Program for Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

SOPAC presents

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Awakening —

A Virtual Performance Saturday, April 10, 2021

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Presented by South Orange Performing Art Center

Choreographer: Nai-Ni Chen Dancers: Greta Campo, Ethan Gwynn, Candace Jarvis, Rio Kakuchi, Yuka Notsuka, Sonny Shiu, Evan Matthew Stewart Lighting Design: Yi-Chung Chen Special Guest: Robert Johnson

Generously supported by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

SEASON SPONSOR

Program Truth Bound (2019) Choreographer: Nai-Ni Chen Music: Joan La Barbara, Para Avis, Nocturnal Emissions Dancers: Greta Campo, Ethan Gwynn, Nai-Ni Chen Truth Bound was developed during a residency in Trier, Germany in reaction to the crisis of faith and trust today.

To find clarity, the seeker for truth must look deeper under the surface to discover the core. To make this dance, Nai-Ni Chen created movements with dancers using improvisation and her background in traditional Chinese theatrical movement and various styles of martial art.

Introspection (2019) Choreographer: Nai-Ni Chen Music: Jacob Ter Veldhuis, composer Recording of Pitch Black used courtesy of Innova Records, PRISM Quartet, and Jacob Ter Veldhuis Dancers: Sonny Shiu, Greta Campo, Evan Matthew Stewart, Yuka Notsuka In this piece, dancers use flashlights and shadows as a way to examine identity issues from different perspectives.

Luminescence (premiere) Choreographer: Nai-Ni Chen Music: Max Richter Dancers: Yuka Notsuka, Rio Kakuchi With nature’s grace, magic and wonder, we find sanctuary.

Through this dance the choreographer wishes to remind us that humans coexist with other life forms on earth. To discover the beauty in nature and to respect and protect the environment is essential.

Shadow Force (premiere) Choreographer: Nai-Ni Chen Music: Tamar-Kali, Max Richter, Somei Satoh Dancers: Evan Matthew Stewart, Candace Jarvis, Greta Campo, Sonny Shiu, Rio Kakuchi, Ethan Gwynn In isolation, we yearn for connection with others.

Artists Nai-Ni Chen Artistic Director/Choreographer has been creating dances professionally for over thirty years in the US. She has built a diverse repertory of over 80 original works and toured to major venues in the US and international festivals in 12 countries around the world.

A cross-cultural choreographer who aims to bring audience across the cultural boundaries, she has developed her unique movement and choreographic styles that reflect the grace and splendor of the Chinese cultural traditions she studied in Taiwan since youth and the dynamic spirit of modern dance that she acquired in New York from luminaries such as Mary Anthony, Bertram Ross, Doris Rudko and Patricia Rowe.

Nai-Ni Chen has received multiple years of Choreographer Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. She has been a principal affiliate of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and was a resident artist of the Harlem School of the Arts.

Commissioned dances include Peach Flower Landscape for the Lincoln Center Institute, Qian Kun for the Joyce Theater Foundation, Unfolding for Dancing in the Streets, The Three Riddles of Turandot for New Jersey Ballet, Unconquered Warriors for Dancing Wheels, and Water and Tiger Lily for BalletMet, The Way of Five for Towson University; Dragons on the Wall, a collaboration with Nobel Literature nominee Bei Dao and internationally acclaimed composer Joan La Barbara for the Alternate Roots Festival curated by Baraka Sele of New Jersey Performing Arts Center. She has set her choreography at Case Western Reserve University, Alvin Ailey School

professional development program, and Long Island University. In New York, she has taught at Mary Anthony Dance Studio, Peridance and NYU, where she received her MA in Dance and Dance Education.

For her contribution to the Chinese American culture, she has received awards from the New Jersey International Institute, the Organization of Chinese Americans, and Chinese American Chamber of Commerce. As a life-long dance educator she is the recipient of The Distinguished Service to the Field Award from the Association of Teaching Artistes in 2020. She has also served on Dance related panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, The NY State Council on the Arts and Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

Greta Campo Associate Artistic Director/

Dancer began her dance training in her native Milan at the Carcano Theater, where she was first introduced to Martha Graham’s work. At age 19, she began the Professional Training Program at the Martha Graham School in NYC and, after a couple of months, she joined Graham II, performing in ensemble and solo roles. She performed with the Martha Graham Dance Company in their 2012 New York Season and has also been traveling nationally and internationally with them. She completed the Teacher Training Program at the School.

Greta has performed choreographies by Pascal Rioult, Larry Keigwin and has worked with renowned choreographers, such as Eryc Taylor and Nejla Yatkin.

She was a founding member of Alison Cook Beatty Dance and she also received the 2016 Rising Star Award from Fini Dance Festival. Ms. Campo joined NNCDC in 2012.

Ethan Gwynn Dancer was born in State College, Pennsylvania where he began his dance training at the Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania under the guidance of Andrea Hill and Lane Grosser. Subsequently, he joined the Staycee Pearl Dance Project. He continued his training at both the Certificate Program of the Alvin Ailey American Dance School and the French Ballet Academy. Ethan has continued to perform with companies such as Project 44, Tanz Theater, Bloodline dance theater, Pennsylvania Dance Workshop, American Liberty Ballet Company, and Mystic Dance. Ethan has also worked with artists such as Matthew Rushing, Nicholas Vilenueve, Staycee Pearl, Andre Kosloski, and Leonie Stein.

