Latest News

Town Hall Meeting - August 3

In The Theater News

Asian American Arts Alliance’s town hall meetings return to Chen Dance Center in August! The monthly meetings are a way for local artists to meet and inform others about upcoming works or events. Contribute to the potluck, pitch your news, learn about opportunities, and meet new friends. The Alliance will also be introducing their new Executive Director during this special evening event!

Event: Town Hall
Date: Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Time: 6-8pm
Venue: Chen Dance Center
70 Mulberry Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10013

Admission: FREE

Please click to RSVP today!
More information about the meeting is available at the Asian American Arts Alliance website.

Fall 2010 Newsteps

In The Theater News

Chen Dance Center (CDC) announces auditions for the Fall 2010 newsteps series, featuring emerging choreographers who are creating new work and works-in-progress. This semi-annual series, est. in 1994, has presented over 200 artists and is dedicated to providing support and performance opportunities for experimental, innovative, and risk-taking artists. A maximum of six choreographers will be presented in three performances from Thursday through Saturday, December 2 – 4, 2010. An artist honorarium, publicity, and up to 20 hours of free rehearsal space are provided to selected choreographers.

Each choreographer may propose up to 10 minutes of work(s) for the series. All works must be new or in progress and cannot be performed in New York City three months prior to, or after, the newsteps performances. Arrangements must be made in advance for pieces having special technical needs or requiring clean-up.

CALL-IN: Wednesday, September 8, 12 noon – 1pm 212–349–0126
APPLICATION DUE: Thursday, September 16
Mail/Deliver: Chen Dance Center, 70 Mulberry St. 2nd Fl. NY, NY 10013
Fax: 212–349–0494
Email:

AUDITIONS: Friday, September 24, 4 – 7pm
Saturday, September 25, 5 – 7pm

PERFORMANCES: Thursday – Saturday, December 2 – 4, 2010 @ 7:30pm

AUDITION and APPLICATION
Choreographers should call CDC on Wednesday, September 8, between noon and 1pm to schedule an audition slot. Upon calling CDC, each artist will be assigned a 10-minute audition slot on either Friday, September 24 or Saturday, September 25. Those who receive an audition slot will also receive an application, which must be returned to CDC by Thursday, September 16. For the audition, each choreographer may present up to 7 minutes of work(s), with the remaining time left for discussion with the audition panel.

Chen Dance Center (CDC) is an intimate, black box performance space dedicated to providing professional opportunities for artists and promoting development of new audiences. CDC presents independent artists through three modern dance series: Co-Presentation, newsteps, and Ear to the Ground. As a modern dance presenter, CDC supports the development of dance artists by providing a professional theater space in which artists of high caliber have the freedom to experiment and receive visibility in the dance community and press.

Location: 70 Mulberry Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Stage dimensions: 23’W X 21’L X15’H
Floor: Black marley on wooden dance floor
Lighting: General wash for the audition
Sound: CD, cassette player, iPod cable

“The Mulberry Street Theater is a small, dark, corner where theatrical magic seems about to happen.”
- Jennifer Dunning, New York Times

CHEN DANCE CENTER is funded by government sources: NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS, NYC DEPT. OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, LOWER MANHATTAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; by private sources: THE FORD FOUNDATION, NEW YORK COMMUNITY TRUST, LOWER MANAHATTAN CULTURAL COUNCIL and METLIFE FOUNDATION; and by corporate sources: CARNEGIE CORPORATION, PFIZER FOUNDATION, CON EDISON OF NEW YORK, and TAIPEI ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL OFFICE OF NEW YORK.

dNaga’s “Noodle Women” July 23-24

In The Theater News

Chen Dance Center proudly co-presents San Francisco based dNaga in the company’s performances of “Noodle Women,” an original and insightful look into food, cultural practices and being a girl in a Chinese family. A number of voices share personal stories that explore secrecy and shame, while others express themselves in ways beyond the limits imposed by traditional Chinese society. Exploring acculturation and human commonalities, the dance performances also feature live innovative music. “Noodle Women” makes its New York premiere this July.

“Noodle Woman” is presented in partnership with the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center. The work made its San Francisco premiere in 2008, during the opening of Flo Oy Wong’s visual art retrospective 70/30: Seventy Years of Life, Thirty Years of Art.

Showdates & times:
Friday, July 23 at 7:30PM
Saturday, July 24 at 7:30PM

Location:
Chen Dance Center
70 Mulberry Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10013

Admission:
$15 general
$10 seniors/students

For more information and tickets, please RSVP by calling (212)349-0126.

For a review of “Noodle Women” in San Francisco, please click here.
For more information about dNaga, please visit their website.

Ariel Rivka Dance

In The Theater News

Chen Dance Center proudly co-presents Ariel Rivka Dance in four works by Artistic Director, Ariel Rebecca Grossman, and two works by guest choreographer, Anna Brown Massey, creating a program of distinctive repertoire.

Grossman’s Stops and Starts: A Dance Memoir is a world premiere reflecting on family, relationships, and the beginning of a new life. Set to original classic rock music performed by the brand new band EVA founded and directed by David Homan, Stops and Starts is divided into six narratives and is a true collaboration of music and movement. The program also includes two contemporary ballets by Grossman: Bloched (2009) set to an orchestral piece inspired by Ernst Bloch and composed by David Homan, and Bardinashvili (2007), set to a dynamic string quartet. Grossman’s Eva (2004) is dedicated and inspired by her late grandmother, Eva Witek, a Holocaust survivor and life-long optimist.

In addition to the work of Ariel Rivka Dance, guest choreographer Anna Brown Massey presents two works. Massey’s The Telling explores community sanctioned violence in a brutal duet. In Entangled, the heritage of Scottish Highland warriors emerges into the present.

Showdates & times:
Thursday, July 8 at 7:30PM
Friday, July 9 at 7:30PM
Saturday, July 10 at 7:30PM

Location:
Chen Dance Center
70 Mulberry Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10013

Admission:
$20 general
$15 students/artists/teachers/seniors

For more information and tickets, please RSVP by calling (212)349-0126.

Young Dancers are Abloom!

In The School News

Young Dancers are abloom at Chen Dance Center! Help us nurture the next generation of artists - these shows always sell out, so be sure to get your tickets!

CASA DANCE!
Young dancers from the 3rd, 4th & 5th grades at Benjamin Altman School, P.S. 42 Manhattan will perform CASA Dance! on Thursday June 3rd at 9:30am, 10:45am, 12noon and 1:30pm. Led by Chen Dance Center (CDC) Instructor Connie Procopio, each grade will present a short modern dance warm-up and a piece of choreography as the culmination of their after-school educational dance program offered by CDC, which promotes healthful living and cultural vibrancy in the community.

The year-long after-school educational program is supported by Councilwoman Margaret Chin and the Department of Youth and Community Development. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The CASA Dance! performances are free of charge and open to the public.

CDC School
Join us for the annual June performances and witness the potential of the young dancers at CDC’s School. These wonderful showcases present dancers ages 3 1/2 through teens in creative movement, ballet, modern dance and hip hop.

Dance Recitals:
Saturday, June 12th at 10:30am, 12:00pm noon, 2:00pm & 4:00pm
Sunday, June 13th at 11:30am, 1:30pm & 3:30pm

Tickets: Adults $8; Children $6

For more information,
please call 212-349-0126 or email

For information about the School
Click Here