Columbia University in the City of New York
Search Columbia News
RSS
Story Ideas
Newsletter
As manager of operations and executive administrator in the Department of Human Resources, Ching Gonzalez has to be quick on his feet: He oversees his boss's schedule, correspondence and meetings, and serves as liaison between Human Resources and the rest of the University. But multitasking and dealing with multiple partners are nothing new to Gonzalez. After all, this is a man who has danced for the experimental choreographer Laura Dean, performed on Broadway, and sung for renowned composer Meredith Monk.
Gonzalez was born in Manila and grew up in Honolulu, where he began doing dinner theater. After winning a disco dance contest, he headed to New York City in 1975 to test himself. "It was amazing," he says. "A young kid moving to the big bad city." Gonzalez crashed with a friend on the Upper West Side, and quickly found work dancing for an independent choreographer. "I got here, and the next day I was in rehearsal," he recalls. Soon after, he joined the Laura Dean Dancers, and discovered that he had a natural affinity for Dean's innovative routines and signature spinning gestures.
Still, he had come to New York City to make it in musical theater. So Gonzalez walked the boards, did auditions, and eventually landed a role alongside Yul Brynner in The King and I.
Ultimately, though, Broadway proved less fulfilling than he had expected. Roles for Asian Americans were few and far between, and while the work paid well, "artistically it wasn't very satisfying." Gonzalez took some time off, worked as a stage manager for various theater companies, and considered leaving performance for good.
He couldn't do it. In 1980, Gonzalez accepted Dean's invitation to rejoin the troupe, and soon began presenting his own original choreography. In 1984, he landed a position as a singer with the Vocal Ensemble, led by modernist composer Meredith Monk. Gonzalez has worked with Monk ever since, performing in her operas, musical theater pieces, concerts and films. He recently spent two weeks in England working on a new Monk production, Songs of Ascent, and will soon be touring the U.S. with it.
Gonzalez is grateful for the support he has received from the University. But few at Columbia are probably aware of his artistic resume. "I'm not at a point in my career where I need to go, 'Look at me!'" he says. "It's more about sharing art with the world."
© Columbia University