Chan-hon Goh

Chan Hon Goh CM (simplified Chinese: 吴振红; traditional Chinese: 吳振紅; pinyin: Wú Zhènhóng; Jyutping: Ng4 Zan3 hung4), born in 1969 in Beijing, China, is a Chinese-born Canadian ballet dancer. She was the Principal Dancer with the National Ballet of Canada.

Both of her parents (Choo Chiat Goh and Lin Yee Goh) were Principal Dancers with the National Ballet of China. In 1976, during the height of political unrest, they left China for Vancouver, British Columbia, where they established the Goh Ballet Academy. Goh's uncle, Choo San Goh, was an American choreographer.

Career

With an illustrious stage career of over 20 years as Principal Dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, Chan Hon Goh is one of the most prolific artists of her generation. Her delicate lyricism and emotional depth personify the essence of numerous lead roles. Chan Hon Goh was trained at Goh Ballet Academy, which was founded by her parent's Choo Chiat Goh and Lin Yee Goh in 1978. She entered the National Ballet of Canada in 1988, and was appointed Second Soloist in 1990 and First Soloist in 1992. She became a Principal Dancer in 1994.

She has performed with various ballet companies, including:

Goh is a winner of the Prix de Lausanne (1986) and a silver medalist in the Genée International Ballet Competition (1988).

She received training from British dancer/choreographer Anton Dolin as well as her husband Chun Che (a former principal dancer with the National Ballet of China).

In 2002, Goh's autobiography (co-written with Cary Fagan) entitled Beyond the Dance: A Ballerina's Life was released by Tundra Books. The book was a finalist for the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction. Goh is currently the director of the Goh Ballet Academy.

In 2010 upon retiring from her performing career, Ms. Goh accepted the invitation to become the Director of Goh Ballet, to further her passion to inspire dancers of tomorrow and to provide students with opportunities to train with world-renowned teachers. Extending her reach and always advocating for the arts, Ms. Goh serves as a jury member for several international competitions. She guest instructs and sets choreography for some of the most renowned companies in the world and since 2009 has been the Executive Producer of Goh Ballet’s critically acclaimed production of The Nutcracker, a holiday tradition in the City of Vancouver, Canada.

Ms. Goh is a founding member of Vancouver’s Arts and Culture Policy Council, which assists in giving the creative community a voice. Her accomplishments, with irrepressible devotion to the enhancement of the cultural life of Canada, have garnered several prestigious awards including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, the New Pioneers Arts Award and the Best Teacher Award at the World Ballet Competition.

See also


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