Monday, November 17, 2008

Celebrating the Chinese New Year of the Ox

For Immediate Release
November 11, 2008

Contact: Nancy Nicolelis
718.898.7002

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Celebrates the Year of the Ox at
South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC)
January 24 and 25, 2009

Golden Phoenix Award to be presented to Dr. Jane Aronson,
Founder of Worldwide Orphans Foundation,
at Chinese New Year Banquet Gala on Sat. January 24th, 2009

Fort Lee, NJ - The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company will celebrate the Year of the Ox at the South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange, NJ with a colorful and diverse program of music and dance that includes new and innovative works, as well as the traditional Chinese music and dance favorites.

The Company's celebration will include its annual Chinese New Year Banquet and Performance. This year, at the Banquet on Saturday, January 24, the Company will honor renowned adoption medicine specialist Dr. Jane Aronson, Founder and Executive Medical Director of the Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO), which is headquartered in Maplewood, NJ.

This year there will be two performances to celebrate the Year of the Ox at SOPAC: Saturday, January 24, at 2PM, and Sunday, January 25, at 2 PM. Continuing one of its most colorful traditions, at 4 PM on both Saturday and Sunday, the Company will host a festive New Year Banquet and Gala on the premises of SOPAC. A12-course Chinese New Year Banquet will be prepared by award-winning chef Ni of the Chinatown Restaurant in Harrison, NJ, which was awarded a five star rating from the New York Daily News food critic.

Ticket prices for both the banquet and performance are $95 per Adult and $39 per Child. Tickets for the performance only are $35 per Adult and $19 per Child. For those who have already purchased tickets for the performance from SOPAC, the additional cost of the banquet is $60 per Adult and $20 per Child

About The Celebration of Year of the Ox

On the Chinese lunar calendar, each year is symbolized by a different animal, and each cycle is represented by one of the five fundamental elements that the ancient Chinese believed made up the universe: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

This auspicious 4707th Chinese New Year is the Year of the Wood Ox. To celebrate this great occasion, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company will perform some of the most treasured traditional dances performed at the Chinese New Year—the Lion Dance and the Dragon Dance. Originated during the Tang Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago, these dances celebrate the coming of the spring and the harmony between nature and humankind. Showcasing the diversity of the traditional and contemporary Chinese performing arts, the company will perform a colorful folk dance from the Xingjian Province, an area near Central Asia on the Silk Road.

Besides the traditional favorites, choreographer Nai-Ni Chen will also premiere a new dance she has choreographed, New Frontier, which will be accompanied by live music performed by four-time Grammy Award-winning musician Glen Velez (www.GlenVelez.com).

This special Chinese New Year Celebration also will present some of the most skillful craft artists in New Jersey’s Chinese-American community in SOPAC’s lobby on the day of the performance. More Info about the performance and the Company can be found online at: www.nainichen.org

About World Wide Orphan Foundation (WWO) and Dr. Aronson

Founded in 1997, WWO’s mission is to transform the lives of orphaned children around the world by addressing their unique needs through medical, developmental, psychosocial and educational programs. WWO programs are designed to take children out of anonymity and help them to become healthy, productive members of their communities and the world. Among WWO’s worldwide endeavors is a humanitarian program in China. Dr. Aronson also has served as a medical consultant and provider to numerous American families who have adopted children from China, many of whom regularly attend the performances of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company throughout the U.S. For more info on Dr. Aronson and WWO, please visit: www.wwo.org.
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What: Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Chinese New Year celebration
Where: South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC)
One SOPAC Way, South Orange, NJ 07079
When: Saturday, January 24th, 2 PM and Sunday, January 25th, 2 PM
(each performance followed by a New Year Banquet at 4 PM)
Tickets: Performance and Banquet: $95 per Adult; $39 per Child
Performance Only: $35 per Adult; $19 per Child
Group discounts and special packages are available.

To Order Tickets
Call: 973. 313.ARTS (2787)
Online: www.sopacnow.org

Special sponsorship packages are also available:

Individual Contributor Package, $120: Includes one Performance and Banquet ticket and a DVD signed by the dancers.

Corporate Table Package, $2,000: Includes Performance and Banquet tickets for 12 Adults and 2 Children, a half page ad in the event program and a DVD signed by the dancers.