AAPI Dance Festival at APAP (Day 2)

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) are pleased to present an evening of thrilling AAPI dance with performances from the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Shannon Yu 余香儒/ SHA Creative Outlet (2023 Jadin Wong Fellow), and IMGE Dance.

Please note this is Day 2 of a two-day festival. Day 1 is on Saturday, Jan 13 from 3:15–5:15 pm also at The Ailey Studios (link here).

The AAPI Dance Festival at APAP is a part of the Dance Managers Collective Showcase.

Tickets:
General Admission Tickets are $25. If you would like to attend both days, we encourage you to reserve a Two-Day Pass at the special price of $30. We hope you’ll join us for both showcases!

Program:

1:15 pm – “Xs III” by Shannon Yu 余香儒/ SHA Creative Outlet

If you see every connection as a straight line, then the crossing of connections becomes X, and the multiplying of crossing connections leads to Xs. All the connections of sticky spider threads are pulling; straight, straight, queer queer queer, break. And reconnect.

Choreography: Shannon Yu 余香儒
Dancers: Shannon Yu 余香儒, Sarah Zucchero
Sound: Arabelle Luke aka AirLoom Beats
Lighting Design: Matt Morris

1:45 pm – “(no)man” by IMGE Dance

(no)man is a dance rollercoaster traveling through ideas of home and identity while juxtaposing cross cultural movement as a reflection of power & privilege. Weaving together their signature fusion movement, rhythmic footwork and world music, IMGE questions who is included and excluded in this borrowed space and time.

Choreography: Ishita Mili
Dancers: Lex Bolisay (She/Her), Hanna Gosztyla (She/They), Maddie Jacobs (She/Her), Liam Lynch (He/Him), Andrei Miasco (He/Him), Ishita Mili (She/They), Shivani Lamba (She/Her), Sangeetha Santhebennur (She/Her)
Music: Srijon on the Beat, Yemi Alade, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Ibeyi, Oliver Koletzki, RRobin, Les Mamans Du Congo
Stage Manager: Subha Samanta (She/Her)

2:15 pm – Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

“Incense”

This dance was originally inspired by the sculpture titled “Nine Muses” by Carlos Dorian installed at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey. The choreographer also draws ideas from the offering of incense in the long corridors of an ancient temple from her childhood. The rising white clouds of the incense is said to bring the believer’s prayer from their hearts to God’s ears. The music reminds her of the mystical elements of nature and the more abstract, formal elements that gives structure to our faith and thus our lives.

Choreography: Nai-Ni Chen
Dancers: Estaban Santamaria, Alexzander Larson, Sarah Botero, KiKi Yuchin Tseng
Music: Joan La Barbara
Costumes: Karen Young
Lighting Design: A.C. Hickox

“Peacock”

There are more than 55 ethnic groups living in China, and each group has unique dances and music. The peacock is considered a sacred bird among the Dai people in the Yunnan province. Because of the performers’ supreme grace and elegance as peacocks, this dance is one of the most beautiful from that province. Many of the movements in this piece derive from real actions of the peacock, such as drinking water, walking, running, and grooming its feathers.

Choreography: Nai-Ni Chen
Dancer: Rio Kikuchi
Music: Traditional

“Movable Figures”

Inspired by the art of shadow puppetry, Nai-Ni Chen created this work not only to celebrate this unique form of art, but also to bring the audience to the new world of wonderment that she experienced when she first met the shadow puppets. “Movable Figures” is also an experiment on expression within the body shapes and motion. Ms. Chen wishes to bring the two dimensional art alive on a three dimensional stage.

Choreography: Nai-Ni Chen
Dancers: Ke’ala O'Connell, Candace Jarvis, Shota Sekiguchi, Alexzander Larson, Caleb Baker, KiKi Yuchin Tseng
Music: Anestis Logothetis
Costumes: Angel Tsai
Lighting Design: Yi-Chung Chen

“Whirlwind” (Excerpt)

A whirlwind is a phenomenon in the desert caused by the air coming from the mountains to the plain in different directions. This dance “Whirlwind” takes inspiration from the choreographer’s journey on the Silk Road which begins in China and passes through Central Asia, connecting China to Europe, crossing many deserts and mountains. It was the pathway not only connecting trade and merchandise but also cultures, art and religions of many countries. In Central Asia, some believe a whirlwind is the manifestation of the great breath, the divine energy of the universe. “Whirlwind” is an exploration of movements based on trance, rhythmic breathing, sound and spiral motion.

