1/26-27/2026 - Enrichment Through the Arts, Staten Island, NY
2/1/2026 - Kupferberg Center for the Performing Arts, Queens, NY
2/4-5/2026 - Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts, Toms River, NJ
2/7-8/2026 - Hostos Center for Arts and Culture, Bronx, NY
2/14-15/2026 - New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ
2/18/2026 - McLean Community Center, McLean, VA
2/25/2026 - Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Galloping Into the Year of the Horse: Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Ushers in Lunar New Year with Power, Grace, and Global Vision
When the drums roll and silk ribbons slice the air, you know the Lunar New Year is near—and this season, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is kicking open the gates of 2026 with the wild, untamed spirit of the Horse. With artistic director Greta Campo guiding the charge, the celebrated company will present two world premieres—by choreographers Lawrence Jin and Zhongmei Li—in a dazzling Lunar New Year Celebration Tour galloping across stages in New York, New Jersey, and beyond, from January 18 through February 25, 2026.
Equal parts cultural ritual and contemporary spectacle, these performances embody the fiery energy, independence, and endurance of the Horse — symbols of freedom and passion deeply rooted in Chinese tradition. Families and dance aficionados alike are invited to step into a kaleidoscope of Chinese and contemporary dance, acrobatics, costumes, and live music that weds ancient artistry to modern innovation.
Tickets and details are available at www.nainichen.org/events.
A Tour Across the Region
The Lunar New Year Celebration Tour: Year of the Horse unfolds through an impressive lineup of performances, including:
Jan 18: Jersey City Theatre Center, White Eagle Hall (Jersey City, NJ)
Jan 26–27: College of Staten Island, NY (Presented by Enrichment Through the Arts)
Feb 1: Kupferberg Center for the Performing Arts, Queens, NY
Feb 4–5: Jay and Linda Grunin Center, Toms River, NJ
Feb 7–8: Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, Bronx, NY
Feb 14–15: NJ Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ
Feb 18: McLean Community Center, McLean, VA
Feb 25: Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Each stop features traditional celebrations like the Lion Dance—a centuries-old ritual to chase away misfortune—and the Dragon Dance, brimming with splendor and symbolism. These ancient forms, paired with live music on authentic Chinese instruments and cultural craft displays, create a staged festival of color, rhythm, and meaning.
The New Works: Two World Premieres
The Year of the Horse deserves bold new creations, and these premieres deliver exactly that.
Lawrence Jin, a native of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, reinvigorates his acclaimed Mongolian Festival—a sweeping dance work honoring northern China’s nomadic horseback culture. Jin’s choreography, steeped in precision and spirit, evokes the vast plains, galloping herds, and enduring resilience of the steppe.
Zhongmei Li, the internationally celebrated artist and founder of the Zhongmei Dance Company, debuts an excerpt of Ultimate Journey, a meditation on spirituality and motion inspired by the Dunhuang Caves — those ancient Silk Road frescoes where East and West first met in pigment and prayer. With cinematic movement and archetypal imagery, Li channels the horse as both wanderer and guide — the eternal traveler bridging earth and sky.
Together, these works embody the Company’s distinctive ethos: crossing cultures while remaining deeply rooted in Chinese heritage.
The Legacy Continues
With Greta Campo now leading the company’s cross-cultural mission, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company continues to carry forward the innovative spirit of its late founder, Nai-Ni Chen. Recognized for her ability to “embody epic dignity,” as the Village Voice once described, Chen formed a legacy that merged the elegance of Asian tradition with the dynamism of American modern dance.
That merging continues today — not merely as homage but as evolution. Under Campo’s direction, the troupe remains a platform for cultural dialogue through movement, uniting communities in shared rhythm and storytelling.
About the Company
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company stands as a bridge between continents, generations, and artistic languages. Their works have illuminated the stages of Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, and Ellis Island, as well as international festivals across China, Poland, Korea, Mexico, and Russia.
Backed by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and the New Jersey Cultural Trust, the Company also pioneers outreach programs that extend dance education to communities of all abilities, including children at NJCU’s A. Harry Moore Laboratory School.
For full details, schedules, and ticketing, visit www.nainichen.org.
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