Alien of Extraordinary is a dance theatre piece born from the labyrinth of the U.S. artist visa system – a process that flattens human stories into forms and reduces lives to paperwork. Choreographed by Sun Kim, a South Korean immigrant who specializes in the street dance style of popping, the piece takes its name from the “alien of extraordinary ability” (O-1) visa and her own experiences with it. Performed by a cast of eight dancers, Alien of Extraordinary features theme music by klezmer musician and composer Michael Winograd. The piece is an invitation to witness the immigrant artist’s journey in all its fragility and resilience, creating a meeting ground for empathy, imagination, and shared belonging.

There will be a post-performance Q&A with Sun Kim and J. Brian Cho, an attorney who specializes in the O-1 Visa process, moderated by LPAC Artistic Director Handan Ozbilgin.

Alien of Extraordinary is created with the support of a Works & Process Residency at Modern Accord Depot (NY).

Sun Kim Dance Theatre's residency at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center is part of the CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI), which receives major support from The Mertz Gilmore Foundation and Howard Gilman Foundation. Additional support is provided by the SHS Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s Charles E. Culpeper Arts & Culture program, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and the Harkness Foundation for Dance. CDI is spearheaded by The Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College. www.cuny.edu/danceinitiative