Choreographer: Nai-Ni Chen
Dancers: Sarah Botero, Candace Jarvis, Rio Kikuchi, Esteban Santamaria, Alexzander Larson
Music: Glen Velez

“Shadowforce Duet”

This beautiful and haunting dance work was created by Nai-Ni Chen, with music by Max Richter, during the pandemic to highlight the importance of human relationship and our longing for connection and love for each other.

Choreography: Nai-Ni Chen
Dancers: Rio Kikuchi, KiKi Yuchin Tseng
Music: Max Richter

“Way of Fire”

An exploration of the ancient Chinese theory that the cycles of creation and destruction correspond to the ever-changing phenomena of nature. The “Five” refers to the five elements: wood, water, fire, metal, and earth. The cycles are also used to mark the passage of time. For instance, this year is the year of the Wood Dragon. Each element, as part of the forces of nature, creates another in harmony and destroys another in conflict. This exploration focuses on the element of “Fire”, which is used to extract metal, and can be destroyed by water.

Choreography: Nai-Ni Chen
Dancers: Rio Kikuchi, Candace Jarvis, Esteban Santamaria, Shota Sekiguchi, Sarah Botero
Music: Tan Dun
Costumes: Nai-Ni Chen

BIOS

About IMGE Dance

IMGE is a disruptive dance company that unravels traditional forms from Indian and American classical, folk, street styles, and contemporary to reinvent how movement connects our experiences. Their work often navigates natural cycles, layered identities, and explanations of reality through rhythmic footwork, intricate mudras, and dramatic storytelling. Founded by Ishita Mili, IMGE has worked across concert, commercial, and musical theater industries, with highlights including performing at New Victory Theater, Battery Dance Festival, Lincoln Center Out-Of-Doors, and Seattle International Dance Festival. IMGE premiered their first original production, (no)man, with 4 sold-out runs at The Tank NYC in 2023. Ishita has taught IMGE methodology at Princeton University as a guest choreographer. IMGE was featured in Vogue and Vanity Fair and amassed a loyal global fan base with 21k+ Instagram followers and +5 million views on their short film, Time Travellers. Learn more at imgedance.com.

About Shannon Yu 余香儒

Shannon Yu (余香儒) is a Brooklyn-based artist from Taiwan. Yu holds an MFA in Performance and Performance Studies from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from National Taiwan University. Yu identifies as a multi-disciplinary artist, dancer-choreographer, and queer creator. Yu is the founder and Artistic Director of multimedia dance company SHA Creative Outlet. Yu has shown work at La MaMa, Movement Research in Judson Memorial Church, Dixon Place, Triskelion Arts, Abrons Art Center, The Landmark Loew’s Theater, and has been awarded residencies with Dance in Bushwick, Spoke the Hub, Chen Dance Center, The Creators Collective, New Dance Alliance, and The Center at West Park. Shannon was a recipient of a City Artist Corps grant, and has been in festivals such as Performance Mix Festival, the Evolution Festival, YES! Dance Festival, Your Moves Dance Festival, and WOW Festival. Shannon is the 2023 Asian American Arts Alliance Jadin Wong Fellow. Learn more at shannonyu.smugmug.com.

About A4

The Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring greater representation, equity, and opportunities for Asian American artists and cultural organizations through resource sharing, promotion, and community building. Since 1983, A4 has sought to unify, promote, and represent the artistic and cultural producers of one of New York City’s fastest-growing populations. We are a diverse alliance of artists, organizations, and arts supporters who believe that working together as a pan-ethnic, multidisciplinary community is essential to nurturing the development of artists and arts groups. A4 serves as a thoughtful convener of the Asian American cultural workforce around issues of race, identity, and artmaking and provides a critical voice for this community. We are the only service organization in the country dedicated to the professional development of Asian American and Pacific Islander artists in all disciplines. Learn more at aaartsalliance.org.

About Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is a rare Asian American woman led professional touring company with programs for educational settings, community organizations and main stage venues. The Company’s mission is to be a premier provider of innovative cultural experiences that reflect the inspiring hope and energy of the immigrant’s journey. It was founded with the vision that the immigrant’s journey of crossing cultures and adapting to a new home provides endless inspirations and opportunities for creative expressions that can enrich the human experience. Each one of the company’s work is aimed to increase the visibility of the struggle, triumph, despair, and joy of this experience. The Company’s productions provide cross-cultural experiences and bring forth issues of identity, authenticity, and equality. The Company’s worldwide touring is represented by Red Shell Management led by Edward Schoelwer. Learn more at nainichen.org.