For 20 years Chan Hon Goh performed with the National Ballet of Canada, eventually moving up the ranks to become the group’s first principal dancer of Chinese descent.
Following her retirement, Goh turned her attention to helping train and advise the next generation of dancers as director of the Goh Ballet Academy. For the past six years she’s been bringing that knowledge and experience to young ballerinas across Canada through her touring Masterclass Series.
On Feb. 24 Goh is kicking off her six-city 2019 Masterclass tour in Nanaimo at Kirkwood Academy of the Arts. It’s her first time holding a class in Nanaimo since 2017.
Goh said young dancers’ regular training is focused on technical development, while her classes will focus on artistic nuances and performance.
“When they have to go on stage sometimes it takes that much more rehearsal and more of a process,” Goh said. “So I wanted to integrate and help them understand how they can develop the performance aspect and artistic aspect and build it into their everyday training.”
Classes will be offered at the junior and senior levels, and while the topics may be similar, Goh said the material is customized to fit the age groups and levels of understanding. Throughout the course of the tour she’ll be awarding promising participants Goh Ballet Academy scholarships valued at $5,000.
“It’s really based on their performance, their execution and their level of absorption in the class and to recognize their talent and to assist them with tuition money to continue and further their dance advancement,” Goh said.
New for this tour, Goh said she’ll be sharing insight on what adjudicators are looking for based on her own experience sitting on juries at competitions.
The classes also include a general question and answer segment for students and parents to ask Goh questions around education and careers in dance.
“They might be simple questions, but it’s something that you cant really find in a book…” she said. “I also learn from these interactions. I get to understand some of their curiosities and share some of my own stories.”
Click here to register for the junior or senior classes.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter