Sean Dorsey Dance’s namesake founder needs no introduction.
But after two decades of groundbreaking work as a transgender, disabled, and queer dancer, choreographer, writer, educator, and activist, his upcoming milestone is simply too monumental to skip the lead-in.
And so: as the first widely recognized transgender modern-dance choreographer in the US, Dorsey has transformed the landscape of contemporary dance. He’s done this not only by creating award-winning work that fuses powerful storytelling and physical artistry, but also by founding Fresh Meat Productions, a nonprofit that has uplifted trans and gender-nonconforming artists since 2002 via its Fresh Meat Festival.
From sold-out performances and national tours to making history as the first openly trans artist on the cover of Dance Magazine, Dorsey’s impact stretches far beyond the stage.
After a first staging in September, Sean Dorsey Dance continues to mark its 20th anniversary home season with a powerful retrospective program Fri/11-Sun/13 at Dance Mission Theater, featuring fan-favorite works like “Lou”, “The Missing Generation,” and “The Secret History of Love.”
This return engagement arrives at a time when trans and LGBTQI+ communities are under attack—making Dorsey’s work more urgent, resonant, and necessary than ever.
I spoke with the choreographer about curating two decades of trailblazing artistry, why revisiting these pieces now feels essential, and how dance can be both a sanctuary and a form of resistance.
48 HILLS How does the 20th anniversary year feel to you? Did you ever think you’d persevere through two decades?
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SEAN DORSEY It feels seriously amazing to be celebrating 20 years! For a trans artist (facing the barriers and challenges we do), that’s like 100 years for a cisgender artist [laughs]. And then to be celebrating this milestone and revisiting my past work at this excruciating time of attacks and harm on our communities? This moment is affirming what I do; these haters are telling me I am on the exact right path; this is the work I’m on Earth to do. This is healing work; this is justice-serving work; this is Divine work. I create sanctuary.
48 HILLS Why did you select these particular pieces for this “best of” anniversary performance?
SEAN DORSEY Those three pieces were part of a trilogy of works that lift parts of queer and trans history that have been censored, buried, or forgotten. I’m so proud of that trilogy—and I also am passionate about sharing this history with audiences—so I knew I wanted to restage some of these three pieces.
From that trilogy, I knew immediately that I wanted to restage the entire suite of dances from “Lou.” I created “Lou” after hand-transcribing the lifelong diaries of trailblazing gay trans man activist Lou Sullivan (1951-1991). This piece is very close to my heart—and the process of creating that work changed my life. It’s a gorgeous and very moving piece.
Then I decided to add an excerpt from our show “Boys In Trouble” (2018) because we created it after and in response to the 2016 election. I thought to myself, “That show has a lot of powerful queer and trans sass and resistance; our audiences need this right now!”
48 HILLS What did you learn from the source material for these works that felt particularly transformative?
SEAN DORSEY As a longtime artist-activist, I’ve long studied and learned about our histories of struggle. But in 2012, I was like, “But what about our love? What about the history of our love?” To create the show “The Secret History Of Love,” I recorded oral history interviews with amazing LGBTQI+ elders in several cities across the United States, asking them, “Tell me about your first love,” and “How on earth did you hook up, connect, and find community in decades past, when everything about us was made illegal?”
Talk about timely. Here we are again. So you hear these folks’ real-life voices and remarkable stories in the soundscore—and how profoundly moving and inspiring!
To create “The Missing Generation,” I recorded 75 hours of oral histories with longtime survivors from the early part of the AIDS epidemic—a time when governments and elected officials murderously neglected and actively harmed our communities. Sound familiar?
I cannot describe how powerful and life-changing those conversations were. It is urgently important for us to keep that history alive; our current modes of activism and actions are so rooted in that time, but younger generations aren’t being taught that history. I’m passionate about working to change that.
48 HILLS Explain the importance of preserving trans history at a time when government officials are doing everything in their power to erase it.
SEAN DORSEY This anniversary show—and my work, in general—feels urgently important right now, more than ever. Elected and unelected officials have always tried to erase trans and queer histories, Indigenous histories and the truths of colonization, Black histories, and the histories of Deaf and disabled folks, so our histories survive only because we make sure they do. It’s literally up to us. If we don’t record, document, preserve, archive, and share our histories, they will be erased. Period.
We owe it to our Transcestors and ancestors, and we owe it to our descendants to preserve and share our history. I’m proud of the work I’ve done on this, and I’m fully aware I’m standing on the shoulders of all those who came before me, who did the heavy lifting.
48 HILLS You’ve said that this anniversary show isn’t just about legacy; it’s also about love and resistance. Please elaborate.
SEAN DORSEY As a human and as an artist, my North Star is love, kindness, and compassion. These guide everything I do. So yes, this anniversary show is a celebration of Sean Dorsey Dance’s legacy, but also our communities’ legacies of love, creative resistance, and gorgeous resilience. We need that touchstone right now.
This is my loving invitation: Come love up on each other, our history, our futures—come join us at this special anniversary gathering! All tickets are sliding scale from $5-50, with no one turned away for lack of funds. There is ASL interpretation at the Sun/13 4pm matinee, and Dance Mission Theater is wheelchair accessible with all gender bathrooms.
Because we love access and disability justice and taking care of each other, KN95 masks will be provided and required.
48 HILLS What do you hope audiences take away from this show?
SEAN DORSEY I think folks need to be in community right now: we’re all reeling from the despicable, cruel, and evil attacks on us, our bodies, our freedom of movement, and our freedom of expression. We need to be together right now. This anniversary show offers audiences a battery recharge and a nervous system reset. We’re offering queer and trans beauty, power, love, gorgeous artistry, and connection.
I hope audiences take away a real feeling of possibility and hope, that electric charge that comes from encountering powerful art. And I hope people take away inspiration in learning about these Transcestors and ancestors—a feeling of yes.
48 HILLS What’s coming up for you after this show?
SEAN DORSEY Well, a few days off, and then… making a new show! I’m called to dig in and respond to this intense time, to generate new work that will offer something beautiful and juicy and healing for our communities.
We’ll be creating all year and will premiere the work in spring 2026 before touring. And after this 20th anniversary show, audiences can see Sean Dorsey Dance at the 24th annual Fresh Meat Festival of trans and queer performance (June 19-21 at Z Space). I founded Fresh Meat Productions in 2002 and now co-run it with managing director Eric Garcia (with our tiny but mighty staff family!)—and we have a ton of gorgeous offerings coming up.
SEAN DORSEY DANCE’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY HOME SEASON Fri/11-Sun/13. Dance Mission Theater, SF. Tickets and more info here.
