David Z. Chen, a director of musical and dancing operas and also a specialist instructor of Chinese ethnic dancing established The Academy of Chinese Performing Arts in 1995. Previously, it was called the “Dance Production Studio”. In the United States up to the present, David Z. Chen has spent over twenty years teaching theater and Chinese dancing while concurrently introducing Chinese performing arts to mainstream American audience with a notable success record: 

  1.  Creating, directing, and producing over sixty Chinese dances and high quality cultural programs to the American public through various venues and media.  These programs made contributions and provided resources material for the American cultural and performing arts community. 

2.  Training thousands of Chinese American students in the art of Chinese ethnic dancing and Chinese theatrical productions. In the course of these programs, nurturing and honing the skills of hundreds of talented American and Chinese artists in various universities, civic organizations, and performing arts organizations. These activities were major contributions toward multi-cultural promotion and the performing arts community.

3.  Successfully editing, organizing, and producing the contemporary Chinese fairy tale “Malan Flower” into a major song and dance stage production. The on-going work of revising and improving the production has promoted and popularize traditional children’s classics and other “Stories of China” over the last twenty years.

In performances, the use of advance information science and communication technology to lead and guide digitalization, systemization, and evaluation of subtle changes, modifications and enhancements which improves the skill and appeal of the artist.  In performing arts education,  the use of the same methods to improve the theories and practices of instructors  in teaching bodily movements and staging performances.  

Over the years, in light of the above achievements, David Z. Chen has been recognized and acknowledged by the President of the United States, the Governor of California, and numerous local officials and civic agencies.  The People’s Republic of China - Ministry of Culture also recognize the Academy of Chinese Performing Arts as one the four “most” school. That it is one of the most high criteria, most comprehensive, most authoritative, and most influential Chinese performing arts school outside of China.   In digitalization and systematization of teaching and staging performances, the school has also been recognized by experts at the International Cooperative Technology Association as a“Hope Project” for creative cultural enterprises.

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中华演艺学院于1995年，由民族舞教育家、歌舞剧编导陈兆鑫先生创办。前身是“舞蹈工作室”,至今在美国进行民族舞蹈和戏剧教学已二十多年，对民族演艺文化在海外的传承、融入美国主流，作了很大的努力，取得了丰硕成果： 

⒈ 创排、介绍、辅导、制作了六十多台近千个中国民族舞蹈和剧艺节目，并以较高品质推向了社会，近年又参与了美国各层次主流舞蹈大赛，取得了不菲佳绩，也为中国舞蹈融入美国主流作了探索和贡献。

⒉ 训练了几千华裔子弟学习民族舞蹈、戏剧等才艺；培养出几茬上百个优秀的艺术人才 ，在美国的艺术团体、大学、社区，为发扬民族文化作贡献。

⒊ 成功改编、排演、制作了近代中国经典儿童剧《马兰花》为大型歌舞剧，不断的修改、加工、提高，坚持了二十年“说中国故事”，对儿童经典进行普及和推广。

⒋ 在艺术教学、制作两方面，以信息化科学理念引导，进行数位化、程序化工艺改革，为艺术教学、制作信息革命的理论和实践作了很大努力，取得了可喜的经验成果。

由于以上的办学成果，曾得到布什总统、美国加州和各市政府部门的肯定、支持和鼓励；被中国文化主管部门誉为：“海外艺术教学四个‘最’的学校” （最有规范、最具规模、最有实力、最具影响）；有关教学和制作数位化、程序化改革，理论的探索和实践的经验成果，也被国际经济技术合作促进会的专家们认为：是文创产业的“希望工程”。

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规范的教材，优秀的老师，严谨的学风，负责任的科学精神。

它被誉为"海外中华艺教奇葩"，最有规范，最具规模，最有实力，最具影响的"四最"艺术学校。

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