Nai-Ni Chen

"Spiritual Choreographer" ... Dance Magazine

 

"A rare modern dance choreographer"...NY Times

From the flowing lines of Chinese calligraphy to the thundering motion of the Martial Arts, choreographer Nai-Ni Chen has been on a quest to meld the dynamic freedom of American modern dance with the stoic discipline of the Chinese classical arts. In the many dances she has created since forming the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, she has developed a uniquely mesmerizing style that brings the audience into a space beyond cultural boundaries.

Born in Taiwan, Ms. Chen entered Chinese Cultural University at age fourteen for eight years of intensive training in Peking Opera, Martial Arts, Music, Ballet and modern dance. Already a professional dancer while in school, her college years were interlaced with numerous professional company tours and engagements. She was part of a Chinese Performing Arts tour that brought Chinese culture and dance to 17 countries, including a one month engagement at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. She joined the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre while she was only 16 years old, and started her career as a modern dancer.

In 1982, Nai-Ni Chen came to the United States to pursue her dream of finding a new style of dance that would represent herself and her time. She studied choreography at New York University with Doris Rudko and worked with Mary Anthony, H.T. Chen and Bertram Ross.  Working with Ms. Anthony and Mr. Ross had a significant influence on her dedication to her pursuit. After receiving her Masters Degree from New York University in 1985, she began working on integrating her experience of different idioms of dance, seeking a unique style that would be representative of her inspiration and heritage.

She formed the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in 1988. The success of her work is evidenced by the fact that her dance company has been presented by major art centers in thirty-five states across the U.S. In addition to performing, she has taught master classes in many colleges and universities in the United States, Taiwan, and China.  Recently, her company was invited to perform in the International Arts Festival in Guatemala, Poland and China.

In addition to her company's awards and recognitions of distinction, Ms. Chen was the recipient of a dual year Choreographer's Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (1995-97) and was awarded a Fellowship in Choreography from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. She is a resident artist at the Harlem School of the Arts and Principal Affiliate of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.  Her works have been commissioned by the Lincoln Center Institute, the Joyce Theater, Dancing in the Streets, and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. In addition to receiving numerous awards from the Chinese American community for her substantial contribution to the preservation and advancement of traditional dance, she has also received the Arts Achievement Award from the International Institute of New Jersey in 2001.  

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