Beyond the stage: An interview with Professor Anna CY Chan, director of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Michelle: Anna, you began your career as a performer before transitioning into education, taking on increasingly senior leadership roles. How did your experience on stage shape your approach to teaching and your leadership style?

Anna: Being a trained professional performer, particularly as a dancer in classical ballet and later in contemporary dance, I think that my training instilled several important skills in me, such as discipline. As a professional dancer, you must be self-disciplined in managing your own physical, emotional and mental well-being. This discipline is part of what I consider my hidden training. 

Being a performer on stage is also about having strong communication—expressing stories through the body, dance, and performance. In classical ballet, there's a lot of interaction between characters, so reading body language has become one of my strengths. I pay close attention to how people stand, how they pose, and how their bodies convey hidden messages.

Striving for excellence is also another key value I learned as a professional performer. After every performance, I engage in self-reflection, always thinking about how I can improve and do things differently next time, perhaps approaching my work with a different interpretation while still conveying the same message.

Another important skill I developed on stage is collaboration. Dance, especially in large productions, is all about working together. It comes down to how I collaborate with other dancers and choreographers, and how I understand each component of collaboration will impact the larger outcome. In dance, especially when performing with a partner, if they aren’t supporting you, it becomes challenging to achieve great results. Conversely, if I don't reciprocate that support, I will not be able to perform my best either. These lessons from my training as a professional dancer have significantly shaped my leadership style and helped me become a better leader.

Michelle: What motivated you to pursue a leadership role in performing arts education?

Anna: I've always been passionate about interacting with people. I love observing emotions, temperaments, and the environment around me.

As an artist, I'm also inherently curious; this curiosity drives me to learn more—not just about dancing, but also about other art forms, technology, and what's happening around me. It has helped my transition from life on stage to other domains in my career, whether as an educator, a faculty member, an arts administrator, or an executive director on a mega project in West Kowloon Cultural District. Now, as a director, it's this curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning that has propelled me to the next stage of my development.

Michelle: As the director and chief executive officer of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, what do you see as the most pressing challenges in performing arts education today? And how do you plan to address these challenges? 

Anna: First, one of our key challenges is clarifying that the HKAPA is a university. The terminology often leads to confusion. Today, higher education institutions often use the word “university,” while “academy” can sound more traditional or even outdated. This confusion may cause some to perceive us merely as a theatre or performance venue, not realizing that we are a tertiary institution providing elite training and education for performing artists working in cinematic arts and theatre arts professionals. 

Another challenge is the perception of career prospect in our domain of study. Particularly in the Asian context, many parents may think, “You can't really build a successful career as a performer on stage”, or even if you do, it's only for a very short period. This mindset around a performing arts career portfolio is prevalent in many traditional perspectives. Part of our work is to shift that mindset through branding, sharing more success stories, and helping people understand the value of studying performing arts at a tertiary level. 

One of the challenges I'm facing internally is our own identity as a higher education institution. Some faculty may feel we should focus solely on preserving elite training and avoid doing too much community engagement. But I believe that as an Academy, we should lead with a very strong belief that the arts are for everyone. Without broader awareness and arts education in the community, we will not be able to attract students for elite training. We need to take on the vision and responsibility to promote arts to the general public. Only by doing that, we're able to preserve the highest quality of arts and present the best to the community, demonstrating the values of arts and their impact on society.

Michelle: I understand that one of your priorities is to enhance international exchange and attract non-local students. From a leadership perspective, what are you hoping to achieve by increasing cultural diversity? How will you guide your institution through that transition?

Anna: From a leadership perspective, I see cultural diversity as both the DNA of the Academy and the pathway to its future. Hong Kong itself has always thrived as a place where East meets West, and I believe the Academy should embody that spirit even more strongly. 

For me, increasing cultural diversity is not just about representation; it is about preparing our students to thrive in a world where the boundaries between traditions, disciplines, and geographies are constantly shifting. When I bring together ballet, Chinese dance, and contemporary dance into a single production, for example, it is not only an artistic experiment — it is a training ground for our students to learn how to adapt, collaborate, and appreciate the richness that emerges when different cultural forms converge. This openness ensures they can step onto any stage, anywhere in the world, and find their place.

Guiding the institution through this transition means building on what we already have, and I see my role as setting a clear vision while trusting my teams to work towards a shared purpose. Our faculty is already remarkably international, with Hong Kong artists who have spent years abroad and global talents who now call Hong Kong home. Over the past four decades, we have also built strong regional connections – around 20-25% of our student body today comes from across the Asia Pacific region, and we have signed MOUs with more than 80 international partners. I want to harness that diversity, not just for our own growth, but also so that international festivals and production houses see us as a gateway to understanding Chinese culture.

