Yen Han Ballet Foundation
Yen Han: Founder of the Yen Han Ballet Foundation
Ballet has the power to transform lives. For me, it became a way to express emotions when words failed me. My journey—from fleeing Vietnam as a child to becoming a prima ballerina—has shaped my deep belief in the importance of dance as a source of healing, strength, and artistic expression.
A Journey Shaped by Resilience
I was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, into a family where the arts were celebrated. My parents, You Whai Tsao and Vi Han, were both graduates of the Beijing Music Conservatory and dedicated their lives to teaching music. As a child, I was immersed in an environment rich in creativity. My mother taught me piano, laying the foundation for my artistic path.
But in 1979, everything changed. My family was forced to flee Vietnam as refugees, embarking on a perilous journey by boat to Hong Kong before finally finding asylum in the United States. This experience profoundly shaped me. As a young girl struggling to adapt to a new country, I discovered that dance could be my voice when words were not enough. Ballet became my sanctuary—a way to process emotions, build resilience, and find freedom amidst uncertainty.
At the age of six, I began training under Stefan Mucsi, whose mentorship gave me the courage to express myself through movement. Dance was not just technique—it was storytelling, emotion, and identity. It became clear to me early on: artistic expression is a powerful force, especially for those who feel unheard.
A Life Devoted to Dance
Determined to pursue my passion, I earned scholarships at prestigious ballet programs, including the Hartford Ballet School and the San Francisco Ballet School. In 1989, I moved to China to study at the Beijing Dance Academy, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in dance. My professional career took me to Paris, Nice, and finally, in 1994, to Zürich, where I joined the Zürich Ballet. That same year, I was promoted to principal dancer, following my role as The Firebird in Nicolas Beriozoff’s production. For over 25 years, I was a Prima Ballerina, performing internationally and working closely with many choreographers renowned directors such as Heinz Spoerli and Christian Spuck.
Throughout my career, I have been honored with multiple accolades, including the Swiss Federal Office of Culture BAK’s “Outstanding Female Dancer Award”. I have always believed that dance is more than a performance—it is a way to inspire, connect, and transform lives.
The Vision Behind the Foundation
In 2012, my husband and I founded the Yen Han Dance Center, followed by Yen Han Ballet Productions in 2020, both aimed at fostering the next generation of dancers. Now, with the launch of the Yen Han Ballet Foundation, I want to take this mission even further.
The foundation is dedicated to:
- Providing access to ballet education, especially for young dancers from underprivileged backgrounds.
- Offering mentorship and scholarships to nurture talent.
- Creating opportunities for artistic growth and personal development.
Dance is more than movement—it is an expression of the soul. It has the power to heal, inspire, and bring communities together. With this foundation, I want to ensure that more young dancers have the chance to experience this transformative art form.
Ms. Susanna Pen is the founder of Epiven, a leading advisory firm specialising in market development in China for family enterprises and the private equity sector. Prior to establishing Epiven in 2002, she was the Vice President at Bertelsmann, Europe’s largest media conglomerate, where she expanded its online division across Europe and Asia. She served on joint venture boards with Vivendi Universal in France, Mondadori Group in Italy, Telefónica in Spain, KF Media in Scandinavia, and Kadokawa Shoten Publishing in Japan.
She played a pivotal role in Bertelsmann’s successful entry into the Chinese market by managing all joint venture investments for Bertelsmann Online within Bertelsmann Direct Group. At Philips Electronics in Asia, she led change management initiatives and formulated key account transformation strategies for the Components division to maintain a competitive edge.
At Equity Marketing in the United States, she headed global operations and logistics for high-profile clients such as Coca-Cola, Burger King, Shell, Tyco, and Warner Brothers.
Ms. Pen holds an MBA from IMD in Switzerland, and a BA in Economics from UCLA in the United States.
