Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company New York City Season 2008!

Book tickets now by calling 800-650-0246 or visit www.nainichen.org

Nai-Ni Chen Teaches Technique and Repertory Workshop at Peridance

Nai-Ni Chen will be conducting an intensive workshop at Peridance

June 9-13
11:30 am

Call Peridance at 212-505-0886
or visit Peridance

Peridance Center
International Dance School
890 Broadway
6th Floor
New York, NY

NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY SEEKS DANCERS FOR OUR 2008-09 SEASON

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is seeking full-time male and female dancers for
our 2008-09 season.
Strong dance technique and
performance background are required.

All ethnic backgrounds are welcome.

Appropriate attire required; leotard preferred.
Please bring current résumé and photo to the audition.

National touring and
educational programs year round

Work begins in July 2008
Call the Company to make an audition appointment at 800-650-0246

or email matthew@nainichen.org

Auditions
June 12 & 13, 2-6 pm

Callback
June 16, 12-4 pm

at
Harlem School of the Arts
645 St. Nicholas Ave. (between 141 & 145 Sts)
New York

Subways
A/B/C/D to 145 St

To find out more about the Company,
visit our website
www.nainichen.org

REMINDER!
Join us for our 2008

New York Season!
Ailey Citygroup Theater
May 23 & 24 at 8 pm

Call for tickets: 800-650-0246
or visit
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

Adult
$30
Student/Senior/Child
$15

Ailey Citigroup Theater
405 W. 55 St.
New York, NY

Review: Graceful and dynamic, Nai-Ni Chen troupe summons potent flow of Chinese energy

Monday, April 21, 2008
BY ROBERT JOHNSON
Star-Ledger Staff

DANCE

Although she spends most of her time now sculpting movements that other people will perform, choreographer Nai-Ni Chen remains a wonderful dancer. Whenever she returns to the stage, in a solo like "Passage to the Silk River," Chen's grace and agility elevate performances by her Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company to a higher plane.

Chen danced "Passage to the Silk River" again, on Friday, probably so her company could recover between two athletic, full-throttle dances. Yet once again Chen's unassuming presence, draped in a white robe with long sleeves that descended below her hands, immediately brought the evening into sharper focus. The troupe, which is based in Fort Lee, appeared at the Theater of Raritan Valley Community College, in North Branch.

Curiously in this quiet, inward-looking solo the gushing images that the performer creates with the traditional "water sleeves" of her costume seem to emerge from her reverie. Despite the fleeting definition of sharply cut shapes, the dance has a restless quality and it can surprise -- for example, in a passage where Chen drops suddenly for a roll on the ground that exposes her feet. While "Passage to the Silk River" seems to hold opposing tendencies in balance, Chen's gentle expression lends the work poetry. She seems as spontaneous and free as a cloud passing overhead.

The group numbers on this satisfying program of (mostly) contemporary dance evinced a broad, dynamic range, from the delicacy of "Raindrops," where hands extended to catch the spattering rain or mimicked the torrent's course along the ground, to the impassioned duel between Selena Chau and Noibis Licea that comes at the center of "The Way of Five -- Fire." Yet in all these pieces, the transfer of energy seems to complete a cycle.

Rooted in traditional Chinese philosophy, Chen's work has a holistic quality that relates to the guided flow of "chi" energy through the body and across the stage. In "Raindrops," the dancers relay a movement impulse across space without touching, as if exchanging an air kiss. In "Unfolding," the dancers' wrists connect as if to pass an electric current. The performers draw deep breaths and empty their lungs, yet their motion remains calm, effortless and sustained. This use of breath may remind some viewers of the way a swimmer turns his head to gulp a mouthful of air, without interrupting his body's efficient slice through the water.

Chen sometimes uses simple props, as well as bodies, to define the stage space. Qiao Zeng was a fisherman punting upstream in "The River of Dreams," where his pole became a line dividing up and downstage areas, back and front. The pole also connects Zeng to the river spirit (Lindsey Parker) who is his constant companion; and it supports their intermingling.


In contrast, the batons that guest artist Lu Wen-Long deployed in his solo "The Legend of the Double Spear Warrior," were for virtuosic effect, making this spectacularly costumed but slightly off-balance excerpt from Kunque Opera resemble a kind of halftime show.

