Nai-Ni Chen's RAINDROPS Set for D'amby Project's THE THING ABOUT ART

Nai-Ni Chen's seminal work Raindrops will be performed as part of the 4th annual The Thing About Art, See, a showcase produced by the D'amby Project, on September 2 and 3, 2016 at 8pm and September 4, 2016 at 3pm at The CENTER for Performing Arts at Rhineback in the beautiful Hudson Valley.

This annual showcase, featuring dancers from the D'amby Project, brings both local, regional and international choreographers together to create an eclectic & cohesive evening of professional dance. The D'amby Project is made up of artists and collaborators from around the world who gather to explore the gray matter that exists between genres within the arts. The common product of the project is dance material, reflective of principle roots in non-classical training. Company dancers are predominantly trained in Irish Dance, but also perform movement that adheres to a more contemporary aesthetic. The rigor of an Irish dancer can be found in the sharp articulation of our movements, with emphasis on accuracy and unison. By adding breath and life-bearing musicality, we create a new vocabulary, and a unique combination of quiet control and nuance.

This year the D'amby Project is thrilled to be working with Nai-Ni Chen, and exploring such a beautiful, strong, and nuanced style of movement. The show will feature styles such as classic jazz, contemporary, and traditional Irish dance to name a few. Tickets are on sale now for $22-$24, and can be purchased online at www.centerforperformingarts.org/dance or by calling the box office at (845) 876-3080.

The CENTER for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck opened its doors in July 1998. This followed four summers (1994-1997) of performances on the same site in a tent. Construction of the permanent building began in October 1997, with an exterior design resembling a barn to complement the surrounding rural landscape and pay tribute to the origins of summer stock.

The CENTER's first Executive Director, Kevin Mazuzan, was on board from May 1998 through March 1999. Lou Trapani was named Artistic and Managing Director on April 1, 1999 and continues to hold that position today.

The CENTER operated primarily as a summer venue in 1998 but from April 1, 1999 year-round operations began with the building open seven days a week, up to 16 hours a day (The CENTER is closed to the public for New Year's, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). Since July 1, 1998, over 300,000 patrons have attended performances of about 2,000 different productions; approximately 16,000 artists (often returning for many different productions) have been involved in those productions; and about 2,600 students (ranging in age from four years old to 80 years old) have been trained in all aspects of the theater arts.

The CENTER's inaugural show, Gypsy, was a Rhinebeck Theater Society (RTS) production directed by Ellen Honig, which opened on July 3, 1998. Gypsy was restaged by CENTERstage productions in February of 2009, directed by Kevin Archambault.

Today many adults and children of all ages call The CENTER their second home and enjoy performances, workshops and special events in our cozy setting. Come join our family for some great entertainment. For more, go to www.centerforperformingarts.org.

The D'amby Project is a Dance Company and school based in Red Hook, NY. Our school offers dance classes beginning with traditional Irish training and advancing to contemporary. Our company has performed in many locations in New York, and traveled internationally. Founder in 2012, the D'amby Project is a safe and constructive space for young people to move, created, and become themselves.

A blossom of color, energy and motion, the dances of Nai-Ni Chen fuse the dynamic freedom of American modern dance with the grace and splendor of Asian art. The Company's productions take the audience beyond cultural boundaries to where tradition meets innovation and freedom arises from discipline. One of the few professional dance companies with a repertory that spans immigrant journey of the choreographer, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is a vital resource of culture in the eastern United States. Nai-Ni Chen's work, "...essentially recreated nature..." and is "like endlessly proliferating forces of cosmic energy" says the New York Times. Her mesmerizing and dramatic contemporary choreography has gained increasing recognition among domestic and international presenters and festivals.

The company has traveled to over thirty states and been presented by some the most prestigious concert halls in the United States, including The Joyce Theater in New York, the Ordway Center in Minnesota and the Cerritos Center in California, and many others. Among its fourteen international tours, Ms. Chen's work has been presented in Silesian International Contemporary Dance Festival and the Konfrontations International Dance Festival in Poland, the Chang Mu International Arts Festival in South Korea and the Meet in Beijing International Festival in China. The Company has received support from the President's Committee for Arts and Humanities for its tour to the Tamaulipas International Arts Festival in Mexico. Visit www.nainichen.org for more.

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