Prima Ballerina Chan Hon Goh Shines Spotlight On Diversity And Inclusion In Ballet On International Dance Day

The Canadian Masterclass Series led by Prima Ballerina Chan Hon Goh recently completed a multi-city tour educating and training dancers across Canada. Renowned for her prolific career as a Principal Dancer with The National Ballet of Canada, and her work as Director of Goh Ballet Academy, Chan Hon Goh C, M., D.Litt, provided mentorship to dance students looking to bridge the gap from student to professional and to take their artistic skills to the next level.

"The goal throughout my Canadian Masterclass Series is to provide students with technical confidence and artistic nuances to prepare for performances and today, I am thrilled to announce seven awardees of the 2022 Reitmans' Diversity Scholarship who have demonstrated their talents." said Chan Hon Goh. "These young dancers have shown their commitment to the artform and the perseverance to strive for excellence. Nominated by their teacher and selected by an artistic committee of artistic leaders, these individuals are recognized with a financial scholarship to help further their training to the next level."

On International Dance Day, April 29th, they celebrate the achievements of the Reitmans' Diversity Scholarship recipients:

· Charlotte Norton, 11 yrs, Saskatchewan

· Ella Doney, 17 yrs, Alberta

· Vanessa Poon, 15 yrs, Ontario

· Maïté St-Louis Poirier, 12 yrs, Quebec

· Abby Yates, 16 yrs, Ontario

· Audrey Shukuda, 12 yrs, Alberta

· Keenan Mentzos, 13 yrs British Columbia

Quotes from select awardees:

Keenan Mentzos, 13 yrs British Columbia

"The biggest challenge for me has been that I am the only boy in my dance classes. I also do not have any black dancers at my school. Thank you so much for this scholarship. I feel very honoured to receive this. I am grateful for this recognition, and it empowers me even more to continue to follow my passions and dreams in dance.

Vanessa Poon, 15 yrs, Ontario

"As a minority group in the dance community, it's been challenging to find role models who look like me. Receiving this award is an incredible honour, and I will be eternally grateful. What an amazing source of encouragement."

The Canadian Masterclass Series provides two funding opportunities: the Reitmans' Diversity Scholarship Awards and the National Scholarship Awards.

The Reitmans' Diversity Scholarship Award is available to gifted and persevering students who belong to or identify with underrepresented populations in the art of classical ballet. Chan Hon Goh and Goh Ballet Canada Society recognize that racial, gender and physical biases may prevent promising students from accessing resources to further their dance goals. Sponsored by Reitmans', this Diversity scholarship award with a total amount of $5,000 available is the start of initiatives to foster inclusion and diversity in the art form of ballet and provide those with the will a way to pursue excellence.

"Chan Hon Goh's devotion to increase diversity and foster inclusion in the cultural dance industry truly speaks to our core, as these values are the foundation of our identity. At Reitmans, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive work environment and embracing individual differences - whether at our head office, within our store walls, or through our marketing campaigns. We recognize there is much more work to be done, and we are devoted to making real, lasting change by using our brand voice to continue advocating for respect and equality, while continuing to support initiatives like Chan's." - Jackie Tardif, President of the Reitmans brand and Executive Sponsor of Diversity & Inclusion of Reitmans (Canada) Limited.

ABOUT CHAN HON GOH C,M., D Litt

With an illustrious stage career of over 20 years as Principal Dancer with The National Ballet of Canada, Ms. Goh is one of the most prolific artists of her generation. Her delicate lyricism and emotional depth personify the essence of numerous lead roles. In 2010 upon retiring from her performing career, Ms. Goh accepted the invitation to become the Director of Goh Ballet, to further her passion to inspire dancers of tomorrow and to provide students with opportunities to train with world-renowned teachers. Extending her reach and always advocating for the arts, Ms. Goh serves as a jury member for several international competitions. She guest instructs and sets choreography for some of the most renowned companies in the world and since 2009 has been the Executive Producer of Goh Ballet's critically acclaimed The Nutcracker, a holiday tradition in the City of Vancouver.

About Reitmans (Canada) Limited

The Company is a leading women's specialty apparel retailer with retail outlets throughout Canada. The Company operates 411 stores consisting of 242 Reitmans, 91 Penningtons and 78 RW&CO. The Company is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: RET, RET-A). For more information, visit www.reitmanscanadalimited.com.

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