Founders of Vancouver Goh Ballet Academy legacy, Choo Chiat Goh and Lin Yee Goh, celebrated with dance hall-of-fame induction.
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“It was the first time a role on that scale was choreographed for me by a big name,” Freemantle said in a statement about the Anna-Marie Holmes’ choreographed production.
It was while doing that first Nutcracker that Freemantle, a former principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, said he saw that his dreams could, indeed, be reality.
“I remember those moments when I was a kid, thinking: ‘I want to do that. I want to be the prince,’ ” said Freemantle, who has danced in music videos and is in the Prime Video series Étoile.
Freemantle’s story isn’t a one-off. Over the years many Goh dancers have excelled in international competitions and graduates of the academy have gone on to dance with world-renowned companies. The legacy of the Goh Ballet Academy is undeniable.
And, in November, that legacy was officially acknowledged and celebrated when the company’s founders, husband and wife Choo Chiat Goh and Lin Yee Goh, were inducted into the Dance Collection Danse Hall of Fame.
Former principal dancers with the National Ballet of China, the pair immigrated from China in the late 1970s and started the Goh Ballet Academy in 1978. Their daughter, Chan Hon Goh, who herself had a long and impressive dance career, including principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, took over running the school in 2010.
Chan Hon Goh says the hall-of-fame honour is really a celebration of the hard work and determination that her parents, now both in their 80s, put in over the years to build the program up, from a few students in a basement, to the internationally known school it is today.
“I think what resonates most is they never gave up,” said Chan Hon Goh. “You know, in circumstances where people would have, they never gave up. And they believe so strongly in what they’re able to provide and to give to young people who would like to become dancers … I think when we think of the legacy or what they have built, it’s really for me now, having had a full career, seeing what they have done for dance in Canada, seeing how they have contributed to raise generations of dancers in Vancouver.”
For Choo Chiat Goh, being inducted into the hall-of-fame is a great honour, as well as a great reminder of the path he and his wife stubbornly stuck to.
“It’s deeply humbling to be recognized in this way. When I think back to the sacrifices we made — leaving behind our lives and careers in China to start fresh in Canada — it was an uncertain path. There were moments of doubt and hardship, but we stayed focused on our love of this art form and to bring exceptional ballet training to this part of the world,” said Choo Chiat Goh in an email to Postmedia News.
“This recognition feels like a culmination of that journey. And is a reminder of how far we’ve come with the help of so many dedicated people. It’s not just my honour, but a shared one.”
While a big lifetime achievement award is certainly cause for reflection, the Gohs tend to be a family that looks forward and hopes to see many more dancers come into their studios and begin their own dance journeys.
“Our legacy is in the dancers who have passed through the Goh Ballet Academy, many of whom have achieved incredible success internationally,” said Choo Chiat Goh. “We didn’t just create a school; we created opportunities and opened doors for dancers who might not otherwise have had a chance to shine. We believed in them and we know that dance will enrich their life no matter how far they go. We hope to have contributed to how the world views Canadian ballet. That’s what I want to be remembered for.”
The Nutcracker production, while it was started by Chan Hon Goh, is something the senior Gohs say is an example of the determination and work that the family has and still puts into the Goh Ballet Academy daily.
“The Nutcracker is more than just a production for me. It’s a reflection of everything we’ve built,” said Lin Yee Goh by email. “I think back to the early performances and the will to ensure that this would be a world-class production that the city of Vancouver can call our very own. Seeing the joy it brings to audiences, year after year, makes every hardship worthwhile.
“It’s a story of magic and transformation, and in many ways, it mirrors the journey of our academy. That’s why it holds such a special place in my heart.”