DDP Talks To Phil Chan (Co-Founder)
Final Bow for Yellowface
DDP: You have a new project with Oakland Ballet, Angel Island. What are you most excited to have the audience experience within the work?
Phil: “We are used to the Ellis Island narrative on the East Coast of immigrants arriving to open arms. That was not the experience for early Asian immigrants, so to bring their stories to life via the poetry that they scratched on the barrack walls of Angel Island’s detention centers set to Huang Ruo’s incredible music has been a real privilege. Especially with what is happening right now with immigration and the question of who has a right to be here in America and under what circumstances and conditions, this work brings forward an important echo of the past that is a part of our shared immigration story. There can be sorrow, but also great beauty and resilience, and that’s what I want to audience to experience as an urgent balm for this current moment in our history.”
DDP: As the President of Gold Standard Arts Foundation, what are some things you’d like to see the foundation achieve this year?
Phil: “DDP’s own data shows a 10x increase in Asian choreographers with professional commissions in just the last few years (3 in 2020, up to 34 in 2024, and a large majority to women). Now that those doors have been opened and we have been given a chance to share what we can do as artists, it’s time to ensure those doors stay open. That there are still opportunities for companies to take a chance on someone who is off-center, not the default. Because that’s where innovation and new exciting art comes from.”
DDP: You were recently an author on a study in the American Journal of Arts Administration focused on Asian Americans in the professional dance world. Can you highlight the most important finding in your eyes?
Phil: “No major surprises, but what the study showed was rampant micro-aggressions, a lack of accountability, and professional repercussions for speaking up across the American professional dance landscape. It’s especially bad for Asian women, who experience both a “glass” and “bamboo” ceiling for leadership and creative opportunities. The silver lining is now that we know this is a widespread problem across geography and company styles, we can figure out solutions to address the broader culture of a professional dance environment. It’s not one single person who is “racist,” it’s a culture of compounded biases. These growing pains are to be expected when shifting from a Eurocentric to a Global art form. Because we all want forms like ballet to be bigger and reach more people — if for no other reason than increased ticket sales — it’s time to do better, and with data we can identify real solutions to real problems.”
DDP: How did DDP support your research?
Phil: “I think a lot of the focus of DDP is on the answers — the results, the report card for the field. But it’s also a great source of asking the right questions. As we’re figuring out our own metrics to hold the greater dance community accountable for making sure Asian American artists are included at every level of creativity both on stage and off, DDP has been the place to challenge our methodology and ensure that we are asking the right questions as well that help make persuasive arguments for change and positively impact pipeline and policy.”