Candace Jarvis Dancer originally from Brampton, Ontario, started her professional training at Bold Dance Company under the direction of Emilio and Stephanie Macri. She continued her training at The Ailey School as a Certificate Student. She has performed works by many choreographers including Amy Hall, Tracy Inman, Carlos Dos Santos and Norbert De La Cruz III. In 2013 Ms. Jarvis performed in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations Cast of 50 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and took part in Robert Battle’s New Directions Choreographers Lab at The Ailey School. Ms. Jarvis was a former member of Awaken Dance Theater under the direction of Rebekka Nodhturft. In 2015 she earned her Certificate of Honors from The Ailey School Certificate Program and joined the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.

Rio Kikuchi Dancer was born in Tokyo, Japan.

At the age of 3, Rio began ballet training at Studio Benus in Japan and later she was introduced to Tap and Jazz.

She took Summer Intensive at Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington DC in 2015. She also studied Ballet technique and Point work privately with Luis Villanueva. In 2017, Rio moved to New York and was offered a scholarship to study at The School of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In addition, she received a scholarship at Alonzo King Lines Ballet Summer Program in 2019. She has worked with Ronni Favors, Darshan Singh Bhuller and performed Memora with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater at New York City Center in 2018.

Evan Matthew Stewart Dancer originally from Buffalo, NY, began his dance training at Miss Barbara’s School of Dance and at the age of ten continued to advance his training at David deMarie Dance Studio in styles varying from contemporary to tap and ballet to jazz.

Evan also attended the Royal Academy of Ballet (Buffalo, NY) under the direction of Beth Waddell and while in college, attended the Joffrey School of Ballet New York City summer intensive to further his skills in ballet. In 2016, Evan graduated from the University of Buffalo with his BFA in dance and minor in counseling. During his time at the University at Buffalo, Evan was a member of the dance program’s pre-professional company Zodiaque under the direction of Thomas Ralabate and Tressa Gorman-Crehan. Since moving to NYC, Evan has had the opportunity to work with Ebony Williams and perform for her at Jacob’s Pillow. Evan is also a dancer in the upcoming film, In the Heights, directed by Jon Chu and choreographed by Chris Scott.

Yuka Notsuka Dancer born in Fukuoka, Japan.

She began her Ballet training in her hometown at age four.

Later she broadened her training to include Jazz and Tap. She worked as a performer in Universal Studios Japan and Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Nagasaki from 20112015. 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 the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater). In New York she also has been in training and served as a Teaching Assistant at the Luigi Jazz Dance Center under Francis J. Roach.

Sonny Shiu Dancer is a Chinese-American who was born in Visalia, California but moved to Miami, Florida when he was three. He started dancing at the age of 20 when he took an interest in breakdancing. Then, at the age of 21, he was accepted into New World School of the Arts for dance where he graduated with his BFA in dance.

Sonny has furthered his ballet training at intensives such as Charlotte Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, and CuBallet where he received scholarships as well as at Complexions Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and recently the Paul Taylor school. Since he graduated, he has danced with Peter London Global Dance Company and Dance Now! Miami. Sonny has also worked with Dale Andree on the 2018 National Water Dance.

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Bridging the grace of Asian elegance and American dynamism, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is a premier provider of innovative cultural experiences that reflect the inspiring hope and energy of the immigrant’s journey.

The company’s ground-breaking works have focused on themes from ancient Chinese legends that reflect issues of the present time to purely abstract, contemporary dances inspired by the art of Chinese calligraphy. An Asian American company that celebrates the crosscultural experience, the Company’s productions naturally bring forth issues of identity, authenticity, and equality.

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has been presented at some of the most prestigious concert halls such as the Joyce Theater, Lincoln Center in New York, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in California, the Raymond F. Kravis Center, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Florida. The company appears annually at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Queens College, the College of Staten Island and on Ellis Island. Internationally, the Company has been presented by international festivals including Open Look Festival in Russia, the Silesian International Contemporary Dance Festival and the Konfrontations International Festival in Poland, the Chang Mu International Dance Festival in Korea, the Meet in Beijing International Arts Festival in China, and the Tamaulipas International Arts Festival in Mexico.

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has received more than 20 awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous Citations of Excellence and grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Advancing Dance Education, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is currently in residence in New Jersey City University pioneering a program with the University’s A Harry Moore Laboratory

School teaching dance to urban children with multiple disabilities. For additional Company information, visit our website, www.nainichen.org; write to Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, P.O. Box 1121, Fort Lee, NJ 07024; or call (800) 650-0246. The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is represented by Joanne Rile Artists Management Tel: 215-885-6400; Fax: 215-885-9929 Email: artists@rilearts.com www.rilearts.com; www.nainichen.org

Robert Johnson Robert Johnson is a dance critic and a journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering the American dance scene for daily newspapers, trade magazines, e-magazines, books and scholarly journals. He has taught and lectured internationally on dance history and criticism. He trained in ballet with Nina Youshkevitch; and holds a master’s degree in Performance Studies from New York University. Currently he is a regular contributor to The Dance Enthusiast and NJArts.net.

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