The Nutcracker & Chan Hon GOH

background about the ballet and the principal behind

The Nutcracker (Russian: Щелкунчик, Балет-феерия, Shchelkunchik, Balet-feyeriya; French: Casse-Noisette, Ballet-Féerie), is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on Sunday, 18 December 1892, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's opera, Iolanta.

Although the original production was not a success, the twenty-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet was. However, the complete Nutcracker has enjoyed enormous popularity since the late 1960s and is now performed by countless ballet companies, primarily during the Christmas season, especially in the U.S. Tchaikovsky's score has become one of his most famous compositions, in particular the pieces featured in the suite.

Ms. Chan Hon GOH

Born in Beijing, Chan Hon Goh immigrated with her family to Vancouver, where she studied in the professional program at the Goh Ballet Academy. Upon graduation in 1988, she joined The National Ballet of Canada and has been a Principal Dancer since 1994.

In her illustrious 20 year stage career, Ms. Goh has employed her delicate lyricism and emotional depth to personify the essence of lead roles in ballets such as Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Onegin and the title roles in Giselle, Madame Butterfly and La Sylphide. She is known for the vibrancy and elegance she brings to her extensive Balanchine repertoire and has had multiple roles created for her at the National Ballet of Canada. She has been chosen to perform in the company premieres of works by contemporary choreographers John Neumeier, Christopher Wheeldon, and Jirí Kylián among others.

Ms. Goh is a much sought-after international guest artist and has appeared with numerous companies throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. She is often invited to produce evenings of dance around the world. In addition, she was the first Canadian to receive the Silver Medal at the Genèe International Ballet Competition in London, England and was a prize recipient at the Prix de Lausanne.

In 2005, Ms. Goh received the New Pioneers Arts Award for her contributions to dance in Canada.

 

Her autobiography Beyond the Dance, A Ballerina’s Life was a finalist nominee for the 2003 Norma Fleck Award and the 2005 Rocky Mountain Book Award. Ms. Goh is the founder of PRINCIPAL by Chan Hon Goh® Inc. a manufacturer and distributor of ballet footwear. PRINCIPAL received the ACCE Innovation Award for the Diamond Pointe Shoes. www.principalshoes.com and www.chanhongoh.com On May 31st 2009, Ms. Goh danced her farewell performance as Giselle to a sold out house at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Ontario. Her fans, audiences and colleagues paid tribute to her with a standing ovation and numerous curtain calls. From 2009 onwards Ms. Goh will direct all aspects of operations for the Goh Ballet. She held the responsibilities as the Artistic Coordinator for the sold-out inaugural production of the Goh Ballet's Nutcracker. Ms. Goh looks forward to sharing her time in the studio with the students enrolled in the performance workshop and the summer intensive programs.