Thursday, April 24, 2008

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.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

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
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