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.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
A NEW THEATER FOR DANCE AND A 10TH ANNIVERSARY
NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY CELEBRATES ITS TENTH YEAR IN RESIDENCE AT HARLEM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS WITH PERFORMANCES IN THE SCHOOL'S NEWLY RENOVATED THEATER, DECEMBER 8&9
Saturday December 8 at 8 PM; Sunday December 9 at 3 PM
Harlem School of the Arts Theater, 645 St. Nicholas Avenue (at 141st Street)
Tickets: $15; $10 for students & seniors
Reservations: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/21772
By Phone: 1-800-650-0246
"This choreographic whirlpool never
stops churning." The New York Times
"Tianji radiates visceral intensity."
Star-Ledger
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company announces two happy events - The Company will celebrate its 10th Anniversary in residence at the Harlem School of the Arts and will also be the first Company to appear in the newly renovated Harlem School of the Arts Theater, a welcome new dance space. The December 8 & 9 performances will feature the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in "Tianji - Dragons on the Wall, a major work created by Ms. Chen in collaboration with Nobel Prize Nominee in Literature Bei Dao and world renowned composer Joan La Barbara.
Ms. Chen took her inspiration from a work by Bei Dao, one of the best- known Chinese poets and leader of the Misty style of contemporary Chinese poetry. His work is characterized by its images of contrast and struggle, reflecting his experiences during the Cultural Revolution, and resonate with humanity's yearning for freedom around the world and throughout history.
Tianji
clanging tolls depart from the huge bell
chase a twinkling flock of birds
the Chi wanders in the world
gather, disperse but never gone
dynasties turn above the whirlpool
the bridge jumps to another language
until white paper falls
until the writing becomes possible
the bird's nest is empty
it is time to reveal TIANJI.
-Bei Dao
In Tianji - Dragons on the Wall, the collaborators (choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, poet Bei Dao, and musician Joan La Barbara) sought to convey the yearning for freedom that reflects their own journeys, their passages as artists, and their hopes for the future. The sound and stage design were inspired by the richly imaginative sounds and images in Bai Dao's poetry, and by discussions among the collaborators.
Why a reference to "dragons"? The dragon, a dominant symbol in Chinese culture, represents the power of nature and is often used to convey imperial dominance. Many myths and legends also connect the dragon with the human instinct to seek independence and freedom from oppression. In this work, the dragon is regarded as a symbol of freedom.
One legend in Chinese history centers around the painter Wu Dao-Tze of the Tang Dynasty. The famous artist once painted dragons on the wall for the emperor, but failed to draw in the eyes. When asked why, he replied that if the eyes were added, the dragons would fly away (implying that giving sight to the dragons is like giving freedom to the people). The emperor, however, ordered him to draw the eyes, and he complied. At night, thunder and rain fell upon the palace, its walls crumbled, and the painted dragons disappeared without a trace.
Dragons on the Wall was commissioned by the NJPAC World Festival, the NJPAC Arts Education Department, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The work was choreographed in the dance studios of the Harlem School of the Arts and supported by the school throughout the creative process. Additional support came from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation's ArtsEmerge Program, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State. The project was also supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company's next New York season will take place on
May 23-25 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.
Saturday December 8 at 8 PM; Sunday December 9 at 3 PM
Harlem School of the Arts Theater, 645 St. Nicholas Avenue (at 141st Street)
Tickets: $15; $10 for students & seniors
Reservations: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/21772
By Phone: 1-800-650-0246
"This choreographic whirlpool never
stops churning." The New York Times
"Tianji radiates visceral intensity."
Star-Ledger
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company announces two happy events - The Company will celebrate its 10th Anniversary in residence at the Harlem School of the Arts and will also be the first Company to appear in the newly renovated Harlem School of the Arts Theater, a welcome new dance space. The December 8 & 9 performances will feature the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in "Tianji - Dragons on the Wall, a major work created by Ms. Chen in collaboration with Nobel Prize Nominee in Literature Bei Dao and world renowned composer Joan La Barbara.
Ms. Chen took her inspiration from a work by Bei Dao, one of the best- known Chinese poets and leader of the Misty style of contemporary Chinese poetry. His work is characterized by its images of contrast and struggle, reflecting his experiences during the Cultural Revolution, and resonate with humanity's yearning for freedom around the world and throughout history.
Tianji
clanging tolls depart from the huge bell
chase a twinkling flock of birds
the Chi wanders in the world
gather, disperse but never gone
dynasties turn above the whirlpool
the bridge jumps to another language
until white paper falls
until the writing becomes possible
the bird's nest is empty
it is time to reveal TIANJI.
-Bei Dao
In Tianji - Dragons on the Wall, the collaborators (choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, poet Bei Dao, and musician Joan La Barbara) sought to convey the yearning for freedom that reflects their own journeys, their passages as artists, and their hopes for the future. The sound and stage design were inspired by the richly imaginative sounds and images in Bai Dao's poetry, and by discussions among the collaborators.
Why a reference to "dragons"? The dragon, a dominant symbol in Chinese culture, represents the power of nature and is often used to convey imperial dominance. Many myths and legends also connect the dragon with the human instinct to seek independence and freedom from oppression. In this work, the dragon is regarded as a symbol of freedom.
One legend in Chinese history centers around the painter Wu Dao-Tze of the Tang Dynasty. The famous artist once painted dragons on the wall for the emperor, but failed to draw in the eyes. When asked why, he replied that if the eyes were added, the dragons would fly away (implying that giving sight to the dragons is like giving freedom to the people). The emperor, however, ordered him to draw the eyes, and he complied. At night, thunder and rain fell upon the palace, its walls crumbled, and the painted dragons disappeared without a trace.
Dragons on the Wall was commissioned by the NJPAC World Festival, the NJPAC Arts Education Department, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The work was choreographed in the dance studios of the Harlem School of the Arts and supported by the school throughout the creative process. Additional support came from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation's ArtsEmerge Program, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State. The project was also supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company's next New York season will take place on
May 23-25 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.
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