Chan Hon Goh dances her final Giselle

May 26th, 2009
From: http://backstagepassblog.ca/


Principal Dancer Chan Hon Goh retires this season after 20 glorious years with The National Ballet of Canada.

"Chan has given us 20 years of beautiful and memorable performances at the National Ballet. Not only has she had a stellar career, she is a wonderfully kind and generous colleague with a professional etiquette and is a great model for young dancers," says Karen Kain, Artistic Director. "Chan brings her remarkable energy and dedication to all she puts her hand to, from the building of her business to the raising of her lovely family. I will greatly miss her on stage and off, and look forward to her exciting future."

Audiences and critics alike have admired Chan’s artistry in numerous roles, but perhaps most admired among them is her role of Giselle which she has chosen for her final performance.

A decade ago, Dance Magazine recognized Chan’s talent in "the Ballerina’s Hamlet ". "[Goh] is blessed with an exotic natural beauty and a porcelain fragility which cleverly disguises her great pliancy and strong technique. Her musicality shines forth in her lyricism and she made an enchanting peasant Giselle and an ethereal but warm-blooded spirit." Dance Magazine, 1999.


Chan’s final performance will be opposite Principal Dancer Zdenek Konvalina in the role of Albrecht. The two have performed together increasingly over the past couple years, with critical acclaim. "Chan Hon Goh, radiant as ever, and new principal Zdenek Konvalina create the sparks of a magic partnership…" The Hamilton Spectator, 2006

There is no doubt that Chan leaves the stage at the peak of her career. "Goh is at the height of her powers, where technical ability and dramatic insight converge. Her dancing these days feels freer than ever; she is totally present and committed to what is unfolding on stage." DanceView, 2008