The critically acclaimed Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company presents Year of the Rooster at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on January 28 & 29, 2017 at 2pm. This award-winning event brings audiences close to one of the world’s most celebrated festivals: China’s Spring Festival. Year of the Rooster features the exciting sights of dancing lions and dragons, the lilting sound of Chinese pipa and erhu, and vibrant gold and red costumes and props. A delight for the entire family, the Year of the Rooster combines the elegance of traditional Asian art and the beauty of American modern dance with thrilling choreography, exotic music and dazzling acrobats. Enjoy demonstrations and fun activities staged in the lobby before the performance. NJPAC is located at 1 Center Street, Newark, NJ 07102. Tickets are $20-$50 and can be purchased at http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/year-of-the-rooster-nai-ni-chen-dance-company.

The program will include:

Double Lions Welcoming Spring

Choreography: Nai-Ni Chen; Music and Costume: Chinese Folk; Lighting Design: Tony Marques; Dancers: Antonio Cangiano, Alessio Crognale, Jerard Palazo, Patrick Piras, Ying Shi, Yao-Zhong Zhang

As one of the most popular dances performed in the Chinese New Year Celebration, the Lion Dance is said to have originated in the Tang Dynasty 3,000 years ago. The Emperor would hold a festival where people dressed in costumes as one hundred kinds of animals-the lion being one of them. The Lion Dance is seen as a prayer of Nai-Ni Chen Youth Program Dancers peace. During the dance a child playfully leads a beast, symbolizing harmony on earth. That is why the Lion Dance is always performed in the beginning of the year. In this dance, acrobatic skills, coordination and concentration are critical. There are many styles of the Lion Dance in China. This is the Northern style.