MEAN overlays personal words on top of personal movement, revealing parallel processes of reflection, deconstruction, and reconstruction. The journey for self-worth is illustrated by the physical and emotional exhaustion it takes to get there.
Premiered August 2012.
Watch the full performance.
Press
Debating his identity, US-based dancer Tom Tsai ties himself in brilliant knots, verbally and physically. - Zoe Anderson, The Independent
…my favourite solo was MEAN, by the almost incandescently bright Taiwanese-American Tom Tsai. - Donald Hutera, The Times
a notable highly physical and intelligent solo… - Rachael Nanyonjo, London Dance
His b-boy background knitted seamlessly with a modern dance sensibility of performing to spoken word. - Beth Megill
…concert dance, spoken word, and street dancing can be brought together with beauty and style. - Jessica Kondrath, Long Beach Post interview
Performances
April 30-May 3, 2015 — Pomona College Spring Dance Concert @ Seaver Theater, Claremont, CA
April 11, 2015 — Robert Cohan/Yorke Dance Project/Pennington Dance Group @ ARC Pasadena, Pasadena, CA
September 20, 2014 — Performance & Workshop @ Solid Ground Movement, Amsterdam, Netherlands
September 18 & 21, 2014 — Festival de Keuze @ Rotterdamse Schouwburg, Rotterdam, Netherlands
May 17, 2014 — TEDxRushU: Mind Over Matter @ Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
May 3-4, 2014 — Breakin’ Convention @ Sadler’s Wells (Lilian Baylis Studio), London, UK
+ March 22-23, 2014 — REVERBdance Festival @ Baruch Performing Arts Center, New York, NY; audience-voted winner of REVERB Award
+ March 16, 2014 — Fertile Ground presented by Dance Entropy @ Green Space, Long Island City, NY
+ March 8-9, 2014 — The Current Sessions: Volume IV, Issue I @ Wild Project, New York, NY
+ February 21, 2014 — FIRST LOOK presented by Gowanus Art + Production @ The Green Building, Brooklyn, NY
November 1-3, 2013 — BLOW presented by Pennington Dance Group @ ARC Pasadena, Pasadena, CA
September 5-6, 2013 — AbunDANCE International Dance Festival, Karlstad, Sweden; supported in part by the FCA Emergency Grant
August 24, 2013 — Salon Night presented by Long Beach Dance Foundation @ Bungalow Arts Center, Long Beach, CA
June 22, 2013 — PPP #11: SALTA’s One Year Anniversary @ Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, Oakland, CA
November 2-3, 2012 — Friends/Family/Dance/Festival presented by Nancy Evans Dance Theatre @ Porticos Art Space, Pasadena, CA
August 31-September 1, 2012 — Mix Match Dance Festival presented by Hart Pulse Dance Company @ Miles Memorial Playhouse, Santa Monica, CA
+ shows & series that made up the MEAN 2014 New York Tour, which was generously supported by Pennington Dance Group, Aaron Ngor, Alex Chin, Alexandra Shilling, Anny Chen, Arthur Lien, Calvin Chen, Chris Phillips, Christopher Chen, Christopher Kuo, Dan Chang, David Khim, David Olsen, Deb Flemming, Eric Tsai, Erica Duh, Gail Abrams, Gregger Kay, Harold Li, Hsiu-Hui Tseng, Indah Boyle, Irene Watson, Jaleea Price, JC & Abby Duh, Jessica Huang, Jill Adler-Moore, Jim Tsou, Joel Smith, John Pennington, Karen Lin, Katie Lin, Kelly Adachi, Kevin Cheung, Kevin Hsu, Kevin Shih, Krystal Matsuyama, Kira, Laureen Liang, Li & Edgar Rothermich, Lu Chou, Lydia Chen, Michael Szanyi, Michelle Fuang, Nick Perry, Phil & Leslie Tsao, Recreator, Roberta Shaw, Shel & Justin Rasch, Shuchin Lin, Steph Wu, Sydney Freggiaro, Victoria Wolfe, Vivian Peng, Yejay Ying, Yolande Yorke-Edgell, Yuka Aoki, and Yvette Wulff