Choo San Goh
Encyclopedia
GOH Choo San choreographer, was son of Kim Lok Goh, a merchant, and Siew Han Ch’ng.
His elder sister Soonee Goh 吴素妮 trained at the Royal Ballet School
in London and returned to Singapore to co-found the Singapore Ballet Academy. His elder brother Choo Chiat Goh 吴诸杰, also trained at the Royal Ballet, later becoming a principal dancer in the Beijing Ballet is the artistic director of the Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver, British Columbia Another sister, Soo Khim Goh 吴素琴, trained at the Australian Ballet and co-founded Singapore Dance Theatre in 1988.
and proceeded to Raffles Institution
. Goh’s earliest desire was to become an airline pilot, but his studies in ballet, taught by his sister, Soonee Goh, led him towards his eventual career path as a dancer. At his father’s insistence, he first completed his University education and graduated with a degree in Bio-chemistry from the University of Singapore.
. The company had a rich blend of classical and contemporary choreography. Goh joined as a member of the corps de ballet
and was eventually elevated to soloist with the company. He excelled in works by the company’s resident choreographers, Toer van Schayk and Rudi van Dantzig, as well as in works by Balanchine
and Petipa
. It was a fertile training ground for his growing interest in choreography.
While still a dancer with the company, Goh created his first ballets in a workshop environment. These small ballets brought him to the attention of Mary Day, Director of the Washington School of Ballet in Washington, DC. Believing in his talent, she offered him a position with her newly founded Washington Ballet
in 1976. Goh saw this as a chance to grow along with the pace of the development of the new company and took on the responsibilities of company teacher and Resident Choreographer at their inception as a professional company.
Over the course of the next few years his work became increasingly sophisticated and definitive works like Fives (1978), using Ernest Bloch
’s Concerto Grosso began to emerge. Goh came to the notice of several important Artistic Directors of dance companies as word of mouth spread that his talent was producing works of a very high quality. Many noted that his work was filled with a usage of classical ballet vocabulary that seemed influenced by his Asian heritage. His vision was more "symphonic" in that he utilized numerous soloist dancers in a ballet rather than the traditional principal dancer/corps de ballet arrangement typical in classical choreography.
For the Houston Ballet
he created two new works (1979 & 1980) and for the Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater he created Spectrum (1981). American Ballet Theatre
commissioned Configurations to be created for Mikhail Baryshnikov
soon after. His only full length work, Romeo and Juliet, to Prokofiev
’s famous score, was created for the Boston Ballet
(1984).
Goh maintained his work with the Washington Ballet
as a primary commitment, creating one or two new works each year in addition to re-staging for them some of the successful ballets he was now creating for other companies. He was given the position of Associate Director of the company in addition to retaining his title as Resident Choreographer. The city of Washington presented him with the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1986. The Washington Ballet came to international notice due to Goh's work with the very accomplished dancers in the company. Alan M. Kriegsman
, Dance critic for The Washington Post
, wrote that Goh “has propelled the Washington Ballet to international status on the jetstream of his talent...” (February 21, 1985) The company conducted its first large scale overseas tour in 1984 and over the next few years performed in Europe, South America, and the Far East repeatedly, featuring programmes of Goh’s choreography. In addition to Fives, some of the most well-known works he created for the Washington Ballet include Variations Serieuses, "Double Contrasts", Birds of Paradise, In the Glow of the Night, Unknown Territory, and Schubert Symphony. All of these ballets went on to enjoy performances with other companies worldwide. His commitment to Washington Ballet
remained and he gave a substantial portion of each year to his work with them. Goh’s demanding schedule in the 1980s included ballets with Bat Dor Dance Company, the Paris Opera Ballet
, Royal Danish Ballet
, Joffrey Ballet
and the Royal Swedish Ballet
. Singapore recognized his talent as a choreographer by presenting him with the Cultural Medallion
in 1987, the country’s highest award for artistic achievement.
. Before his death he had decided that a Foundation to further choreographic endeavors would be part of his legacy. Janek Schergen was chosen by Mr. Goh to be the Artistic Director of this endeavour. The Choo San Goh & H. Robert Magee Foundation was formed in 1992 and the centerpiece of it is its annual Choo San Goh Award for Choreography. Since that time numerous choreographers and dance companies have been given financial awards to create new dance works in an effort to further develop choreographic talent. The Foundation also oversees the licencing of Goh’s ballets in performances by dance companies throughout the world. Singapore Dance Theatre has added to their repertoire twelve of Goh’s works in that time bringing his unique identity as a Singaporean choreographer back to his homeland. In 1997 Singapore Dance Theatre commissioned a monograph on Goh entitled Goh Choo San, Master Craftsman in Dance. It contains a detailed overview of his life in written text and photos of his ballets. Singapore Dance Theatre mounted a successful retrospective of his works in 2007 entitled Legacy. Obituaries were published in the New York Times and the Washington Post on November 30, 1987.
and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet
, Washington, D.C. His youngest sister Soo Khim Goh is co-founder and former artistic director of Singapore Dance Theatre
, and elder sister Soo Nee Goh taught ballet in Vancouver B.C.
