Chan Hon Goh

Note: This is an in-person gathering. To register for the online Zoom version, please click here.

For September's gathering we will explore creativity through the thematic lens of 'DEPTH' and are honoured to feature National Ballet of Canada principal dancer, published author, director, teacher, executive producer and entrepreneur, Chan Hon Goh.

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. 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 The Nutcracker, a holiday tradition in the City of Vancouver. 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. In 2019, Ms. Goh was appointed as a member to the Order of Canada for her excellence in ballet as a principal dancer, artistic director and cultural ambassador. Most recently, Ms. Goh was recognized as the recipient of an honorary degree from the University of British Columbia for her significant contributions to society.

As usual, we asked Chan some probing questions to augment her biography as a glimpse into her life and relationship with creativity:

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career?

My life and career have always been intertwined and one feeds off another. Perhaps for me creativity is to be flexible & open with genuine intentions.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy?

It comes to me at the oddest times, usually unexpected. Some may be fleeting but if it last, it's usually the thing to do or to make happen. My environment whether real or imagined plays a part.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person?

Don’t force it. And this is different than perseverance which we all should have.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings?

Walt Disney.

What’s your one guilty creative indulgence?

To watch as many live performances as possible in New York or London in a row.

What are you reading these days?

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger?

That’s a hard one.

What's the most recent thing you learned (big or small)?

There is nothing that is definite.

If you could do anything now, what would you do?

Give myself time to figure it out.