“Bailey Hall Presents” Season Opens with Nia-Ni Chen Dance

Acclaimed cross-cultural contemporary dance company fuses western and eastern cultures in “Song of the Phoenix.” Troupe will also present “Fundamentals of Dance” as weekday educational offering

Davie, FL (August 25, 2016) – With commissions from New York’s Lincoln Center Institute and the Joyce Theater, among others, Nai-Ni Chen is one of the most sought after choreographers today, and is known for her ability to meld the dynamic freedom of American modern dance with the stoic discipline of the Chinese classical arts. Bailey Hall brings acclaimed Nai-Ni Chen Dance to South Florida for a spellbinding opening to the “Bailey Hall Presents” season, with Song of the Phoenix  on   Saturday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Featuring original and unique choreography by Chen, Song of the Phoenix delivers the majestic thunder of martial arts and the rhythm of poetry as dancers glide across the stage with color, intensity and a whisper of Chinese tradition. The phoenix is known in both eastern and western cultures as an awe-inspiring creature of death-defying strength and majesty.  For the West, it symbolizes renewal and for the East, the power and mystery of the feminine.  

“Nai-Ni Chen Dance is a spectacular way to open the new season of ‘Bailey Hall Presents’ and our ability to present this much sought-after cross-cultural contemporary dance troupe is a further sign of Bailey Hall’s emergence as an important venue in our community’s vibrant arts scene,” said Dr. Dan Barnard, associate dean of cultural affairs and director of Bailey Hall.  

As part of its educational programming, Bailey Hall will also present Nai-Ni Chen Dance on Friday, September 23 at 10:30 a.m. in Fundamentals of Modern Dance. This school-time performance features eight dancers in an interactive performance of excerpts from Song of the Phoenix, narration, audience participation and a Q & A session. Tickets are $4. In addition, the company will hold a workshop with Broward College students that is not open to the public as part of its residency.

Through the more than 50 dances she has created since forming her company in 1988, Chen has developed a unique style that takes audiences into a realm beyond cultural boundaries. Her work has been commissioned by many foundations and institutions, including the Dancing in the Streets in New York, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, New Jersey Performing Arts Center and, recently, Dancing Wheels of Cleveland, Ohio, and Ballet Met of Columbus, Ohio, among others.

The New York Times   noted, “Nai-Ni Chen is the rare modern dance choreographer who chooses nature as a frequent subject….The dances her impressive young company performed on Saturday night … stood out for their remarkably smooth blend of the new and the old, as well as for their confident, intensely personal approach to nature.”

Born in Taiwan, Chen began her training in Chinese dance at age four and at age 18 was selected by the government of the Republic of China for several ambassadorial culture missions to perform traditional Chinese dance in 19 countries.  After coming to the U.S., she studied with many dance masters and was exposed to various modern dance styles including those of Martha Graham, José Limon, Alwin Nikolais, and Paul Taylor.

Tickets to Song of the Phoenix are available for $20-38 and can be purchased by visiting www.baileyhall.org or contacting the Bailey Hall box office at (954) 201-6884. The box office and phone lines are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and two hours prior to an event.

The flagship venue of Broward College, Bailey Hall is located on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus at 3501 Davie Rd. in Davie and offers free parking.

Brief: Cross-cultural contemporary dance troupe, Nai-Ni Chen Dance, opens the “Bailey Hall Presents” season performing   Song of the Phoenix on Saturday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m.  Featuring original and unique choreography by Nai-Ni Chen, Song of the Phoenix  delivers the majestic thunder of martial arts and the rhythm of poetry as dancers glide across the stage with color, intensity and a whisper of Chinese tradition. Tickets are $20-38.  ​

The troupe will also perform Fundamentals of Modern Dance   as part of Bailey Hall’s educational programming on Friday, September 23 at 10:30 a.m. This school-time performance features eight dancers in an interactive performance of dance, narration, audience participation and a Q & A session. Tickets are $4. 

Tickets to both performances can be purchased by visiting www.baileyhall.org  or contacting the Bailey Hall box office at (954) 201-6884. The box office and phone lines are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and two hours prior to an event. The flagship venue of Broward College, Bailey Hall is located on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus at 3501 Davie Rd. in Davie and offers free parking.

– BC –