivan's lifelong collection of journals, and Dorsey's own writing.
[20] "Uncovered: The Diary Project" fights the possibility of historical erasure that transgender people like Dorsey or Sullivan are subject to.
[23] "The Secret History Of Love" reveals the underground ways that trans and LGBTQ people managed to not only survive but also thrive in decades past, despite tremendous obstacles.
These elders' voices and remarkable real-life stories are featured in the work's multi-layered soundscore, along with Dorsey's own writing and central narration.
[21] In older generations, "the LGBTQ community maneuvered, took root despite intolerance, repression and violence against them while implicitly asking the question: will the coming acceptance of alternative lifestyles eventually win broad public approval?
While the AIDS crisis was most prominent in the 1980s, Dorsey's work emphasizes the importance of intergenerational sharing and the retainment of history.
[28] The score was composed by Alex Kelly, Ben Kessler, Jesse Olsen Bay, and Jeffrey Alphonsus Mooney.
[27] While political leaders failed to acknowledge or respond to the AIDS pandemic, there was a revolutionary sense of solidarity and compassion within trans and queer communities.
[34] "Boys In Trouble" is an 80-minute dance-theater work that unpacks contemporary American masculinity with unflinching honesty and from unapologetically trans and queer perspectives.
[34] The work is performed by the 5 dancer-performers of Sean Dorsey Dance (Sean Dorsey, Brian Fisher, ArVejon Jones, Nol Simonse and Will Woodward),[35] with original music by Alex Kelly, Jesse Olsen Bay, Ben Kessler, Grey Reverend and Anomie Belle.
[36] "Boys In Trouble" utilizes Dorsey's signature mix of full-throttle contemporary dance, storytelling, queer partnering, dialogue and monologues and humor to explore themes including toxic masculinity, body shame, whiteness, racism, trans identity, Black queer love and joy, and humorous send-ups of 'butch' and 'macho' identities.
[37][34][38] Critical responses and reviews have called "Boys In Trouble" “a visually stunning, emotionally rich, and profoundly timely examination of masculinity and gender by one of the nation’s most visionary choreographers,” (Bay Times)[37] “poignant … Dorsey’s signature mix of happiness, heartbreak, confessional dialogue, salty language, goofy humor and gorgeous partnering,” (San Francisco Chronicle)[34] and “lush, expansive dance … poignant” (KQED).
[39] "Boys in Trouble” was commissioned by Bates Dance Festival, Dance Place (Washington, DC), Highways Performance Space (Los Angeles, CA), Maui Arts & Cultural Center (Maui, HI), Seven Stages (Atlanta, GA), and the Queer Cultural Center (San Francisco, CA).
This 70-minute work invites audiences to reconnect with longing, embrace expansive imagination, connect with joy and pleasure, and move toward loving futures.
[41] Critical responses called "The Lost Art Of Dreaming" a "lush meditation on longing, and a raucous, sensual celebration of our right to joy and pleasure … all performed exquisitely by a stellar cast of dancers" (Bay Times)[41] and "expressive dancers, spectacular couture costumes and an uninhibited, enthusiastic embrace of joy" (KQED).
[42] The work is performed by the 5 dancer-performers of Sean Dorsey Dance (Sean Dorsey, Brandon Graham, Héctor Jaime, David Le, and Nol Simonse, with original music composed by: Jesse Olsen Bay, Anomie Belle, LD Brown, Frida Ibarra, Alex Kelly, Ben Kessler and Kelsey Lu.
[43] "The Lost Art Of Dreaming" utilizes Dorsey's signature mix of contemporary dance, storytelling, queer partnering, dialogue and monologues and humor.
[47] Other choreographic works by Sean Dorsey include My Unmistakable Chosen (2001), A Small Class of Words (2002), Hero (2003), Reply Here (2012) and choreography for a music video by Anohni that was directed by The Wachowskis (2008).
Dorsey is called a "pioneer in dance,"[53][54] for "bringing transgender issues and bodies alongside others to the stage in humane, poignant, visually stunning, and often funny ways.
His combination of archival practice, artistic collaboration, and grassroots activism, make his performances sites for historical production.
[56] Other critics emphasize how he provides an example of the power of art for people undergoing transitions, changes, or traumas and the revolutionary and liberatory possibilities of "finding joy through queer and transgender bodies and experiences, ultimately asserting the value of these lives through their celebratory presence in performance.
The short was Directed by Lindsay Gauther, Produced by Kelly Whalen and Masha Pershay, with Cinematography by Elie M. Khadra, and has screened at more than 20 international film festivals.