Nai-Ni Chen Dance Co. Toll Free 1-800-650-0246
contemporary dance




Dancers & Collaborators
Dancers
Selena Chau Dancer started her dance training on scholarship at California Ballet School in San Diego and was further mentored by Reginald Ray-Savage in Oakland. Ms. Chau performed with Savage Jazz Dance Company for five years and has had the pleasure to work with Westwick Dolder Dance Theater and Deeply Rooted Productions. Since moving to New York in 2005, she has worked with the Errol Grimes Dance Group and Christopher Caines Dance Company, and has performed at the Roma Jazz Festival and with the Metropolitan Opera. Ms. Chau graduated with honors from the University of Illinois.
Julie Fiorenza Dancer born in South Korea, Ms. Fiorenza grew up in Massachusetts, where she trained at the Academy of Dance Arts and Boston Ballet. In 2004, Ms. Fiorenza graduated with honors from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program and was named a Liberace scholar. She has performed and taught throughout the country as a member of Ailey II and has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Sean Curran, Elisa Monte, Dwight Rhoden, Pascal Rioult, Nathan Trice, Igal Perry, Doug Varone, William Forsythe, and Nacho Duato. Most recently, she played the role of Eliza in The King and I at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine. 

 

Julie Anna Judlova Dancer was born in the Czech Republic and began her training at the age of seven at the dance studio of the National Theatre in Prague. She started to study ballet, jazz and modern dance professionally under the direction of Vlasta Schneiderova. She was a member of Ballet Prague Junio working with Attila Egerhazi, Jo Stromgren, and  Michael Popper, and participated in dance festivals in Italy and the UK. Ms. Judlova moved to New York in 2006, and has studied at the Mark Morris Repertory Workshop. She is very excited to be part of Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company for her second season.

 

Chu-Ying Ku Dancer is originally from Taiwan. Ms. Ku holds a BFA and an MFA in dance from Taipei National University of The Arts.  During her studies, she worked with such renowned choreographers as Lo Men-Fei, Lin Huai Ming, Ross Park and Zheng Xiou Shong. Ms. Ku has since danced with ACME Physical Theater and Body Expression Dance Theatre in Taipei, and performed in many dance festivals in France, Germany and Malaysia.  As a dance teacher, she has taught traditional Chinese dance and modern dance at many senior high schools and dance studios throughout Taiwan. Ms. Ku is honored to be part of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company for her first season.

Noibis Licea Dancer/Rehearsal Director is a native of Bayamo, Cuba, and a graduate of the National School of Arts in Havana with a degree in modern dance and training in modern, Afro-Cuban, ballet, jazz, acrobatics, and Latin rhythms. After graduating, Mr. Licea danced professionally with various companies throughout his country, where he had the opportunity to teach the basic principles of modern dance to students at the Vocational School of Arts. In 1998, he went to Mexico to perform and choreograph musical shows. Later, in Miami, some of his work included Salome, with the Florida Grand Opera, and Persona, with the Florida Dance Festival.  In 2001, Mr. Licea was named Best Local Dancer by the Miami Herald; in 2002, the SunPost named him Best Male Dancer. Mr. Licea had the honor of working in Montreal with Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and the Royal City Ballet of Canada and in Toronto with Danny Grossman. Since moving to New York City in 2003, he has danced for Jamie Bishton, Lydia Johnson, and Ballet Builders. Mr. Licea has been teaching for the Silesian Dance Theatre in Poland since 2005 and, throughout the summer of 2007, he taught at the Alvin Ailey Extension. Currently, he participates in the Master Classes Series at Dance New Amsterdam in New York City. This is his fourth season with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.

Teri Miller Dancer graduated with high honors from Chapman University, earning a BFA in Dance. She has trained at Mark Morris, Lou Conte, and Gus Giordano's studios and has had scholarships at River Dance North and the Alvin Ailey School. While on the west coast, Ms. Miller danced professionally for Ballet Unlimited, Disneyland, and the NBA Clippers. Since moving to New York, she has been a company member of Ballet Hispanico and of Infinity Dance Theater. She has also danced for Michael Mao Dance, Darrah Carr Dance, and Synthesis Dance Project. Ms. Miller has toured throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. She also has taught ballet, jazz, and tap throughout the United States and England, where she served as ballet mistress at the University of Cambridge. Happy to be back in New York City, Ms. Miller is performing her fourth season with Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.

Lindsey Parker Dancer is a native Californian. She recently graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance Performance and a Certificate in Arts Management. At Purchase she performed repertory by Jacqulyn Buglisi, Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris, Lauri Stallings, and Paul Taylor. Ms. Parker was a 2006 recipient of the Thayer Fellowship, a prestigious award given by NY State to graduates who are entering professional careers in the arts. In New York she has worked with TAKÉ Dance (Takehiro Ueyama) and CorbinDANCES (Patrick Corbin). At the Joyce Theater, she performed with Buglisi-Foreman Dance in Suspended Women. Last year she completed a European tour with Montréal-based Jose Navas/Compagnie Flak.
Matthew Westerby Dancer is originally from the United Kingdom and trained at the Laban Centre, London. He was a member of Laban's graduate performance group (2001), Transitions Dance Company, working with Jan de Schenkyl, Charles Linehan, and Carlota Portella.  In London, he worked with Celia Grannum, NMO Dance Company, Influx, Combination Dance and Smallpetitklein. He has choreographed his own modern dance work for the Place Theatre and Laban, as well as several musical theatre and commercial ventures. He was awarded the prestigious Simone Michelle award for choreographic excellence in 2000. Mr. Westerby has taught for the Laban Centre, the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, Random Dance Company, and has taught and choreographed for the XIV International Contemporary Dance Conference and Performance Festival (Bytom, Poland).

Wei Yao Dancer graduated from the Central College of Chinese Ethnic Culture in Beijing with a major in Chinese folk dance. He danced with Goundong Song and Dance Company and also taught at Goundong Dance School before moving to Hong Kong, where he danced in musical productions at Disneyland. Mr. Yao joined the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in January 2008.

Qiao Zeng Dancer was born in Wuhan City, China. He received professional training in classical Chinese dance at Wuhan City School of the Arts and later received a BA in Dance Performance and Education from Beijing Dance Academy. Between 1993 and 2003, he performed and toured with the Wuhan City Dance Theater to Hong Kong, Japan, France, Italy, and Germany. In 1998, he received from China's Hubei province its first prize for emerging choreographers. Before moving to New York City, Mr. Zeng performed and taught at the Dance Department at Beijing University. He is very excited to have joined the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company this season.

Yao-Zhong Zhang Dancer came from Shanghai, China.  He graduated from the Shanghai Kun Opera School with a major in the male warrior role.  In China, he performed and toured internationally with the Shanghai Kun Opera Theater for ten years before moving to the United States. In New York, he also performs with the Tong-Ching Chinese Opera Company. Mr. Zhang joined the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in 2000.

Min Zhou Dancer graduated from the dance department at the Hubei Arts Academy. She later went on to join the Hubei Province Song and Dance Troupe where she became a renowned principal performer. Ms. Zhou is an elected member of the Chinese Dancers’ Association. Her wide-ranging repertoire includes exquisite Chinese classical dance to gracious and playful folk dances. While in China, she joined several performing arts groups and toured to Switzerland, Japan, Canada and France.  In New York, she has also danced with the Chinese Culture Center. This is her fourth year dancing with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.