The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company held a special Lunar New Year celebratory performance in honor of the Year of the Horse on Sunday, Feb. 1, at Queens College’s Kupferberg Center for the Arts, located at 153-49 Reeves Ave. in Flushing.
The celebration, which lasted just over an hour, featured ancient Chinese traditions blended with contemporary dance through various choreographed performances.
There were majestic dragons, dancing lions, elegant peacocks, stunning acrobats, twirling ribbons and much more for attendees to enjoy.
In honor of the Year of the Horse, the program also featured the special work “Carousel,” which drew inspiration from the playful imagery of carousels and the strength and grace of horses to capture a buoyant sense of wonder and vitality.
Led by Asian American women, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company’s main mission is to be the premier provider of innovative cultural experiences that reflect the inspiring hope and energy of the journey of immigrants. The company’s works are intended to increase the visibility of the struggle, triumph, despair and joy of this experience.
“We had a very good audience turnout, so we’re very happy about it. And it’s great to be able to offer a nice and beautiful program for the community in this tumultuous time,” Nai-Ni Dance Company Executive Director Andy Chiang said. “There’s a lot of Chinese Americans who lives here. Also other Asians who celebrate the Lunar New Year. So this is a time where they can be very proud of their culture. They can come in to see in a very beautiful auditorium, to witness the expression and also for their friends and neighbors to appreciate what they know is already a wonderful experience for them.”
