Mark Your Calendars!

Join us in celebrating Lunar New Year 2025 at the Museum of Chinese in America!

We’re excited to return with a special performance of AAPI HEROES.

Friday, February 7, 2025 at 7pm EST

Dive into an enchanting evening with AAPI HEROES, where we follow our young explorer, Kai, on a captivating journey across time. This vibrant performance, rich in dance and storytelling, inspired by iconic Asian Figures such as Anna May Wong, Hollywood's first Chinese American star, and Bruce Lee, a legend in martial arts and philosophy. It also brings to life the mythic NuWa, Goddess of Creation, and the global K-pop phenomenon. The performance invites you on a journey filled with stories that illuminate the strength and resilience inherent in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. 

Join us for an evening that not only entertains but also pays homage and celebrates the vibrant legacy of Asian American history!

Director and Choreographer: Jessica Chen

Dancers: Chieh Hsiung, Sumire Ishige, Maya Lam, and Carl Ponce Cubero

Cellist: Hao Jiang, Malachi Brown

Composer and Sound Designer: PaprTape

Costume Designer: Lui Konno

Video Editor: Trevor McCook

Tech Team: Tobi Lee, Adele Chi, Bhagavan Angulo

Box Office: Emily Reyes, Dahlia Khair

Production Intern and Understudy: Ria Yamdagni

Producer: Fran Kirmser

MEET THE COMPANY

Read what critics are saying about AAPI HEROES

DIRECTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER

Jessica Chen (she/her) is an American dancer, choreographer and founder of J CHEN PROJECT. Her work has graced prestigious platforms like New York Fashion Week at MoMA, Lincoln Center, and MACY's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Chen has choreographed for productions Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella at Geva Theater and Jersey Boys at Weathervane Theater, and Spring Awakening for Montclair State University, where she is currently an adjunct professor teaching Jazz. Chen's recent role as Assistant Director for the World Premiere of The Messenger by Jenny Connel Davis underscored her versatility, focusing on stories of marginalized yet resilient women. Internationally, she has been featured at the World Expo-USA Pavilion in Shanghai and in a special showcase by Google Arts & Culture. Chen's accolades include being a 2021 GALLIM Moving Women Artist-in-Residence, a 2021 Dance Lab New York Choreographer, and a 2023 Bessie Award nominee for Outstanding Choreographer/Creator. Her current projects include choreographing Cabaret at CenterREP, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Weathervane.

DANCERS

Chieh Hsiung is a choreographer and performer who has won multiple awards and accolades, including the Breaking Glass Project and Golden Bell Awards. She has presented her choreography at Lincoln Center, 92Y Harkness Dance Center, and J CHEN PROJECT AAPI Festival. Her latest work, "Islanders," is a resident artist at Cultural Lab, exploring Taiwanese cultural narrative around identity and longing.

Sumire Ishige studied at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Ailey/Fordham. Sumire has performed with BARKIN/SELISSEN PROJECT, Boston Dance Theater, WHITE WAVE, Parsons Dance Company, McKoy Dance Project, Ballet Nepantla, and J CHEN PROJECT. She is a rehearsal director for Pony Box Dance Theatre. 

Maya Lam is an Asian-American dancer, choreographer, and interdisciplinary artist who has performed works by Sidra Bell, Jessica Lang, Jenn Freeman, Yin Yue, Jessica Chen, and Samuel Pott. They are a City Artist Corps Grant recipient and were commissioned by The Kennedy Center Art-Under-A-Minute Series. They have danced with Nimbus Dance Works, Periapsis Music and Dance, and J CHEN PROJECT.

Carl Ponce Cubero (they/siya) is a Filipinx American movement artist/creative based in New York City. They graduated from University of California, Irvine with a BFA in Dance Performance and performed under the direction of the late Donald McKayle. They have performed with Ailey II and as a guest artist with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. They have also danced works by Aszure Barton, Lar Lubovitch, Andrea Miller, Jessical Lang, Rena Butler, and David Parsons.

GUEST ARTISTS / CELLIST

Malachi Brown (he/him) is a cellist and composer born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. He has studied music composition and cello performance at Old Dominion University and Ithaca College. He is an advocate for collaboration between art mediums and is always eager to tackle a new project if it means adding his own touch. Malachi has composed for the concert stage, animation, and film thus far in his career. He incorporates many combinations of styles in his music but is always rooted in a type of neo-romantic sound. “My goal is to write exactly what I hear in my head, and it’s quite a journey every time.” Follow his musical journeys on Instagram @dont.touch.my.cello

Hao Jiang is a classically trained cellist who transitioned to composing and sound design. While in school, he balanced his cello studies with academics, earning a B.M. in Industrial Design from Zhejiang University. After dedicating countless hours to performing in student orchestras and his rock band, he decided to fully pursue his passion for music at NYU, where he earned a master’s degree in Music Technology. Over the years, Hao has created TV commercial music for top brands such as Audi, Porsche, Geely Automobile, Volvo, Rolls-Royce, Asics, Li-Ning, and Tiffany & Co. Hao’s production style excels in blending classical, electronic, and pop music elements to create unique and captivating audio experiences. In 2024, driven by a deep love for music, Hao began creating educational content on Bilibili and Xiaohongshu (RED) to inspire music lovers and fans, sharing the beauty of musical pieces and the intricate process of music production.

COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER

Tony Yang, 楊伯翊 (Yáng•bó•yì), also known as PaprTape, is a composer, sound designer, and musician who blends traditional and modern techniques across multiple genres. He began his career in Asia, winning first place in the International Floral Expo Remix Competition and producing the top-charting girl group Six.S. Since then, he has worked with brands and cultural institutions such as Burberry, the Guggenheim Museum in New York. PaprTape studied violin and piano under Khuillip Jeung at The Juilliard School and apprenticed with Michael Riesman, music director of the Philip Glass Ensemble, contributing to scores and recordings with Philip Glass. His work reflects a thoughtful integration of classical training and contemporary practices, creating a diverse and adaptable approach to sound design and composition.

COSTUME DESIGNER

Lui Konno is a costume designer/technician from Yokohama City in Japan. She received her BFA in Oil Painting from Tama Art University in Tokyo and BA in Theater and Film from Hunter College. Currently she is a first hand at Parsons-Meares, Ltd., and makes costumes for Broadway musicals, such as Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge, Hamilton, Frozen and & Juliet.

PRODUCER

Fran Kirmser is a Tony Award winning producer in both musical and play categories and recently produced Bob Fosse’s DANCIN’ on Broadway. Fran served as a Tony Voter from 2014 to 2020. She is deeply committed to facilitating the work of emerging artists to stage via fundraising, development and promotion. She is the author of A Life In Dance which is required reading in universities across the United States. www.frankirmser.com

SPEACIAL THANKS

A special thanks to the following individuals who shared their thoughts and support during the creation of AAPI HEROES. A special shoutout to Kaleolani Samson, Jasmine Gibbs, Samantha Cheng, our 2024 production intern Ria Yamdagni, and all our former performers Fang-Ting Yeh, Tsubasa Nishioka, Cameron Surh, Fiona Tsang, Joy Chen, and SuperKnova. Thank you all for being a part of this journey!

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Thank You to our JCP Sponsors!

*J CHEN PROJECT Programs are made possible by the New York State Council for the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), Dance/NYC, and Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) through the NYS AAPI Community Fund. Without their continued backing, we would not be able to bring our passion for dance and storytelling to life.