With its masked folkloric characters and towering giantess, the concluding "Festival" offered more than just a reduced version of the beloved Chinese New Year celebration that is a highlight of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's dance season. Yet here, too, intensely hued ribbons dazzled as the dancers tossed the ribbons in vivid streams, and wrapped themselves in whorls of bright fabric.


Robert Johnson may be reached at rjohnson@starledger.com.

NEW YORK CITY SEASON 2008

NEW YORK CITY SEASON
May 23 & 24, 2008
Limited Engagement - Book your seats now!

NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY
New York City Season 2008
at the
AILEY CITIGROUP THEATER
A diverse program of contemporary dance
celebrating the extraordinary work of
Nai-Ni Chen

"Three-dimensional poetry" - The Village Voice

Friday, May 23
Saturday, May 24
8 pm

Featuring
The Way of Five, No. 3 - Water
The Way of Five, No. 2 - Fire
(New York City premieres)
Raindrops
Incense
Unfolding
The River of Dreams

Artistic Director/Choreographer
Nai-Ni Chen

Dancers
Selena Chau, Julie Fiorenza,
Chu-Ying Ku, Noibis Licea, Teri Miller,
Lindsey Parker, Wei Yao, Qiao Zeng

THE AILEY STUDIOS
405 W. 55 Street
New York, NY


Tickets
$30 Adults
$15 Students/Seniors/Children

"Like endlessly proliferating forces of cosmic energy"
-The New York Times

To make reservations, call the Company at
(800) 650-0246
or visit
www.nainichen.org

Spring News!

Spring Newsletter

March 2008

The 2007-08 season is proving to be one of our busiest and most successful to date. With performances at home in New York and New Jersey and a busy touring schedule, as well as extensive dance-in-education involvement across the tri-state area, Nai-Ni and her talented dancers continue to be in high demand for performances, master classes, and workshops throughout the year.

"Chen... brings wide-ranging experience and sophistication."
-Robert Johnson
Star-Ledger

If you are a presenter, school or university interested in booking the Company or would like further information about our programs, please contact us at:

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
PO Box 1121
Fort Lee, NJ
07024

info@nainichen.org
www.nainichen.org

(800) 650-0246


The Year of the Rat Celebrating the
Chinese New Year!
The Company recently presented its tenth annual Chinese New Year celebration at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Victoria Theater in Newark.

During a week-long series of performances, the Company entertained both school and family audiences with a diverse program, from the traditional Lion and Triple Peacock dances to the premiere of Nai-Ni's latest contemporary work, The Way of Five, No. 3 - Water, with a commissioned score by Gerald Chenoweth performed live onstage by The Rutgers Percussion Ensemble live onstage.

"...a dynamic work that crackled and burned with passionate energy."

-Robert Johnson
Star-Ledger
(on The Way of Five, No. 2 - Fire)


Winter Tour

Continuing their winter engagements, Nai-Ni and the dancers recently traveled to cities in Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Jersey and New York, exposing new audiences to the Company's unique style.

A highlight of this tour was the performance at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit, home of the prestigious Detroit Symphony Orchestra. From an audience of over 1,500 people, thedancers received a standing ovation for their program of works celebrating the Chinese New Year.

Moving into Spring, in addition to performances in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, and Texas, the Company performed on March 9 as part of the Dance New Jersey Show Up & Dance Showcase at the Two Rivers Theater, Red Bank, New Jersey.
A Leader in Dance Education!

Education remains a strong focus for the Company. Programs at Shuang Wen School in Manhattan's Chinatown, the Asian Studies program at Symphony Space, also in Manhattan, and Project Poetry Live! in partnership with Litchfield Performing Arts, Connecticut, continue to enhance the Company's strong reputation in the field of dance and cultural education.

Company dancer Noibis Licea is currently guest teaching at Dance New Amsterdam (DNA) in New York. His dynamic and challenging Afro-Cuban class is proving very popular among the Lower Manhattan dance community!

Visit DNA for class times and prices!

NNCDC Performs at Two Rivers Theater, Red Bank, NJ

See Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company perform the exhilirating
Way of Five, No. 2 - Fire
at
Dance New Jersey's
Show Up & Dance event this Sunday, March 9!