Childhood
He was the youngest of ten children. His Chinese parents spoke Mandarin and the family was brought up with very traditional values. Goh was influenced by and followed in the path of three of his older siblings to train as a dancer. Performance tours to Singapore from overseas ballet companies stimulated their interest in dance.His elder sister Soonee Goh 吴素妮 trained at the Royal Ballet School
Royal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
in London and returned to Singapore to co-found the Singapore Ballet Academy. His elder brother Choo Chiat Goh 吴诸杰, also trained at the Royal Ballet, later becoming a principal dancer in the Beijing Ballet is the artistic director of the Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver, British Columbia Another sister, Soo Khim Goh 吴素琴, trained at the Australian Ballet and co-founded Singapore Dance Theatre in 1988.
Education
Goh went to school at the Nanyang Primary SchoolNanyang Primary School
Nanyang Primary School is a co-educational primary school in Singapore, normally covering ages 6 to 12. It is situated in Bukit Timah , which is a private housing district near Coronation Plaza. The principal is Mrs Lee Hui Feng. Although it is not run by the government of Singapore, it receives...
and proceeded to Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution , founded in 1823, is the oldest centre for pre-tertiary learning in Singapore. It is an independent school in Singapore providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section , and a coeducational pre-university section...
. Goh’s earliest desire was to become an airline pilot, but his studies in ballet, taught by his sister, Soonee Goh, led him towards his eventual career path as a dancer. At his father’s insistence, he first completed his University education and graduated with a degree in Bio-chemistry from the University of Singapore.
Early career
In 1970 he travelled to Europe in hope of finding a position in a ballet company and was offered a place with the Dutch National Ballet in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. The company had a rich blend of classical and contemporary choreography. Goh joined as a member of the corps de ballet
Corps de ballet
In ballet, the corps de ballet is the group of dancers who are not soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers. A corps de ballet works as one, with synchronized movements and corresponding positioning on the stage...
and was eventually elevated to soloist with the company. He excelled in works by the company’s resident choreographers, Toer van Schayk and Rudi van Dantzig, as well as in works by Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
and Petipa
Marius Petipa
Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa was a French ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. Petipa is considered to be the most influential ballet master and choreographer of ballet that has ever lived....
. It was a fertile training ground for his growing interest in choreography.
While still a dancer with the company, Goh created his first ballets in a workshop environment. These small ballets brought him to the attention of Mary Day, Director of the Washington School of Ballet in Washington, DC. Believing in his talent, she offered him a position with her newly founded Washington Ballet
Washington Ballet
The Washington Ballet is an ensemble of professional athletic classical ballet dancers. It was founded in 1976 by American ballet pioneer Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Septime Webre since 1999.-The Mary Day years :...
in 1976. Goh saw this as a chance to grow along with the pace of the development of the new company and took on the responsibilities of company teacher and Resident Choreographer at their inception as a professional company.
Over the course of the next few years his work became increasingly sophisticated and definitive works like Fives (1978), using Ernest Bloch
Ernest Bloch
Ernest Bloch was a Swiss-born American composer.-Life:Bloch was born in Geneva and began playing the violin at age 9. He began composing soon afterwards. He studied music at the conservatory in Brussels, where his teachers included the celebrated Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe...
’s Concerto Grosso began to emerge. Goh came to the notice of several important Artistic Directors of dance companies as word of mouth spread that his talent was producing works of a very high quality. Many noted that his work was filled with a usage of classical ballet vocabulary that seemed influenced by his Asian heritage. His vision was more "symphonic" in that he utilized numerous soloist dancers in a ballet rather than the traditional principal dancer/corps de ballet arrangement typical in classical choreography.
For the Houston Ballet
Houston Ballet
The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers...
he created two new works (1979 & 1980) and for the Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey, Jr. was an American choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Ailey is credited with popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American participation in 20th century concert dance...
American Dance Theater he created Spectrum (1981). American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre , based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century. It continues as a leading dance company in the world today...
commissioned Configurations to be created for Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
soon after. His only full length work, Romeo and Juliet, to Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
’s famous score, was created for the Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet, founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams, was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. Boston Ballet’s national and international reputation developed under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy , Bruce Marks , and Anna-Marie Holmes...
