Dancer and arts advocate Phil Chan ’06 to deliver Carleton convocation

He will discuss his journey navigating conversations around race, representation and inclusion in the performing arts.

Leander Cohen '22 4 May 2022 Posted In:
Publicity photo of Phil Chan '06
Phil Chan ’06

Phil Chan ’06, a dancer and advocate for the arts, will deliver Carleton College’s convocation address on Friday, May 6, from 10:50-11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. In his presentation, he will discuss his journey navigating conversations around race, representation and inclusion in the performing arts.  

Chan is a co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface and author of “Final Bow for Yellowface: Dancing between Intention and Impact.” He is currently a 2021-22 visiting scholar at the A/P/A Institute at New York University, the Manhattan School of Music’s 2021-22 citizen artist and was just named a Next 50 arts leader by the Kennedy Center.

As a writer, Chan served as the executive editor for FLATT Magazine and contributed to Dance Europe Magazine, Dance Magazine, Dance Business Weekly and the Huffington Post. He served multiple years on the National Endowment for the Arts dance panel and the Jadin Wong Award panel presented by the Asian American Arts Alliance. He serves on the International Council for the Parsons Dance Company, the Advisory Board of Dance Magazine, and was a 2020 New York Public Library Jerome Robbins Dance Division research fellow. His latest project, “Ballet des Porcelaines,” premiered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in December 2021 and will tour throughout 2022.

Chan received his B.A. in sociology and anthropology and dance from Carleton College.


Carleton convocations are free and open to the public. Masks are required, and visitors are expected to be fully vaccinated and boosted (if eligible) or to have received a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 24 hours before attending an event. Find upcoming events and archived recordings on the Convocations website. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-5461.