LUNAR NEW YEAR: CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE HORSE

CHOREOGRAPHERS

Lawrence Jin began his training in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, and graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy in 1986. He received the Best Performance Award at the National Taoli Cup Dance Competition, the highest honor in Chinese dance, and later served as Principal Dancer with the Beijing Youth Dance Company. After moving to New York in 1990, he studied at the Martha Graham School and later joined the Bella Lewitzky Dance Company as a principal dancer, touring internationally for a decade. Since returning to New York, he has taught at FA Dance School (an associated school of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company)  and served as a judge for Chinese dance competitions across the U.S.

Ying Shi – Choreographer/Director of Traditional Dance and Preservation. is from Beijing, China.  Ying received her Bachelor’s Degree in Chinese Dance from the Beijing Dance Academy and her Master’s Degree from the School of Arts at Peking University.  Her extensive experience teaching Chinese Classical Dance includes the Ailian Chan Dance School (Beijing), the Beijing Dance Academy and the Tsinghua University Dance Troupe.  As a young dancer, she was a member of the Nanchang Song & Dance Troupe in the Jiangxi Province.  She joined the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in 2013 and established her own school in 2019.  She is the gold medal award winner of the Overseas TaoLi Cup Professional division in 2019.

Nai-Ni Chen (1959-2021) was a legendary choreographer who worked in the NJ/NY area professionally for over thirty years since coming to the US in 1982. She built a diverse repertoire of over 80 original works and toured to major venues in the US and international festivals in 12 countries around the world. A cross-cultural choreographer who aims to bring audience across the cultural boundaries, she has developed unique movement and choreographic styles that reflect the grace and splendor of the Chinese cultural traditions she studied in Taiwan since youth and the dynamic spirit of modern dance that she acquired in New York from luminaries such as Mary Anthony, Bertram Ross, Doris Rudko and Patricia Rowe. She received multiple Choreographer Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. She has been a principal affiliate of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and was a resident artist of the Harlem School of the Arts. Her contribution to the immigrant cultural experience has been honored by OCA and the International Institute. Commissions have come from the Joyce Theater Foundation, the Lincoln Center Institute, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Towson University, Dancing in the Streets, New Jersey Ballet, Ballet Met, and the Cleveland Dancing Wheels.

Guest Artists

Conor Mulligan is an artist and lighting designer whose design work represents an ongoing exploration of light in live performance. Born in Dublin, Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, Conor immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of five. He designs lighting for stage productions in NYC and regionally throughout the United States and is a proud member of USA 829. Visit www.conormulliganld.com for more information.

Tang Liangxing is a distinguished pipa virtuoso and educator who formerly served as a pipa soloist with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. He has remained active on the international music stage for many years and divides his time between the United States and Taiwan, exerting broad influence in performance, education, and cross-cultural musical exchange. He has served as Professor of Chinese Music in the Department of Chinese Music at the Tainan National University of the Arts, and has also been appointed Visiting Professor at the Shanghai University Conservatory of Music. In addition, he has served as Artistic Advisor to the Taipei Chinese Orchestra and the China National Traditional Orchestra, and as a Resident Guest Artist with the Kaohsiung Experimental Chinese Orchestra in Taiwan.

As a soloist and concerto performer, he has collaborated successfully with numerous major orchestras in the United States, including the Denver Symphony Orchestra, Queens Symphony Orchestra (New York), Sacramento Symphony Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. His performances of pipa concertos such as The Butterfly Lovers (Liang Zhu) and Sisters of the Grassland have played a significant role in presenting the pipa within the Western symphonic context and expanding its international visibility.

Throughout his performing and teaching career, Tang Liangxing has been deeply committed to the transmission and global promotion of traditional Chinese music. Through concerts, teaching, and academic exchange, he has mentored numerous musicians who are now active on professional stages and in higher music education. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to artistic creation, cultural exchange, and public impact, he was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in 1993, the highest honor bestowed by the United States on traditional artists.

