In 1926, she moved to China, where her father held the position of foreign minister in the government of Sun Yat-Sen.
[2] Chen also studied at Vera Maya's Isadora Duncan School and the Lunacharsky Theatrical Technicum.
[5]: 179 She was influenced by other interpretive styles, including from the Caribbean, from the Soviet Union (especially its Central Asian regions), and Chinese folk tradition.
[5]: 211 Chen also worked in Hollywood as a choreographer and dance instructor, appearing in some films, such as The Keys to the Kingdom (1944).
[5]: 214 Due to her leftist commitments, Chen was monitored by the FBI and forced to frequently leave and re-enter the U.S. by the American immigration authorities, despite her marriage to a U.S.
"[5]: 226 Chen was invited to participate in the development of The Red Detachment of Women, which later became one of the model plays during the Cultural Revolution, but declined.
A collection of her papers is housed at the New York University libraries, including her correspondence with Langston Hughes and Pearl S. Buck, her FBI file, documentation of her dance career, and other writings.