Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company to Return To Live, In-Person Performances In June

After going virtual since March 2021 and creating several productions online, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has announced its return to performing for live audiences, both indoor and outdoor presentations, with Jamaica Dance Festival 2021 in NYC and Summer Heat Festival 2021 in Tulsa, OK. https://www.nainichen.org/.

The Company's first live audience-facing performance will be presented by the Jamaica Dance Festival outdoors at Rufus King Park. 150-29 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, New York on Saturday, June 12 at 7:30PM. The Jamaica Dance Festival is a program of A Better Jamaica, an advocacy organization for the community. On June 19th at 8PM, the Company will be performing for a live audience of less than 750 presented by the 2021 Summer Heat Festival held annually by Choregus Productions at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center's Chapman Music Hall which has a 2000 seat capacity.

During the pandemic, the Company held rehearsals online where each dancer worked with Nai-Ni Chen through the internet. As the rehearsal spaces and studios began to open, the Company returned to restricted in-person rehearsals. Today, all the Company members have been vaccinated and are now able to work together in-person as a company. We are thankful for the support of the relief funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF), New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Dance/NYC and the NJ Cultural Relief Fund administered by the Princeton Area Community Foundation.

With this support, Nai-Ni Chen and her dancers were able to create several new dances during the last 16 months, and these dances form the core of the productions to be shown in these festivals. With these new works and some of the most beloved work of the Company, Nai-Ni Chen hopes to highlight the role of the arts in the recovery process, not only as an artist, but also as a member of the Asian American artistic community. Highlights of the Program to be presented will include new works: Luminescence, a dance highlighting the importance of nature and conservation. Shadow Force, a new work on the importance of being connected and working together for equity and justice. Emissary of Light, a Asian movement centered solo that celebrates the healing power of nature. In addition, Nai-Ni Chen will present her powerful martial-arts infused The Way of Five - Fire, showing the spirit of the warrior. She is also bringing one of her signature dances, Whirlwind, a powerful eight dancers work inspired by her observation of a natural phenomenon on the Silk Road.