Kinsun Chan is a distinguished choreographer and designer who works internationally in a range of artistic disciplines. The Swiss-Canadian studied art, graphic design and dance in the United States at Virginia Intermont College, Georgia State University and the University of Louisville. Kinsun discovered the ballet world at a late age. He began his professional dance career in the United States and came to Europe when he was invited to join Ballet Zürich and later Ballet Basel. He performed many soloist roles from renown choreographers such as Kylián, Forsythe, Duato, Spoerli, Van Manen, Wherlock and Wubbe.
His first choreography was created at the Ballet Zürich. Soon after he was invited to choreograph for the Noverre Society at the Stuttgart Ballet. His choreographies have been performed by the Ballet Basel, Singapore Ballet, Tiroler Landestheater, Tanz Luzerner Theater, Hong Kong Ballet, Hannover Ballet, Staatstheater Kassel, Royal Ballet School of Antwerp, John Cranko Ballet School, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Munich Ballet Academy-Heinz Bosl Stiftung, Arles Youth Ballet Company, Tanz Akademie Zürich and the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy. His creation for the Hong Kong Ballet was invited to the Jacobs Pillow Festival (USA) and Festival des arts de Saint Sauveur (Quebec, Canada). Along side his choreography, Kinsun works as a stage and costume designer and has created designs for his own works and other international choreographers. He has lectured at the University of Florence, Mount Holyoke College, University of Zürich and the Zürich University for the Arts. Kinsun is an Honorary Fellow recipient from the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. He has also been a jury member for the prestigious international ballet competition Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland and has two contemporary solos as part of their repertoire (ECHO and RAIN). He also created the choreography (SCHRäääG) and designs for the 2024 Partner School Choreographic Project at the Prix de Lausanne. Kinsun’s choreography bring full circle his work in Art and Design, encompassing a dynamic visual language.
As of the 2019/20 season, he became the director of the Tanzkompanie des Theaters St. Gallen in Switzerland. Beginning with the 2024/25 season, Kinsun Chan began his new tenure as Director of the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden.
Reinhard Oertli holds a doctorate from Zurich University and an LL.M. from University of Pennsylvania. He is admitted to the bar in Switzerland and in New York. He has worked as a practicing lawer, a partner of EY and of MLL Legal AG, a Zurich law firm with international outreach. He specialises in intellectual property and technology law. Reinhard is a widely recognized expert on copyright and the editor of one of the leading commentaries on the Swiss copyright act.
Besides his professional activities, Reinhard has always been active for social, scientific and cultural causes. He acts as board member of several foundations and has been running his own concert series since more than 20 years, with a focus on young artists and lesser known works of classical music.
Born in Kolkata, India, Anita Basu holds Swiss and German citizenship and is a native English speaker, fluent in German. With over 30 years of experience in the healthcare sector, she brings a wealth of expertise in leadership, strategy, and international project management. Her work focuses on energizing organizations through value-based leadership, driving innovation, and fostering motivated, high-performing teams.
She has led cross-functional and international teams, served as CEO of a private clinic in Liechtenstein, and currently contributes to quality and innovation at The Kusnacht Practice in Zürich. Her areas of expertise include healthcare digitalization, clinical quality improvement, and compliance with international data protection standards such as GDPR and ISO/IEC 27001.
A passionate advocate for continuous improvement, she excels in aligning strategic goals with operational excellence. She is also active in community service, serving on the board of Regulahaus and as a member of the Rotary Club Zürich International.
In her free time, she enjoys rowing, scuba diving, trekking and supporting the arts.
Roman Studer has an in-depth knowledge of the financial industry and many years’ experience as a senior manager and lecturer on economic policy and the financial markets.
He was Head Governmental Affairs Switzerland at UBS from 2018 to mid-2023, with a remit covering all regulatory and economic policy developments in Switzerland of relevance to the bank. Prior to that, from 2012 to 2017, he was Chief Operating Officer of the UBS Center for Economics in Society in the University of Zurich’s Department of Economics. The Center promotes economic research as well as dialogue between academia, business, politics and the broader public.
Roman Studer studied politics, economics and economic history at the University of Zurich as well as at Oxford University, where he obtained a PhD in economic history and also taught and researched. He was an Assistant Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and has been a lecturer at the University of St. Gallen since 2013. His first post in the private sector was as a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group, where his responsibilities included advising multinational financial institutions.
