On a snowy Sunday earlier this month inside New Jersey's historic White Eagle Hall, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company launched its annual Chinese New Year tradition with Red Firecracker: The Legend of the Lunar New Year, welcoming the upcoming Year of the Horse.
The family-friendly production staged in Jersey City tells the ancient story of Chinese villagers uniting to fend off the monster Nian through a dynamic blend of traditional costumes and expressive choreography. Nian is a mythical monster that would descend on villages once a year to terrorize the people. Although the villagers discovered it could not be killed, they eventually learned that loud noises and the color red could drive it away, a legend that marks the beginning of Chinese New Year.
Featuring props such as spears, traditional Chinese fans and flowing ribbons, the performance weaves together elements of Chinese martial arts and Peking Opera, offering audiences a vivid glimpse into the richness and vitality of Chinese culture. The stage came alive with traditional festive music, sweeping ribbons and bold red visuals that mirrored the spirit of Chinese New Year.
Choreographed by the late Nai-Ni Chen, an immigrant from Keelong, Taiwan, who came to the United States in the 1980s, the work reflects her deep training in traditional Chinese dance. Chen was widely recognized for her ability to integrate Eastern and Western aesthetics, creating a distinctive blend of contemporary and traditional movement. Her work was featured in major publications, including The New York Times, and introduced diverse audiences to a dynamic cross-cultural dance language.
Andy Chiang, Chen's husband as well as executive director of the dance company, says the company has been celebrating Chinese New Year around New York and across the country for at least the last two decades.
"We thought about this particular concept of telling the story of Nian Shou (the monster Nian). We feel this story should be told by many, many different Chinese Americans, so that everyone in America can know the story of Nian, because it is such a meaningful story about aging," says Chiang.
"'Nian' means age, and it comes every year. We cannot get rid of it; we have to age. Only by coming together, being joyous, and playing together, can we fend off Nian. We feel that this is a story that tells about the wisdom of Chinese culture to children and people who don't know about us."
Yu-chin "Kiki" Tseng, a dancer in the production who was born and raised in Yilan, Taiwan, says she hopes audiences come away with a deeper understanding of the importance of the Chinese New Year in the country's culture.
"I hope they can recognize that Chinese New Year is a very important aspect of our culture. It also reminds them how important family is in our culture, how we are so family-oriented, and that this is a time of the year when no matter what happens in your family, or no matter what happens in your year, you can all come together as a group and celebrate … I think that's very beautiful about our culture."
Another dancer, Esteban Santamaria from Panama, says performing Red Firecracker helped him better understand Chinese New Year traditions he had previously only observed from a distance.
"I saw the dragon, the lion, the red, all the celebrations, but I didn't really understand it," he says. "Now that I've been part of it onstage, I get to understand it more. It's such a joyful celebration, and it's great to be part of it."
Despite the severe weather, members of the community turned out to support the program and learn more about Chinese culture. Among them was Daniel Mirabal, who attended the performance with his toddler daughter. He says he had long been curious about the origins of Chinese New Year and wanted to learn "how different cultures fuse into our culture here in the United States".
"The media these days, it makes other countries sometimes seem like enemies and things like that," he says. "But when you learn about shared values, who's going to look at somebody and say, 'That country is my enemy?' When you hear stories like that, the story of Nian, it's very difficult to do that. When you hear that it's based on stuff like love, friendship, camaraderie, partying ... every country loves a party."
Another audience member, Chia-yu Yang, who is from Taipei, Taiwan, and now lives in Jersey City, says the performance "brought a strong sense of homesickness".
"It was a very pleasant surprise, because the music is something you usually only hear at temple fairs," she says. "Here, however, the performance combines the music with dance, which makes it feel very special. The music and movement are fully integrated, and it also incorporates elements of Peking Opera along with ribbons, Chinese fans and other traditional forms."
Yang adds that the show effectively introduced Chinese New Year customs to local audiences. "It talks about practices such as setting off firecrackers, hanging Spring Festival couplets, wearing red and gathering with family and friends at home," she says. "This style of music and dance is already quite rare to see here, and it really helps people understand the traditions associated with the Chinese New Year."
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is taking its Red Firecracker tour across New Jersey, as well as to other states including Pennsylvania and Arizona in the days to come.
As the performance concluded with joy and unity triumphing over the monster Nian, the production crew extended New Year's wishes to the audience, introducing the traditional greeting of gong xi, meaning congratulations on the New Year.
"We're going to put our hands in front, make a fist with our right hand and use the other hand to wrap that fist as we bow. We are going to say, 'gong xi, gong xi'," a member of the production explains. "Now turn to your neighbors and say, 'gong xi, gong xi'." The simple gesture quickly connected the audience in a shared moment of celebration, embodying the spirit of Chinese New Year.