Michelle: What leadership capabilities are essential for leaders in the performing arts education today? How do you see that changing in the future?

Anna: Two key points come to mind. First, it's important to stay current and connected with the industry, as we are training individuals to perform on stage. They are not just researchers; they have to perform. While fundamental skills training is important, as a performing arts institution, we must stay abreast of the latest trends in performing arts development. This ensures our students are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive over the next five to ten years, after studying with us [for four years]. That’s one of the most important things.  

Secondly, staying highly connected to the global network. This complements the first point, as the students we nurture are being prepared not just for Hong Kong, but for the global stage as well. HKAPA's connections to the international performing arts community are critical in helping our students take their first career steps. As a leader, I must ensure my team focuses on developing these areas or has the awareness to grow towards that direction. Therefore, a lot of the leaders in this institution, including myself, remain active practitioners. We engage with the industry to stay informed about current developments and bring the best back to our students.

Michelle: What approach do you have in place to develop a robust leadership pipeline for the Academy to make sure you have the right leaders ready to step up into leadership roles? 

Anna: In a local context, I’ve been working on developing a very collegial leadership team. I strongly believe in collaborative leadership style because performing arts is a vast and diverse field. Since I am not an expert in every specialization, I rely on a robust leadership team that can contribute and work together.

Willingness to collaborate is also essential, because performing arts is all about working together. Only when we have a team that is willing to share information, knowledge, and responsibilities, we can create something dynamic and creative. Instead of simply following instructions, our leadership team must also remain creative. We hope to nurture visionary leaders who empower talent to express themselves, imagine, take the initiative, and learn from one another. 

If I can embed this mindset within our senior leadership, these leaders will eventually influence our students, alumni, and broader stakeholders. And I’m happy to say that I've already started seeing signs of that change. 

Michelle: You are also responsible for recruiting new deans and deputy directors. What key capabilities and backgrounds have you prioritized in the selection process?

Anna: First and foremost, having knowledge or expertise in a specific performing arts or film discipline is crucial. We're not just looking for a manager, the Head of School leads programs that are deeply discipline-focused, so it’s essential that they are trained in and understand the domain they oversee. 

As I mentioned earlier, our program needs to stay current. Since we are training the next generation, it’s essential that our academic leaders possess deep expertise and can navigate the ever-evolving landscapes of their field.

Another key capability I prioritize is the ability to lead interdisciplinary projects. The world today is no longer dominated by specialized knowledge, especially with so much information available on open-source platforms. Hence, we need leaders who are open to collaboration across disciplines and can bring different perspectives together to create synergies, generate new ideas, and develop new knowledge.

Michelle: How do you plan to cultivate these leaders and support them in bringing your vision for HKAPA to life?

Anna: It all goes back to what I mentioned earlier—people are essential, and they are the key to our success. Therefore, investing in our people is something I'm always very keen on. Professional development is important for every colleague in this institution, and I want to ensure we have the necessary support and resources in place. Even in the face of budget cuts around the world, I still want professional development to remain a top priority. We must continue investing in our faculties so they can grow and develop alongside the Academy. 

At the same time, I've been discussing with senior management on how to identify potential future leaders, with hopes of introducing more mentorship programs. I believe many emerging leaders simply need a platform to step up. I'm grateful to have had multiple opportunities throughout my 35-year career. That is why I believe it's important that true leadership involves creating opportunities for others to grow and step forward, rather than holding them back. This principle has always been very close to my heart.

Additionally, I trust the leaders I’ve nurtured share this mindset. They, in turn, will create more opportunities for future leaders. We’re already thinking about how to support the next generation as part of our long-term plan.

Finally, clear and transparent communication is important. People are often reluctant to embrace change due to uncertainty, which can create fear or a lack of motivation to get involved. But by fostering excitement and curiosity, we can start to see who’s ready to step up and take on more responsibility.

Michelle: Finally, what advice would you give to young artists and educators who inspire to take on leadership roles in the sector?

Anna: I would say adopting a positive mindset. Whenever you are presented with an opportunity, always take the chance to explore it before you decide it’s not the right fit for you. If you dismiss it right away, you’re pushing away an opportunity before you even know what it is about. 

Secondly, lead with a heart to serve. Only when you serve, you can truly understand the needs of your institution and your team. This understanding will enable you to lead them in reaching their goals, the wider vision, all the while maximizing their performance.