For the amount of time dancer and choreographer Peter Chu has spent north of the 49th you would think he would just automatically get Canadian citizenship. But while he isn’t about to give up his American passport anytime soon, he is happy to be referred to as an honorary Canuck.
“I definitely have a special affinity for Canada,” says Chu, who lists Ballet Jazz de Montreal, Vancouver-based Kidd Pivot and an upcoming third appearance at Dances for a Small Stage as highlights of his Canadian work.
But it is perhaps dancing as part of Celine Dion’s Vegas show from 2005 to 2007 that is his biggest Canadian connection, an experience he says will not soon forget.
“It was an experience of a lifetime that will stay with me forever,” says Chu from his home in Las Vegas, which perhaps ironically is now his basis of operations after having been on the move for the last five years. “The one thing that I will always remember is how much Celine stressed the idea of family and community. To be able to work with Celine was a great thrill; she is such a genuine person.”
Shortly after the Dion’s first Vegas showed closed, Chu found himself in Los Angeles and as a guest choreographer gigs on the last two seasons of the television reality competition, So You Think You Can Dance. And while he isn’t sure if he will be asked back for the show’s next season, he remains excited by what a show like SYTYCD has done for dance.