Company Description

Baker & Tarpaga Dance Project is a transnational contemporary dance company based in Los Angeles, California and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.  Drawing from West African and post-modern dance, the dancers and musicians perform rhythmic intensity with soulful expression.  BT Dance Project’s work is provocative and highly physical addressing themes of immigration, displacement, love and the physical boundaries between violence and peace.

Company History

Baker & Tarpaga Dance Project was founded in 2004 by choreographers Esther Baker-Tarpaga and Olivier Tarpaga.  From 2005-2007 this husband and wife team performed and taught in 12 countries throughout Africa, Asia, America, Europe, and Australia. Recipient of numerous grants and a cultural ambassador for the Department of State, Esther received her MA and MFA in Dance from UCLA.  Co-founder of internationally acclaimed Burkinabe Companie TA, Olivier moved to the USA in 2002 and is a part-time dance faculty at UCLA, Los Angeles Music Center, and LAUSD. Both are performers in David Rousseve/REALITY’s new project “Saudade.” In 2006 choreographer Wilfried Souly, who is co-founder of Compagnie TA and has collaborated with Robert Battle and Eric Mezzino, joined BT Dance Project.

COLLABORATORS AND PERFORMERS