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Dance Arts Faculty > Artists and Teachers > Kinsun Chan

Country: Swiss/Canada

Mr Chan Kinsun is a distinguished choreographer and designer who works internationally in a range of artistic disciplines. Mr Chan studied art, graphic design, and dance in the United States at Virginia Intermont College, Georgia State University, and the University of Louisville. He also began his professional dance career in the United States, making his debut as a ballet dancer. He later moved to Europe when he was invited to serve as a soloist with Heinz Spoerli at the Zürich Opera House, moving on to work with Richard Wherlock at the Theater Basel.

Mr Chan performed many soloist roles created by renowned choreographers including Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Heinz Spoerli, Hans van Manen, Richard Wherlock and Ed Wubbe. He has also been a choreographer since 2000. Mr Chan’s works have been performed worldwide by the Basel Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, The Ballet of the State Opera Hanover, Tiroler Landestheater, Tanz Luzerner Theater, Hannover Ballet, Staatstheater Kassel, Royal Ballet School of Antwerp, John Cranko Ballet School, the Munich Ballet Academy, the Tanz Akademie Zürich, the Hong Kong Ballet and the Academy’s School of Dance.

Renowned for deploying a diverse and dynamic visual language, Mr Chan’s choreography brings full circle his work in art and design. His choreography Black on Black for the Hong Kong Ballet was then performed at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the United States and Festival des Arts de Saint Sauveur in Canada. His prominence as a dance practitioner saw him participate as a member of the jury for the prestigious Prix de Lausanne in 2021.

Beyond his devotion to dance, Mr Chan also works in opera, film, television, and dance video production. As of the 2019/20 season, Mr Chan has taken over the management of the dance company of Theatre St. Gallen in Switzerland. He also worked as a set and costume designer for dance productions such as X=Hase, Peer Gynt and Orfeo ed Euridice.

Mr Chan has always worked very closely with the School of Dance at the Academy. As a dedicated educator and the School’s artist-in-residence, he choreographed two new works, Clique and The Grid, for the School’s annual productions in 2011 and 2018, respectively, sharing with students his experience and professional advice as a choreographer and as a designer of sets, costumes, and lighting. To encourage professional practice in premier dance institutions, Mr Chan has offered internship opportunities for School of Dance graduates and has engaged alumni as professional dancers with his company. In 2019, the School had extensive discussions with Mr Chan and Professor Samuel Wuersten at the Zurich University of the Arts on a partnership for internship exchange at Theatre St. Gallen.

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