Celebrating Chinese New Year: serpentine dancers greet the Year of the Snake

By Robert Johnson/The Star-Ledger
on February 05, 2013 at 11:41 AM, updated February 05, 2013 at 12:00 PM

Min Zhou and the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in 'Double Lions Welcoming the Spring'

The lions who announce the Chinese new Year are large enough to hold two people inside, but they're not man-eaters.

They're adorable puppets with orange fur and painted heads.  When they snap at a toy, their jaws shut with a dull, wooden clap.

These lions don't need to roar.  Just being a lion puppet is enough.  "The lions chase away evil and bring good luck for the coming year," says choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, whose Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company celebrates the Lunar New Year with a program at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center this weekend.

"Double Lions Welcoming the Spring" is a favorite item on these concers, which combine colorful traditions from Chinese dance and opera with music, acrobatics and a taste of Chen's contemporary work.  Since the incoming year is the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, the festivities will have a serpentine theme.

A highlight will be an excerpt from the opera "Legend of the White Snake."  The White Snake is a beautiful goddess who, in the dramatic finale, must battle with the Crane and with the Deer to obtain a sacred herb that will save her husband's life.

Chen says that Ying Chan Li, who specializes in the female warrior roles known as "Wu Dan," will play the White Snake in an ornamental headdress that an expert dresser needs two hours to assemble.  "You're going to see fantastic cosutmes," she promises.

Less spectacular but still charming, 15 children from the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company's youth ensemble will perform "The Golden Snake," a ribbon dance whose undulating patterns follow the snake's slithering path.

An ensemble of six women will perform the rhythmic "Coin-stick Dance" of the Bai cultural minority, shaking wands that double as musical instruments.  New company member Ying Shi will be the featured soloist in "The Song of the Water Lily."

Folk dances such as this one, Chen says, are choreographed by teams and taught throughout China after making an appearance at national competitions.  The authentic parts of the dance, she says, are the turns and spirals that appear as the dancer coordinates the movements of her head and hands with small running steps.  The fan that spreads to resemble a blossoming flower is a modern invention, however.

The men of the company will have a chance to remove their lion costumes and strech in a new version of Chen's contemporary piece "Whirlwind," based on her experiences traveling the old Silk Road in China.

While this piece remains a work in progress, Chen says she has added an athletic section for the men inspired by Mongolia's favorite sports: wrestling and horseback rideing/  "to them the horse is scared.  A lot of the movements are very bold."  "Whirlwind" has music by Glen Velez.

Audience members can also sign up to attend a Chinese New Year Banquet, following the show on Sunday.  Chen says she keeps the banquet in mind when programming the dances.  Balancing flavors is the key.

Link to original article: http://www.nj.com/entertainment/arts/index.ssf/2013/02/celebrating_chinese_new_year_s.html

BWW Reviews: Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is a NJ PAC Sensation Read more about BWW Reviews: Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is a NJ PAC Sensation - BWWDanceWorld by dance.broadwayworld.com

Monday, February 11, 2013; 10:10 PM; by Marina Kennedy

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company ushered in the Chinese New Year, "The Year of the Serpent," with a thrilling display of artistry at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Saturday, February 9th and Sunday, February 10th.  The audiences that attended the matinee performances in NJPAC's Victoria Theater were enthralled by the grace, precision, and athleticism of the dancers.  With their intriguing choreography of traditional and modern Chinese dance, elaborate costuming, and a variety of music, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company succeeded in delighting persons of all ages.

The program featured an excellent variety of pieces from the colorful and fascinating folk dance, Double Lions Welcoming Spring to Year of the Serpent Celebration, performed by a charming group of dancers from the Nai-Ni Chen Youth Dance Program.  Whirlwind, a new dance choreographed by Nai-Ni Chen with music by Glen Velez, incorporated 8 dancers in a modern piece.  Chen took inspiration from her journey on the "Silk Road" which begins in China, passes through Central Asia and crosses many deserts and mountains on route to Europe.  The pacing of the piece was perfect and the dancers delivered it flawlessly.

The program ended with a celebratory piece, Festival, where blue flags symbolized the water waves to which people pray for a good harvest rain. The colorful silk ribbons skillfully used in the dance sybolized the prosperity of the village.  The company faschinated the audience as they made their way through Victoria Hall with a colorful model of an elaborate serpent.

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company brings the dynamic freedom of American modern dance together with the elegant splendor of Asian art.  The company has toured throughout the United States and abroad, gaining national and international recognition for their artistry.  For additional invormation about the company, their programs, or dance classes, visit their website, www.nainichen.org or call (800) 650-0246.

Link to original article: http://dance.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Reviews-Nai-Ni-Chen-Dance-Company-is-a-NJ-PAC-Sensation-20130211

Hillsborough elementary students get schooled on Chinese culture

By Walter O'Brien/NJ.com
on February 03, 2013 at 1:57PM, updated February 03, 2013 at 3:42 PM

Sunnymead fourth graders doing calligraphy.

HILLSBOROUGH - Elementary students at borough schools had the opportunity to experience Chinese culture first hand thanks to an extended visit from the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.

The Sunnymead Elementary School held a school-wide assembly Tuesday featuring the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company of Fort Lee to help students incorporate Chinese culture into their studies, including learning calligraphy in art classes and singing Chinese songs in music classes, according to Kia Bergman, community outreach coordinator for Hillsborough Township Public Schools.

The dance company features multi-cultural, interactive dance programs with costumes and props to expose young people to one of the most ancient cultures of the world through music, dance and narration, according to its website.

For nine weeks, the schools' new elementary World Languages Program presented visits from the dance company for elementary students at Amsterdam, Woods Road, and Sunnymeade schools, culminating in the assembly presentation.

Students performed dances with members of the company incorporating Chinese martial arts and a traditional ribbon dance, while helping to reinforce Chinese language studies at the schools.

Nai-Ni Chen Dancer performing for Sunnymead School.

Photos courtesy of HIllsborough Township Public Schools

Link to original article: http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2013/02/hillsborough_students_get_scho.html