JESSICA CHEN
Jessica Chen is an American dancer, choreographer, and director based in New York City known for creating "visceral ...emotionally charged movements and choreography." - Sarah Draugelis, HuffPost.
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. This fall she choreographed 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 Connell 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. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of J CHEN PROJECT, a 501c3 nonprofit contemporary dance company with a mission to create dance works that emphasize identity, cultural diversity, and belonging. J CHEN PROJECT is thrilled to enjoy an open-ended run of AAPI HEROES in NYC beginning June 2024.
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 theater projects include Cabaret, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Jessica is a Proud Member of SDC.
A chapter on "Identity and Marketing in World of Social Media" written by Jessica Chen.
A Life In Dance aims to broaden the dancer's knowledge of the possibilities available to them by providing inspiring stories of dancers both known and unknown who have trodden these paths. It translates these stories in a tangible way with a resource guide to create a roadmap for a life in dance.