Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Announces The Bridge Classes for March 22-26

NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY has announced The Bridge Virtual Dance Institute's schedule for its free one-hour company class on Zoom. Classes are open to all dancers at an Intermediate to Advanced Level March 22-26, 2021. Interested dancers can join the class by registering on Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company's website: https://www.nainichen.org/thebridge.

The Bridge Class schedule are as follows:

Week of 3/22/2021

Monday Yuka Notsuka (Kinetic Spiral)

Tuesday Juana Cala (Flamenco: Rhythm and Movement) at 11am

Wednesday Nai-Ni Chen (Kinetic Spiral) at 11am

Thursday Andrij Cybyk (Ukrainian Dance) at 11am

Friday Greta Campo (Kinetic Spiral) at 11am

About Nai-Ni Chen's Kinetic Spiral

Tap into the creative energy of the universe through Kinetic Spiral. Nai-Ni Chen's signature technique is based on the principle of ever-changing universal forces of Yin and Yang. Dance phrases from Nai-Ni Chen's repertory will be taught.

About Juana Cala and Flamenco: Rhythm and Movement

The class will begin with several brief facts about the origin of Flamenco and then proceed to: Flamenco posture, Warmup, Flamenco arm work (Braceo), Flamenco footwork (Taconeo), Flamenco rhythm (compas), Culminating choreographic sequence

About Andrij Cybyk and Ukrainian Dance

Take a Ukrainian Dance class with master teacher Andrij Cybyk.

In this trying time of change and uncertainty, the arts is a source of healing and unity, we would like to encourage everyone to support dance as dance is an essential medicine for the society to recover from the pandemic that has caused injury to our bodies and our hearts. Support for The Bridge can be sent through https://nainichen.org/donate.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has established a new dance institute through Zoom, The Bridge. The Institute's aim is to bring together dancers, choreographers and directors around the world to experience the master teachers of color whose practices are embedded in the community and are focused on advancing the art of dance that transform the personal, environmental and metaphysical spaces.

As a virtual dance institute, The Bridge will invite world renowned as well as up and coming dancers and choreographer to come to guest teach the class. Advanced/Intermediate level professional or pre-professional dancers who are looking to explore beyond their own boundaries and looking for new dance experiences are encouraged to participate. The core program is based on Nai-Ni Chen's Kinetic Spiral, which is a cross-cultural dance vocabulary that integrates the Chinese martial arts philosophy in TaiChi with contemporary dance practices she studied in America. Guest artists will cover a wide range of folk and classical dance styles.

About the Artists

Juana Cala, Flamenco dancer, and choreographer has been performing and teaching Flamenco in the United States and Europe for more than 20 years. She performed as a soloist in the María Benitez Dance Company under the direction of Mario Maya, and then went on to form her own company, "Ensemble Flamenco Juana Cala", touring some of Europe's most prestigious theatres for 16 years, with much critical acclaim. In 1999 Juana was a professor of Flamenco in a Professional Arts Program for the European Union (a European equivalent to "The High School of Performing Arts"). She has been a resident Spanish Dance Professor in various universities across the United States. Juana has been a lead teaching artist for Flamenco Vivo for 10 years.

Greta Campo is the Associate Artistic Director of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, She began her dance training in her native Milan at the Carcano Theater, where she was first introduced to Martha Graham's work. She performed with the Martha Graham Dance Company in their 2012 New York Season and later on their international tour. Greta is a recipient of the 2016 Rising Star Award from the Fini Dance Festival.

Andrij Cybyk has devoted his professional career to the study and performance of traditional dance, largely of the Eurasian Region. He holds the title of Artist of Folk Ballet from the Virski School of Academic Ukrainian Folk Dance in Kyiv, Ukraine, and has taught for numerous organizations, including Dance Masters of America. Andrij has toured the world performing the traditional dances of the Eurasian region with companies such as Riverdance, the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, Nai Ni Chen Dance Company, ALLNATIONS Dance Company, Barynya, and Michael Mao Dance, among others. He is the former Artistic Director of the Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of NYC and the current Artistic Director of the Iskra Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Academy of Whippany, NJ.

Yuka Notsuka was born in Fukuoka, Japan, is a member of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company. She began her Ballet training in her hometown at age four. Later she broadened her training to include Jazz and Tap. Later Yuka moved to New York City to further pursue her career as a dancer. In 2015 she entered the Ailey School as a scholarship student. She performed in Ailey Spirit Gala Concert at Lincoln Center choreographed by Tracy Inman (Co-Director, The Ailey School) and Robert Battle (Artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater). Yuka joined the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in 2017. She also has been in training and served as Teaching Assistant at the Luigi Jazz Dance Center under Francis J. Roach.