Yang Yi is a renowned guzheng virtuoso and music educator celebrated for integrating the Chinese zither into Western symphonic and contemporary classical music. Her international career spans Asia, Europe, and North America, featuring performances at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and London’s Royal Albert Hall.

As a soloist, she has collaborated with the Kronos Quartet and major orchestras including the Milwaukee Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, and various German philharmonics, notably world-premiering the concerto Sky and Earth.

A dedicated educator, Yang Yi served on the faculty of the China Conservatory of Music, where her students have achieved national prominence. In the United States, she directed the Princeton University Chinese Music Ensemble and founded the Princeton International Chinese Music Festival.

Her leadership in the arts has been widely recognized. She was named the 2017 Teacher of the Year by the NJMTA and was recently awarded the 2026 New Jersey Heritage Fellowship, the state’s highest honor in traditional arts, acknowledging her profound contributions to cross-cultural education and artistic excellence.

DANCERS

Sarah Botero grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, and began her dance training at age three. She studied dance at High Tech High School and later earned her BFA from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. She has also trained at The Ailey School and performed extensively in modern and contemporary works. Sarah brings a grounded physical presence, choreographic curiosity, and a dedication to movement that conveys cultural depth and emotional resonance.

Madeleine Lee is a New York–based dancer whose background spans classical ballet, modern, and contemporary forms. Originally from Los Angeles, she trained at regional academies and pursued advanced study in composition and performance before relocating to New York. Madeline brings strong musicality, clarity of line, and a commitment to exploring cultural narratives through movement. Her work with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company reflects her dedication to embodying both tradition and innovation on stage.

Yuchin “Kiki” Tseng was born in Yilan, Taiwan, Yuchin “Kiki” Tseng received a full scholarship to the Harid Conservatory before earning dual degrees in Dance Performance and Arts Management (summa cum laude) from SUNY Purchase College. She has danced with Buglisi Dance Theatre, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, and Mason Lee Dance Theater. Kiki’s artistry is marked by precision, versatility, and sensitivity to cultural expression, making her an integral part of the Company’s mission.

Madelyn Sarver is a contemporary dancer whose training spans modern technique, partnering, improvisation, and traditional dance forms. She brings to the Company a keen attention to detail, dynamic range, and an ability to move fluidly between ensemble and solo work. Her performance reflects a belief in dance as a bridge between communities and a vessel for cultural memory.

Kathryn Taylor is a multidisciplinary dancer with training in ballet, contemporary technique, and world dance practices. Her work emphasizes expressive nuance, physical strength, and an exploratory approach to movement. Within the Company, Kathryn contributes an energetic stage presence and a thoughtful understanding of how cultural and contemporary forms intersect.

Lorenzo Guerrini was Originally from Italy, Lorenzo Guerrini trained in classical ballet and contemporary dance throughout Europe before expanding his work in the United States. His performance style combines strong technical foundation with theatricality and musical sensitivity. Lorenzo brings a cross-cultural perspective that enriches the Company’s repertory with expressive clarity and dramatic presence.

Caleb Baker is a dancer and movement artist whose training encompasses modern, contemporary, and interdisciplinary performance practices. He is motivated by an interest in cultural hybridity, ritual, and collective memory. With the Company, Caleb brings grounded technique, emotional openness, and a strong sense of narrative through physicality.

Esteban Santamaria is a performer with experience in contemporary dance, theatrical movement, and narrative performance. He brings expressive range, precision, and a deep curiosity about identity and cultural connection. His work enhances the ensemble’s collaborative artistic voice and the Company’s commitment to bridging movement traditions.

Yao Zhong Zhang  Dancer came from Shanghai, China, where he graduated from the Shanghai Kuan Opera School with a major in the male warrior role. Mr. Zhang performed with the Shanghai Kuan Opera Theater for ten years before moving to New York, where he also performs with the Tong-Ching Chinese Opera Company. He has been a member of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company since 2000.