Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company: Year of the Snake resources
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company returns to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to celebrate another Lunar New Year and the coming of spring 2024 with the Year of the Green Wood Snake. This vibrant and festive production features impressive dancers, musicians, and acrobats. You’ll experience leaping lions, flying dragons, and beautiful music played on traditional cultural instruments.
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company was founded in 1988 by the late choreographer Nai-Ni Chen and her husband, Andy Chiang. The couple shared a vision of creating a company that was “a premier provider of innovative cultural experiences” to reflect the “hope and energy of the immigrant’s journey.”
Sadly, Nai-Ni Chen passed away in 2021. Still, her legacy lives on in the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, which continues to connect Chinese and American communities through dance and education.
The late dancer Nai-Ni Chen (1959-2021) came from a rich dance tradition. She began training in traditional Chinese Dance in Taiwan at four years old. At age eighteen, Nai-Ni was selected by the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to serve on several ambassadorial culture missions to nineteen countries. She came to the United States to study modern dance at NYU, where she studied with Doris Rudko, Ellen Tittler, Bertram Ross, and Mary Anthony. In 1988, with encouragement from Mary Anthony, she established the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company with her husband, Andy Chiang.
ABOUT THE NJPAC ON THE MIC PODCAST
NJPAC On the Mic invites your students to expand their experience of attending a SchoolTime Performances show. We provide three podcast episodes for each production, suitably aligned with New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) and New Jersey Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies. With NJPAC on the Mic, the learning begins before—and continues beyond—your visit to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center!
How to Listen to njpac on the mic podcast
BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE
Episode: ABOUT (6 minutes)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for an introduction to the performance, the artist or company, and the venue.
Includes: An introduction to the performance, artists & venue, welcome message
Written and hosted by Dania Ramos | Additional writing by Sharon Adarlo and the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Sound editing and design by Michael Aquino
Theme and outro music: NJPAC student Hip Hop program
Additional music from Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company productions Year of the Rat & Year of the Ox
Voiceover by Michael Aquino
Welcome message voiced by Andy Chiang
Series producers: Michael Aquino and Dania Ramos
AFTER THE PERFORMANCE
Episode: CONNECT (9 minutes)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for reflection questions, a closer look at an aspect of the performance such as historical context or background on the art form, and a brief selection of vocabulary words.
Includes: Reflection questions, a look at the Chinese zodiac and Chinese New Year traditions
Written and hosted by Dania Ramos | Additional writing by Sharon Adarlo and the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Sound editing and design by Michael Aquino
Theme and outro music: NJPAC student Hip Hop program
Additional music from Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company productions Year of the Rat & Year of the Ox
Opening question voiced by Ying Shi
Series producers: Michael Aquino and Dania Ramos
Episode: SPOTLIGHT (9 minutes)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for an exclusive interview with an artist from the production or an NJPAC staff member followed by discussion prompts.
Includes: An interview with Andy Chiang and Ying Shi, discussion starters
Written and hosted by Dania Ramos | Additional writing by Sharon Adarlo and the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Sound editing and design by Michael Aquino
Theme and outro music: NJPAC student Hip Hop program
Additional music from Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company productions Year of the Rat & Year of the Ox
Interview guests: Andy Chiang and Ying Shi
Series producers: Michael Aquino and Dania Ramos
NJPAC On the Mic is produced in partnership with CM Studios.
NJPAC Arts Education performances team: Rosa Hyde, Treasure Borde, and Kendall Lipham
CM Studios producers: Michael Aquino, Dania Ramos
NJPAC and CM Studios are located in Essex County, New Jersey, situated on the traditional territory of the Leni Lenape people.
Episode links and sources
NJPAC’s Arts Education programs: njpac.org/arts-education
NJPAC | About NJPAC: njpac.org/about
Year of the Green Wood Snake NJPAC resources: njpac.org/arts-education/teacher-resources
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company: nainichen.org/programs*
Chinese New Year | Chinese Zodiac: chinesenewyear.net/zodiac*
PBS | State of the Arts – Unity: Choreographer Nai-Ni Chen Remembered: pbs.org/video/unity-choreographer-nai-ni-chen-remembered-v02hxg*
MIT | Slice of MIT – A Computer Scientist Applies Systems Thinking to Dance: alum.mit.edu/slice/computer-scientist-applies-systems-thinking-dance*
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company YouTube channel: youtube.com/@dragonxlion*