Chen uses movement as a vehicle to heal wounds, share stories and better understand our human existence. The visceral experience of witnessing a moving body can elicit a profound sense of empathy and she believes that empathy is vital in navigating today’s cultural landscape.
In 2013, Jessica made a miraculous journey back to the stage after suffering a horrific car accident, which rendered her in a coma for 13 days after eight hours of brain surgery. She shares her story and fight to live through her work as a choreographer, speaker, and Artistic Director of J CHEN PROJECT.
She holds a B.A. in Global Studies from the University of California Santa Barbara and continued her dance training at The Ailey School and Earl Mosley Institute of the Arts.
Her choreography credits include Off-Broadway Minetta Lane Theater, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Ai Weiwei: The Seed for Brooklyn Museum, TEDx Semester at Sea, Cornell University’s Celebration of Asian American Women, World Expo – USA Pavilion in Shanghai, China and Amnesty International Arts Festival in Washington D.C. Chen includes her thoughts on “Identity and Marketing in the World of Social Media” as a featured chapter contributor of a new book called A Life In Dance: A Practical Guide.  www.jchenproject.com

J CHEN PROJECT is a modern dance company based in NYC, founded in 2008. Its mission is to enhance the artistic conversation. It begins in the imagination of the artist, stretches onto the stage & lives on in those that witnessed the performance. We accomplish this through performances, salons, mentoring, curating & inspiring artists to share their voice.