<I>Janek Schergen with Emma Percival at NZ School of Dance</I> <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>"My passion for the art overrides everything. If you measure yourself by material riches you are bound to be disappointed. I measure my success by the people I meet and the impact my dance has on others," he says.</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>janek schergen is best known in the ballet world as the custodian of the choreographic works of the masterly singaporean, choo san goh.<P>i met him in hong kong, having been invited to review a joint program by hong kong ballet and singapore dance theatre, in memory of goh, who died tragically young. goh may be best known to american CD members from his association with washington ballet.<P>schergen was a delightful person, a wonderful teacher, and really inspirational in his staging and rehearsals of goh's works. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Schergen believes his luckiest break was meeting one of the<BR> world's most successful choreographers, the late Choo-San<BR> Goh, at the Washington Ballet School and gaining a special<BR> friend.<P> He says Goh brought a unique and fresh Chinese perspective<BR> to dance and is remembered for combining Eastern sensibilities<BR> with Western contemporary ballet.<P> Schergen is responsible for the legacy of Goh's choreographic<BR> works, his foundation and granting money from his<BR> choreographic awards funds. He spends at least one month a<BR> year in Singapore and takes Goh's ballets home to be staged.<P>A meeting with a New Zealander in Hong Kong 10 years ago,<BR> has brought the internationally renowned and California-based<BR> ballet master to New Zealand.<P> Director of the New Zealand School of Dance, Garry Trinder,<BR> invited Schergen to spend several weeks rehearsing his<BR> students in two ballets, White Orchids and Beginnings, to be<BR> performed later this year at the school's graduation ceremony.<P> Schergen and Trinder became good friends working together in<BR> Hong Kong when Schergen was staging ballets and Trinder was<BR> director of the country's dance company.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <A HREF="http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,361156a11,FF.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,361156a11,FF.html</A> <BR><p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited October 13, 2000).]

My ignorance is extensive, but Choo San Goh is not a familiar name to me. I wonder if his work has had any exposure here in the UK? Sounds as though it should.<p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited October 13, 2000).]

I do remember seeing this joint performance by HK Ballet and Singapore Dance Theatre in memory of Goh, I think it was in the early 1990s. In a way, it's a great pity that Stephen Jefferies has ditched these pure dance ballets, as well as some Balanchine ballets as well, from the repertory after he took over as director. And now HK Ballet's repertory, loaded with full-length story ballets, has become far less interesting than before.<P><p>[This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited October 15, 2000).]

Stuart, was very much the <I>wunderkind</I> ballet choreographer of the early 80's, with ballets set on many companies, including ABT & Washington Ballet, where he was Assistant Director/Resident Choreographer.<P>His career was lamentably cut short by a 4-letter disease. I am not referring to "Gout".<P><BR>------------------<BR>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<BR>Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Lighting Designer<BR>Online portfolio, now including "This Day in Arts History":<BR><A HREF="http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg</A> <P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by salzberg (edited October 13, 2000).]