Dr. phil. Roman Studer has been CEO of the SBA (Swiss Bankers Association) since August 2023.
Passion for Artistic Excellence
We believe in the relentless pursuit of artistic mastery. Ballet, at its highest form, is an expression of grace, technique, and dedication. Our commitment to excellence drives us to support our students in achieving their full potential, honoring the discipline and craft of dance. We value the passion and drive that students bring to the studio and aim to nurture it at every stage of their development.
Through our training programs and scholarships, we ensure that talented dancers receive the support they need to reach their artistic goals.
Inclusivity and Respect for Diversity
We embrace diversity as a core strength of the ballet community. Our foundation believes that everyone, regardless of background or ability, deserves the opportunity to express themselves through ballet. Inclusivity is central to our mission; we are committed to creating a supportive, respectful, and accessible environment where everyone feels empowered to learn and grow.
By offering scholarships and outreach programs, we strive to remove financial barriers and open the world of ballet to more young dancers.
Holistic Well-being and Growth
At the heart of ballet is the unity of body and mind. We value the holistic development of our dancers—encouraging not only technical proficiency but also resilience, discipline, emotional intelligence, and respect for themselves and others. We believe that ballet, as a somatic practice, fosters a balanced, healthy approach to life, helping individuals grow both as dancers and as confident, compassionate people.
As we expand, we plan to integrate well-being initiatives that support dancers not just physically, but also emotionally and mentally throughout their training.
Commitment to Community
Our foundation is dedicated to sharing the transformative power of ballet with the wider community. Through outreach programs, performances, and collaborations, we aim to make ballet accessible and enjoyable for everyone. We believe in giving back and using ballet to connect people, inspire creativity, and bring joy to audiences of all backgrounds.
Our success depends on a growing network of supporters, volunteers, and partners who share our vision. Whether through mentorship, sponsorship, or participation, there are many ways to help bring ballet to more people.
Integrity and Accountability
Transparency, honesty, and ethical conduct are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to upholding the highest standards in governance, ensuring that our foundation operates with integrity. Our accountability extends not just to our students, but to the broader community, our donors, and partners.
To maintain trust, we will regularly share updates on the impact of our programs, ensuring that our supporters see the difference they are helping to create.
Adaptability and Innovation
While deeply rooted in classical traditions, we believe in the power of innovation and change. We value creativity, exploration, and the ability to adapt in an ever-evolving world. Whether it’s incorporating modern teaching techniques, using technology to enhance learning, or responding to the needs of students in new ways, we are committed to moving ballet forward while respecting its rich history.
We welcome collaborations with artists, educators, and institutions who share our belief in evolving ballet while preserving its essence.
Opportunity and Support for All
Talent and passion should not be limited by financial means. We are dedicated to offering scholarships and financial support to those in need, allowing students from diverse backgrounds—especially from Switzerland and developing countries—the chance to pursue their dreams.
Through the generosity of our donors and partners, we ensure that every deserving dancer has the opportunity to receive world-class training and succeed on their own terms.
Be Part of Our Mission
At the Yen Han Ballet Foundation, we believe that the art of ballet is not only a physical practice but a transformative journey. By staying true to our values—nurturing passion, inclusivity, integrity, and innovation—we are committed to creating a space where every dancer, regardless of background, can flourish.
Would you like to support these values and help us shape the future of ballet?
- Learn more about how you can contribute
- Explore opportunities to collaborate
- Stay informed about our impact and initiatives
How You Can Support Us
We are at the beginning of an exciting journey, and we invite you to be a part of it. Your support can help us provide training, mentorship, and scholarships to aspiring dancers who might not otherwise have access to these opportunities.
In the future, we plan to showcase testimonials from dancers who have benefited from our programs and highlight partners and sponsors who believe in our mission. As we grow, we will share the impact of your contributions through stories, performances, and community events.
Would you like to be part of this journey?
Every contribution—big or small—helps build a future where ballet remains a source of inspiration, discipline, and artistic excellence.