Performance at 4 pm

Two River Theatre
21 Bridge Avenue
Red Bank, NJ

Dance New Jersey
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
PO Box 1121
Fort Lee, New Jersey 07024
1-800-650-0246

www.nainichen.org
info@nainichen.org
Forward email

Presenting the cross-cultural works
of Nai-Ni Chen at the
American Performing Arts Presenters Conference 2008

"... dripping with powerful emotion, wet and raw with new life."
Tresca Weinstein, Times Union, Albany, NY

The Company will present a diverse and entertaining selection of Nai-Ni's choreography, from traditional Chinese dances to challenging and thought-provoking contemporary works. Demonstrating the versatility of the Company's repertory and the performance and residency options available, the program will include Festival, a traditionally inspired work based on dragon boat races in China; The Way of Five, No. 2, a contemporary work with martial arts influences; and an excerpt from the multimedia piece Tianji/ Dragons on the Wall. Please visit our representative, Joanne Rile Artists Management, during the conference, and we look forward to seeing you at one of the showcase performances listed below.

City Center Studios
130 West 56th Street
New York, NY

Saturday, January 12
8:00 pm
Studio 5

Sunday, January 13
10:00 am
Studio 4

8:00 pm
Studio 5

Residency and education programs available
Represented by Joanne Rile Artists Management
215-885-6400/ info@rilearts.com
Booth: Americas Hall 2, #708

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company performs this weekend!

FINAL REMINDER!
PERFORMANCES AT
HARLEM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS THEATER
DECEMBER 8 & 9, 2007

Dragons on the Wall
Celebrating Ten Years in Residence at Harlem School of the Arts!

Featuring artistic director Nai-Ni Chen's signature piece, Dragons on the Wall/Tianji

Seats are limited - Buy Tickets Now!

Performances
Saturday, December 8, at 8pm
Sunday, December 9, at 3pm

Tickets

$15 Adult
$10 Child/Senior/Student


Harlem School of the Arts Theater
645 St. Nicholas Avenue (near 141st Street)
New York, NY

Subway: A, C, D to 145th Street

Visit Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
or call the Company at (800) 650-0246

Tianji/Dragons on the Wall was created in collaboration with composer Joan La Barbara and renowned Chinese poet Bei Dao. Originally commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts, NJPAC, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

NNCDC Returns to the Shuang Wen Dual Language Academy

NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY

An Inspiring Leader in Arts Education


Continuing its outstanding and innovative involvement in arts education, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is delivering another extensive after-school program at the Shuang Wen Dual Language Academy(PS 184M) in Chinatown, one of Manhattan’s most thriving and diverse neighborhoods. After her highly successful first year in residence at the school during 2006-07, which culminated in student and Company performances, Nai-Ni Chen has returned to share her unique approach to dance education through an expanded syllabus and an versatile and experienced team of teaching artists.

The Shuang Wen Dual Language Academy is the first facility of its kind on the East Coast, educating students in both English and Mandarin Chinese and incorporating the study of Chinese history, traditions, culture, and art. The school recognized Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company as an innovative arts provider with a strong history in educational programming for all ages and invited the Company to lead an after-school program of cultural and contemporary arts education.

During its first year in residence, the Company introduced students from the third to eighth grades to such traditions as the Lion, Ribbon, and Handkerchief dances, and to other related art forms, including Chinese music, martial arts, and Tai-Chi. This year, besides providing classes in traditional dance, the Company, under the guidance of Ms. Chen and in partnership with the school’s Chinese language teachers, will introduce modern dance, through a highly creative program that involves traditional and contemporary Chinese poetry. The Company also hopes to invite the participation of a Chinese artist with expertise in calligraphy, an ancient art form from which many artists, including Nai-Ni Chen herself, have drawn inspiration for their work.

With continued support from the Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP), and an enthusiastic response from the New York City Board of Education, the students at Shuang Wen are continuing to learn the importance of Chinese visual arts and how to apply their principles in creating movement for performance. Upon the completion of this three-year residency, the Company will leave to the students a strong legacy of discipline and commitment, an understanding of traditional Chinese dance and movement forms, an appreciation of contemporary artistic themes and ideas, and an understanding of their context in today’s Chinese society in New York City.