Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company To Perform RED FIRECRACKERS at Jersey City Theater Center

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, the renowned international touring dance company founded by Chinese American choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, and now led by Artistic Director Greta Campo and Executive Director Andy Chiang, announced today that they will perform at Jersey City Theater Center at 337 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302 on Sunday, January 18, 2026 at 4PM. 

Nai-Ni Chen will perform "Red Firecrackers," a special program is dedicated to celebrating the Chinese immigrant culture and promises a captivating display of cultural richness, artistic excellence, and a profound narrative that explores the origins of one of the most important holidays in the world: The Chinese Lunar New Year.

"Red Firecrackers," a creation by the late choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, delves into the rich tapestry of Chinese New Year traditions. The performance narrates the ancient tale of villagers uniting to combat the Nian, an eternal monster that descends upon the earth annually. Through a dazzling array of props, vibrant costumes, mesmerizing music, acrobatics, and lively dance, the top-notch performers of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company bring to life the story of courage, ingenuity, and the intrinsic value of community.

The production is not only a feast for the senses but also serves as an insightful exploration of the historical roots of Chinese Lunar New Year customs. "Red Firecrackers" underscores the significance of coming together to face challenges and celebrates the spirit of the Lunar New Year. It prepares the community for a celebration of the Lunar New Year of their own.

About the 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 mainstage 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 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 authentic 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.

​Choreography is developed with dancers from diverse backgrounds, and each rehearsal is an immersive, boundary-crossing journey that contributes to the creative process under the direction of the choreographers. Our repertory of Nai-Ni Chen's original works bridge the grace and power of Asian arts and American dynamism which incorporated her broad influences. The company also preserves a variety of festive dances from different regions of China choreographed by guest immigrant artists bearing their tradition.

The Company began to tour in the early 1990s, originally on the East Coast, and later internationally. The dance company is multi-racial and multi-national and has collaborated with a wide range of artists from different disciplines and cultures. Musical collaborators range from New Music, jazz to classical, they include Joan La Barbara, The Chinese Music Ensemble of NY, Jason Kao Hwang, Huang Ruo, Kenji Bunch, Tan Dun, Glen Velez and most recently, the Ahn Trio. Award-winning designers and visual artists such as Myung Hee Cho, Jay Moorthy, AC Hickox and Costume Designer Karen Young. These collaborations provided us the opportunity to develop innovative productions that carry the timeless essence of the tradition.

In addition to domestic touring, the company has also performed at international festivals in Mexico, Canada, British Virgin Islands, Guatemala, Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, South Korea and China with support from Fund for Mutual Understanding, The President's Committee for the Arts, Arts International and the State Department of the United States. Ms. Chen has received multiple Choreographer's Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and from New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Her work has also been commissioned by the Joyce Theater Foundation, the Lincoln Center Institute, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Dancing in the Streets, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation and New Jersey Performing Art Center.

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