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.