Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company And Leonia Senior Center Partner to Bring Music And Movement To Seniors

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, which has worked with the Leonia Senior Center since 2022, is launching two new eight-week seniors' residencies, in both music and creative dance, thanks to a $10,000 grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Creative Aging Initiative.

Since 2022, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has conducted senior Tai Chi Classes at the center, which have been well attended. The Leonia Senior Center serves the Borough of Leonia, as well as seniors from neighboring towns - the center's classes, activities and trips are open to any seniors (55+) from surrounding towns.

"I am thrilled we will have the opportunity to reach more seniors and provide them with movement and socializing with this grant. Nai-Ni Dance company launched a terrific Morning Tai Chi class , and now with this grant, we can offer seniors Creative Dance for Seniors with Rio Kikuchi and Music and Movement with Julie Sung as free classes" said Maggie Browne, Senior Coordinator.

The music residency will be taught by Leonia Recreation Center instructor Julie Sung from May to July 2024, in the Leonia Senior Center at 305 Beechwood Pl., Leonia, NJ. The creative dance for seniors residency will be taught by Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company member Rio Kikuchi from September to December 2024, in the Leonia Sculpture Garden, weather permitting, or in the Center when necessary.

By focusing on language accessibility, accessible space, and using Asian American instructors, the project team provides an environment that is free of visible and invisible barriers. The classes will be a welcoming experience for all participants, with proper respect being paid to the Asian immigrant participants.

In 2022, Nai-Ni Chen was a 2022 Bessie Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Nai-Ni Chen was a force in the dance community with her unique choreographic body of work that fuses Eastern cultural forms of Chinese dance and the Western world of modern dance. Her vision of the immigrant's journey of crossing cultures and adapting to a new home provided endless inspirations and opportunities for creative expressions that enrich the human experience.

About the Artists:

Julie Sung has worked in music education for over 20 years, working not only with seniors but with children. She has a background in music theory and music appreciation, as well as experience as a music and movement coordinator. Since 2009, she has worked at Leonia Recreation, and in 2023, she expanded her offerings to working with Leonia Senior Center in 2023.Leonia Senior Center as a Senior Music & Movement Instructor, teaching cardio drumming to seniors.

Rio Kikuchi was born in Tokyo, Japan. At the age of 3, Rio began ballet training at Studio Benus in Japan and later she was introduced to Tap and Jazz. She took Summer Intensive at Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington DC in 2015. She also studied Ballet technique and Point work privately with Luis Villanueva. In 2017, Rio moved to New York and was offered a scholarship to study at The School of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In addition, she received a scholarship at Alonzo King Lines Ballet Summer Program in 2019. She has worked with Ronni Favors, Darshan Singh Bhuller and performed "Memora" with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater at New York City Center in 2018.

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