Singapore native became a dancer Immigrant boosts Canadian arts now
by Paul Irish Toronto Star Staff Report
As a child
in her native Singapore, Yvonne Ng didn't know a whole lot about Canada —
except for the prime minister.
"He seemed to touch the entire world; he made a mark," says Ng, now a
contemporary dancer. "My father liked him, and I think that's one of the
reasons he chose Canada as a place for me to study.''
PAUL IRISH/TORONTO STAR
Dancer-choreographer Yvonne Ng has been chosen for a New Pioneer award.
Born in Singapore, she came to Canada as a student.
Ng, who arrived in Canada in 1983, had made a deal with her parents that she
would pursue studies leading to a conventional, secure job, perhaps hotel
management, and return home.
But Ng, who had studied dance, couldn't resist at least investigating the
possibilities.
"It's hard to explain, but I really felt guilty at the time,'' she says with a
grin. "But it's something that I just had to do.''
She applied at several schools, including York University. "I could tell they
liked what they saw during the audition, and that made me really nervous,''
she recalls. "When I was told I was accepted, I almost died.''
It took months to muster the nerve to write home, but eventually her parents
came onside.
"I remember my father calling me in my fourth year and telling me I may as
well stay in Canada and be poor and happy, rather than return to Singapore and
be poor and unhappy,'' she says. "Anyway, after living here for a while, I
knew I'd be better off staying in Canada.''
Today, Ng is an accomplished contemporary dancer, artistic director, producer,
choreographer and entrepreneur.
She founded Princess Productions in 1995, receiving critical acclaim for her
works in Canada, Australia and Singapore.
Since 1994, she has also been co-director of Series 8:08, a service
organization that promotes the creative development of Canadian dance artists.
She sits on the boards of Dance Umbrella of Ontario and the Canadian Alliance
of Dance Artists and is an advisory member for a Toronto Arts for Youth
program. Among her honours were two Chalmers Arts Awards that allowed her to
study abroad.
"It hasn't all been easy, but at the end of the day I'm very happy being a
Canadian,'' she says. "If you want to better yourself, it's a country that
will help support you. There is a lot of movement and people are able to chase
goals, with the knowledge there's a very good chance they will be
successful.''
She believes Canada exudes an optimism not seen everywhere.
"Canada tries to be as fair as it can to as many people as it can,'' she says.
"It attempts to give opportunity to everyone.''