(1984).
Goh maintained his work with the Washington Ballet
Washington Ballet
The Washington Ballet is an ensemble of professional athletic classical ballet dancers. It was founded in 1976 by American ballet pioneer Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Septime Webre since 1999.-The Mary Day years :...
as a primary commitment, creating one or two new works each year in addition to re-staging for them some of the successful ballets he was now creating for other companies. He was given the position of Associate Director of the company in addition to retaining his title as Resident Choreographer. The city of Washington presented him with the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1986. The Washington Ballet came to international notice due to Goh's work with the very accomplished dancers in the company. Alan M. Kriegsman
Alan M. Kriegsman
Alan Mortimer Kriegsman is an American dance critic who won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for his work at The Washington Post, the first to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism for reporting as a dance critic....
, Dance critic for The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, wrote that Goh “has propelled the Washington Ballet to international status on the jetstream of his talent...” (February 21, 1985) The company conducted its first large scale overseas tour in 1984 and over the next few years performed in Europe, South America, and the Far East repeatedly, featuring programmes of Goh’s choreography. In addition to Fives, some of the most well-known works he created for the Washington Ballet include Variations Serieuses, "Double Contrasts", Birds of Paradise, In the Glow of the Night, Unknown Territory, and Schubert Symphony. All of these ballets went on to enjoy performances with other companies worldwide. His commitment to Washington Ballet
Washington Ballet
The Washington Ballet is an ensemble of professional athletic classical ballet dancers. It was founded in 1976 by American ballet pioneer Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Septime Webre since 1999.-The Mary Day years :...
remained and he gave a substantial portion of each year to his work with them. Goh’s demanding schedule in the 1980s included ballets with Bat Dor Dance Company, the Paris Opera Ballet
Paris Opera Ballet
The Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it...
, Royal Danish Ballet
Royal Danish Ballet
The Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
, Joffrey Ballet
Joffrey Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet is a dance company in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1956. From 1995 to 2004, the company was known as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. The company regularly performs classical ballets including Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker, while balancing those classics with pioneering modern...
and the Royal Swedish Ballet
Royal Swedish Ballet
The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this field; he also founded the Royal Swedish Opera and the...
. Singapore recognized his talent as a choreographer by presenting him with the Cultural Medallion
Cultural Medallion
The Cultural Medallion is a Singapore cultural award conferred to those who have achieved artistic excellence in dance, theatre, literature, music, photography, art and film....
in 1987, the country’s highest award for artistic achievement.
Death
In 1987 Goh became seriously ill and after a very brief illness died on 28 November 1987 of an AIDS-related disease, viral colitis, at his home in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Before his death he had decided that a Foundation to further choreographic endeavors would be part of his legacy. Janek Schergen was chosen by Mr. Goh to be the Artistic Director of this endeavour. The Choo San Goh & H. Robert Magee Foundation was formed in 1992 and the centerpiece of it is its annual Choo San Goh Award for Choreography. Since that time numerous choreographers and dance companies have been given financial awards to create new dance works in an effort to further develop choreographic talent. The Foundation also oversees the licencing of Goh’s ballets in performances by dance companies throughout the world. Singapore Dance Theatre has added to their repertoire twelve of Goh’s works in that time bringing his unique identity as a Singaporean choreographer back to his homeland. In 1997 Singapore Dance Theatre commissioned a monograph on Goh entitled Goh Choo San, Master Craftsman in Dance. It contains a detailed overview of his life in written text and photos of his ballets. Singapore Dance Theatre mounted a successful retrospective of his works in 2007 entitled Legacy. Obituaries were published in the New York Times and the Washington Post on November 30, 1987.
Personal life
Goh has an elder brother, Choo Chiat Goh, who founded the Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver, B.C. His niece (daughter of Choo Chiat Goh), Goh Chan Hon was a principal dancer with the National Ballet of CanadaNational Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet
Suzanne Farrell Ballet
The Suzanne Farrell Ballet is a ballet company housed at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., and founded in 2000 by Suzanne Farrell, one of George Balanchine's most celebrated ballerinas, and a former New York City Ballet principal dancer. Today, the ballet is a full-fledged company produced by...
, Washington, D.C. His youngest sister Soo Khim Goh is co-founder and former artistic director of Singapore Dance Theatre
Singapore Dance Theatre
The Singapore Dance Theatre is Singapore's national dance company, founded in 1988 by the late Anthony Then and Goh Soo Khim. It made its debut in June 1988 at the Singapore Festival of The Arts and received its first arts patronage by the then-Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Ong Teng Cheong.Its humble...
, and elder sister Soo Nee Goh taught ballet in Vancouver B.C.