Jen-Jen Lin holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and an MSA in Accountancy from Bentley Graduate School of Business. As a young adult, Lin served as artistic director for the internationally-acclaimed Lan-Yang Chinese Folklore Performing Dance Company. In the U.S., she danced with the Chicago-based modern dance company, Jan Erkert & Dancers, taught dance at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, and was a professor of dance at Trinity College in Hartford, CT.
Lin founded CAAN in December, 2002, to continue pursuing her passion in performing arts as well as promoting Chinese arts. Lin was awarded “Living Cultural Treasure Award” by Scarritt-Bennett Center, Nashville, in 2000, the Carell Fine Arts Artist in Residence in 2013 at the Harpeth Hall School, and “Culture Shaper” at “Amplify Nasvhille” that recognized immigrants who made influential and significant contributions to Nashville city in 2018.
She has taught Chinese dance at the Nashville Chinese School, was Principal of the Nashville Chinese School, the initial Chinese language program teacher at Eakin School, presently teaches modern dance at the Vanderbilt University’s Dance Program, TaiChi at Sevier Park, and is a Teaching Artist for the Arts Education’s ArtSmart Program at the at Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Most recent, Lin had the honor and was invited by the Frist Art Museum to be a part of “NICK CAVE: Feat. Nashville” production and performed Nick Cave’s UPRIGHT at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in 2018.
Sample Programs Offered
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
Teaching Artist will use body movements as our major communication form to replace words. The body movements will be from concrete meanings to abstract imaginations. Students will be guided step by step to release their inner emotions and expressions through dancing. The goal is to enhance students’ confidence and strength of moving bodies and explore space, rhythm, energy and connection with oneself and one another.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
Teaching Artist will utilize Chinese lion dance drumming to expand students’ imagination and teach Chinese music, as well as how we contribute to our immediate community—class, school, and family. Together we will make an exciting drumming ensemble and drum out he Chinese big drum beats and rhythm at the final result.
The Chinese lion dance drumming has a specific set of rhythms and patterns. The principal is the same as western percussive beats. The flavor of the rhythm made is significantly different.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
Program Type: Arts Appreciation
Program Description:
Teaching Artist will introduce Chinese opera, Chinese dance to students. Most of students in Tennessee seldom have the opportunity exposed to these intricate Chinese performing arts. This program will serve as an eye opener for all students and further understand Chinese arts and culture.
Chinese opera, dance and music are distinctly different than the Western’s. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Things are beautiful for Chinese taste may not the music for the Americans’ ears, and vice versa. The TA will introduce Chinese opera, and Chinese dance to attendees using videos, live demos, and hand-on workshop to experience Chinese dancing.
Lesson Plan Example: Download File
