Episode 5: Phil Chan

Broadcast date: 16 June 2021

Phil Chan is a dancer, arts advocate and activist born in Hong Kong and now based in New York. With Georgina Pazcogin of New York City Ballet, he co-founded Final Bow For Yellowface in 2017. Provoked by stereotypes of Asian characters and culture in classic ballets – mostly notably in The Nutcracker – their campaign has already had impact in the US and beyond, offering resources for companies striving for change. As the dance world examines its entrenched culture and its historic and current abuses, Phil’s is an eloquent voice leading difficult conversations. He explains what meaningful change looks like – and how we make it happen.

Phil Chan

Phil Chan is a co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface, and most recently served as Director of Programming for IVY, a networking organisation for young professionals. He is a graduate of Carleton College and an alumnus of the Ailey School. As a writer, he was Executive Editor for FLATT magazine and contributed to Dance Europe, Dance and the Huffington Post. He was founding General Manager of the Buck Hill Skytop Music Festival, and General Manager for Armitage Gone! Dance. He is the author of Final Bow for Yellowface: Dancing between Intention and Impact, and was a 2020 New York Public Library Dance Research Fellow.

Find out more about Final Bow for Yellowface.
Teachers seeking resources to make their classes more inclusive can contact Phil.

The RAD hosts an interactive webinar with Phil Chan as part of Making Connections: A Symposium for Dance Teachers. Find out more and book here.

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