AAPI Dance Festival: Day 1

Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company are pleased to present the AAPI Dance Festival, featuring three compelling sets of performances by AAPI choreographers and dancers staged across two days. Day 1 will feature dynamic performances from Jiva Dance, Vivake Khamsingsavath, KAŌS (directed by 2026 Jadin Wong Fellow Nikaio Bulan Sahar Thomashow), and Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.

The AAPI dance festival is an annual celebration of dance and choreography that highlights the artistry and innovation of choreographers of Asian descent, presented as part of the Dance Managers Collective’s Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) showcase.

The AAPI Dance Festival is made possible with support from the CJ Huang Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New Jersey Cultural Trust, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, and individual donors like you.

This event is ticketed and open to the public. Admission to one performance is $25. Receive a discount when you attend all three performances with a full-festival pass for $50.

Schedule:
Opening remarks by Lisa Gold and Andy Chiang

“The Four Horsemen” by Jiva Dance
The apocalypse, reimagined as the lives of women. “The Four Horsemen” maps conquest, war, famine, and death onto four female protagonists, their stories moving from despair toward defiant hope. Blending Bharatanatyam, Sanskrit poetry, and a commissioned score, Jiva Dance brings Indian classical dance thrillingly into the present.

“Portal” by Vivake Khamsingsavath
Vivake debuted in 2013, with a cast of 10, and reviews that read “Darkly Alluring”, “Sensuous energy”, “Super smooth Gotham-movers”. Returning to stage 14 years later, Vive and an ensemble of 9 new dancers aspire to capture a world that revisits the past and ventures upon the aftermath of the lived-in human experience.

“On Your Sleeve” by KAŌS
Embodying the quiet tenderness of Filipino family histories, this work lingers in the space where love and grief fold into one another. It listens for memories held in the body, passed hand to hand, generation to generation, until they no longer belong to one person but to all of us.

“Song of the Phoenix” by Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Experience a dynamic journey across diverse cultural landscapes, from the bustling modern metropolis to the ancient tribal lands. This showcase program celebrates tradition, innovation, and the enduring human spirit through four signature works from the Nai-Ni Chen Dance:
“Whirlwind,” “Reflection of a Ripple,” “Shadow Force,” and “Dance of the Golden Snake.”

Refund Policy:
All sales are final. No shows will not be issued a refund.

Accessibility:
There is a ramp to access the front entrance of the building on 9th avenue. Wheelchair accessible restrooms are available on the ground floor and performance entry level (PE). Doors to those restrooms are wave-activated to open on both sides.

Recordings:
This event will not be recorded.

About Jiva Dance
Jiva Dance, under artistic director Sonali Skandan, creates Bharatanatyam-rooted work at the intersection of classicism, modernity, and experimentation. Based in New York City, the company reimagines Indian classical dance for contemporary audiences—preserving its rigor and beauty while pushing its themes and vocabulary into new territory. Jiva has performed at universities, colleges, and festivals across the United States and internationally, and has been supported by the NEA, NYSCA, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and Dance/NYC. Its work has been praised by The New York Times as a "compelling” and “riveting” rendering of the sculptural and rhythmic power of Indian dance.

Vivake Khamsingsavath
Vivake Khamsingsavath, Vive, is a Lao-American contemporary artist based in NYC. He has cultivated “Flow”, inspired by Buddhist philosophy, connection to the universe and energy, integrated with the dynamics of physicality. Vive has shared “Flow” globally (Argentina, Brazil, Germany) in universities (Ailey/Fordham, Manhattanville, Emory) and consistently at Peridance/Steps. He has worked as a movement director (Hermes, Valentino, Lululemon) and worked with Battery Dance (2019-2025), whose company mission to empower communities through dance is a source of inspiration. He has worked in refugee camps, hospitals, and underserved communities throughout the world. He is excited to present at APAP in his 15th year in the city.

KAŌS
KAŌS is an interdisciplinary arts collective creating immersive, mixed-media performances that redefine how audiences interact with art. As a collective comprising mostly of queer/Filipino artists, KAŌS facilitates the excavating and celebration of our multiplicities by producing art reflective of our diverse cultural backgrounds in collaboration with one another, the land, and a global conscience. Led by Asian American Arts Alliance’s 2026 Jadin Wong Fellow, Nikaio Thomashow, KAŌS cultivates a process where artists feel nurtured and empowered to unearth and heal communally. KAŌS has been presented by organizations including Bryant Park, Judson Memorial Church, Historic Saranac Lake, and NYS DanceForce.

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is a leading force in creating innovative cultural experiences that capture the hope, resilience, and energy of the immigrant journey. Each performance highlights the struggles, triumphs, challenges, and joys of this experience. Through its productions, the Company fosters cross-cultural understanding while addressing important themes of identity, authenticity, and equality.