In the second episode of Company Secrets: The Nutcracker Paradox, Jared Redick talks with arts administrator, educator, author, and choreographer Phil Chan about how ballet can honor tradition while confronting its outdated and harmful elements. As co-founder of the arts advocacy organization Final Bow for Yellowface, Phil has spent years guiding ballet companies toward more inclusive practices, particularly in productions of The Nutcracker, ballet’s most enduring and widely performed classic.

Phil shares insight into the cultural and ethical challenges of updating the ballet for today’s audiences, offers examples of thoughtful reimaginings—like Peter Boal’s inventive reinterpretation of the Tea and Coffee Divertissements—and reflects on what makes Nutcracker magical for dancers, children, and audiences alike. This episode is a thoughtful exploration of how ballet can remain beloved while evolving responsibly for a modern world.

More about Phil: 

https://www.philschan.com/about

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