Jessica Chen Creates a Choreopoem From the Lives of Small Business Owners

Jessica Chen is a Chinese American dancer, choreographer, and director based in New York City. She is the founder and Artistic Director of J CHEN PROJECT, a 501(c)3 contemporary dance company founded in 2008.

Silver Lining commissioned this work from Jessica Chen as part of the small.artists Global series, supported by GoDaddy & JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Chen is known for visceral, emotionally charged choreography that uses the body as a political vessel — exploring identity, cultural belonging, and the stories of marginalized communities. Her credits include Cabaret at CenterREP, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at GEVA and Syracuse Stage, and performance works at Lincoln Center, New York Fashion Week at MoMA, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the World Expo USA Pavilion in Shanghai. She was a 2023 Bessie Award nominee for Outstanding Choreographer/Creator, a 2021 GALLIM Moving Women Artist-in-Residence, and is the 2025 SDCF Director Fellow working on Sumo at The Public Theater.