Centenary Stage Company Welcomes Nai-Ni Chen for Their Summer Dance Intensive

Whether you're new to dance or have spent a lifetime studying this diverse art form, Centenary can provide a wealth of expertise and experience in several dance styles. The Centenary Stage Company will sponsor the 5th Annual Summer Dance Intensive at Centenary College this summer, July 8th thru July11th, on the Campus of Centenary College in Hackettstown NJ. The four day intensive provides the dance community with affordable, high quality dance instruction by masters in the field of dance. Last year the intensive was attended by over 30 young dancers in the area, with dancers in their teens, twenties, and up.

"The dance intensive is designed to introduce new and experienced dancers to professionals who are currently working as choreographers, dancers and educators in the world of dance and theatre," states assistant professor of theater at Centenary College Lea Antolini-Lid. The Dance intensive runs July 8th -11th from 9-4:30pm each day. During the first part of the day the students will engage in various disciplines of dance and movement such as modern, jazz, ballet, and musical theater. In the afternoons the students will participate in a three hour workshop that will be led by NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY.

NAI-NI CHEN comes from a rich dance tradition. She was a renowned traditional dancer in the Republic of China and served on several ambassadorial culture missions to nineteen countries around the world. She came to America in 1982 and started her company in 1988, creating a wide-ranging repertory, from dances that originated thousands of years ago to highly abstract, modern works. The inspiration for her dances often comes from the poetic motion of the Chinese painting brush, from folk rituals and ceremonies, and from the phenomena of nature. Winning critical acclaim worldwide, she has taught master classes at colleges and universities throughout the United States and at dance festivals in Russia, Poland, Taiwan, and China.

Besides creating dances for her own Company, she has been a principal affiliate artist of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center since its inception and has collaborated with several other dances companies in the New Jersey area. In New York, she has taught at Mary Anthony Dance Studio, Peridance, and New York University, where she received her MA in Dance and Dance Education. On television, Ms. Chen is an often-featured artist on PBS/NJN's "State of the Arts." For her contribution to the community, she has won rewards from New Jersey International Institute, NJ Organization of Chinese Americans. She received the "Culture Ambassador" award from NJ Chinese American Chamber of Commerce in 2011.

Other instructors in the dance intensive include local professionals, Trista Redavid Defillipps (former member of the Nicolais /Louis Dance Company), Christine Mase (adjunct professor of Dance Centenary College), Stephanie Nerbak-McLaughlin (Adjunct professor of Dance Centenary College), and Lea Antolini-Lid (Assistant professor of Theatre/Dance Centenary College- Certified Yoga Instructor.

For more information on the scholarship, please contact the CSC box office at 908-979-0900. The intensive runs July 9th - 12th 9am - 4:30pm, and is open to ages 12 to adult. Tuition is $175 dollars for the 4 days. For more information please contact the Centenary Stage Company Box Office at 908-979-0900 or log onto centenarystageco.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.