Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company announces 8/9-8/12 Schedule for The Bridge, Free One-Hour Company Classes on Zoom

Announces

The Bridge

Virtual Dance Institute

 of boundary-breaking dance experiences

Free One-Hour Company Class on Zoom

Open to All Dancers at an Intermediate to Advanced Level

August 9-12, 2021

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has established a new dance institute through Zoom, The Bridge.  The Institute’s aim is to bring together dancers, choreographers and directors around the world to experience the master teachers of color whose practices are embedded in the community and are focused on advancing the art of dance that transform the personal, environmental and metaphysical spaces. Interested dancers can join the class by registering on Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company’s website: https://www.nainichen.org/thebridge.

As a virtual dance institute, The Bridge will invite world renowned as well as up and coming dancers and choreographer to come to guest teach the class. Advanced/Intermediate level professional or pre-professional dancers who are looking to explore beyond their own boundaries and looking for new dance experiences are encouraged to participate. The core program is based on Nai-Ni Chen’s Kinetic Spiral, which is a cross-cultural dance vocabulary that integrates the Chinese martial arts philosophy in TaiChi with contemporary dance practices she studied in America. Guest artists will cover a wide range of folk and classical dance styles.

The Bridge will hold classes Monday-Thursday for the remainder of the summer due to the schedules of teachers and participants.

The Bridge Class schedule are as follows: 

Week of 8/9/2021

Monday - Yuka Notsuka (Kinetic Spiral) at 11am

Tuesday - Kerry Lee (Chinese Dance) at 11am

Wednesday - Rio Kikuchi (GyroKinesis) at 11am

Thursday - Andrew Pacho (Flow (GyroKinesis based) at 11am

About Nai-Ni Chen's Kinetic Spiral

Tap into the creative energy of the universe through Kinetic Spiral. Nai-Ni Chen’s signature technique is based on the principle of ever-changing universal forces of Yin and Yang. Dance phrases from Nai-Ni Chen’s repertory will be taught.

About Rio Kikuchi’s GyroKinesis

Gyrokinesis is slow, fluid, exercise practice based on the natural elements of spinal movement. By gently working the joints and muscles through rhythmic and undulating movements coupled with calming breathing patterns, the exercises stimulates the body's internal organs while corresponding breathing patterns stimulate the nervous system, open up energy pathways, and oxygenate the blood. 

About Andrew Pacho’s Flow (GyroKinesis based)

Learn to stretch, wamup, heal and strengthen your body with renowned dancer/gymnast Andrew Pacho. He developed Flow to heal himself and he has successfully helped many others. Join us for an hour of dancing on chair!

In this trying time of change and uncertainty, the arts is a source of healing and unity, we would like to encourage everyone to support dance as dance is an essential medicine for the society to recover from the pandemic that has caused injury to our bodies and our hearts. Support for The Bridge can be sent through https://nainichen.org/donate.

About the Artists

Born in Tokyo, Japan at age of 3, Rio Kikuchi 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 technic and Point work privately with Luis Villanueva. In 2017, Rio moved to New York and was offered Scholarship to study at The School of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In addition, she received Scholarship at Alonzo King Lines Ballet Summer Program in 2019. She has performed with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater at New York City Center in 2018. A member of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Rio is also a certified Gyrokinesis instructor.

Kerry Lee is the Co-Artistic Director of the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company and a former principal dancer of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company. After graduating from Stanford University with an engineering degree and working for a top-ranked economic consulting firm, she followed her heart into the professional dance world in New York City. As a traditional Chinese and modern/contemporary dance artist, Kerry performed throughout the US and the British Virgin Islands with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, H.T. Chen & Dancers, Dance China NY, and gloATL before returning home to co-lead the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company with her mother Hwee-Eng Y. Lee. Among other honors, Kerry was the only Chinese dancer among the finalists who received a ticket on So You Think You Can Dance Season 11. www.kerryylee.com

Yuka Notsuka was born in Fukuoka, Japan, is a member of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company. She began her Ballet training in her hometown at age four. Later she broadened her training to include Jazz and Tap. Later Yuka moved to New York City to further pursue her career as a dancer. In 2015 she entered the Ailey School as a scholarship student. She performed in Ailey Spirit Gala Concert at Lincoln Center choreographed by Tracy Inman (Co-Director, The Ailey School) and Robert Battle (Artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater). Yuka joined the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in 2017. She also has been in training and served as Teaching Assistant at the Luigi Jazz Dance Center under Francis J. Roach.

Andrew Pacho was teaching Staff with the Nai-Ni Chen company in China 2015. He started his career as USA National level competitor in Gymnastics then trained to become a professional dancer. Highlights include working with Mark Morris, Donald Byrd Company, Philodanco, Doug Elkins, Lar Lubovich, Micheal Swain, Graciella Daniele, Bill Irwin, Gillian Lynne, Peter Sellars, Graham Murphy, Harold Prince, Jerry Mitchel, Robert Lepage as well as several productions on Broadway, Metropolitan Opera, NYCO, Radio City Music Hall. He was also in the Woody Allen film Everyone says I love you and many TV Commercials. Mr. Pacho co-founded the Gymnastics dance company ANTI-GRAVITY, working as co-director and choreographer. Mr. Pacho also has a long-standing working relationship with Lios Greenfield, Renowned Dance photographer.

 

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

A blossom of color, energy and motion, “like endlessly proliferating forces of cosmic energy,” said The New York Times.