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Award-winning performance artist, writer and teacher. Kwong draws upon his own life experiences to explore the personal, the historical, the social and the unspeakable. His solo works combine autobiographical storytelling with multimedia, dynamic physical movement, martial arts, and music. His work has been presented in Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Canada, England, Mexico, and all across the U.S. He is founder and curator of "Treasure in the House", the Asian Pacific American performance and visual art festival presented at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica since 1991. Kwong has received numerous fellowships including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, Asian Cultural Council, Art Matters Inc, Brody Arts Fund, Franklin Furnace, LA Cultural Affairs Department, California Community Foundation, Asia Pacific Performance Exchange, and has been nominated twice for the Alpert Award in the Arts. His first book, "From Inner Worlds to Outer Space: The Multimedia Performances of Dan Kwong" was recently published by The University of Michigan Press.

UPCOMING EVENTS for MR. KWONG:

- IT'S GREAT 2B _N AMERICAN
A new solo multimedia performance conceived, written and performed by Dan Kwong
Premieres July 10-13 at Highways Performance Space
(July 10 is a benefit show - all proceeds to Highways)

BACKGROUND:
Since 2000, Kwong has been putting most of his creative muscle into international collaborative projects in Asia: WOMEN WARRIOR TALES, FROM INNER WORLDS, THE ART OF RICE, THE MEKONG PROJECT and SLEEPING WITH STRANGERS have all taken Kwong to faraway places to live and work, including Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and China.

Inspired by his discoveries and realizations on these travels, IG2BA takes a funny and fierce look at being American Asian from both domestic and international perspectives. Inspecting the baggage that comes with a U.S. passport and Asian blood, Kwong’s first full length solo in nine years is packed with dynamic physicality, video projections, wacked-out props & costumes and ironic stories of patriotism run amok. IG2BA embraces the Ugly American within before shipping it off to rehab for compulsory de-programming.

- BE LIKE WATER
Dan's new stageplay is being produced by East West Players (in association with Cedar Grove Productions, directed by Chris Tashima). The World Premiere of BLW opens their season on September 11th(!) at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo.

I've spent the last 2 years working on this play, which is my first venture into the "traditional" theater genre. Unlike my solo performance art, it is a fictional story with multiple characters - and I'm not in it!

 

First Circle Productions
1629 18th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
DKBB12@aol.com

 

www.dankwong.com

 

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