Screening will take place at the Paramount Center, Bright Screening Room

Attendees who are not Emerson students, faculty or staff should register to attend online.

George Lee is an 88-year-old blackjack dealer who still works five days a week. But many do not know about his astonishing story or his place in ballet history. His story is one of a refugee striving to prove himself after arriving in the USA, spurred on by his mother’s words that he must be “ten times better” than white dancers in order to succeed.

An Asian pioneer in ballet and on Broadway, George was selected by Balanchine to dance in his original staging of The Nutcracker 70 years ago, and Gene Kelly cast him in the original production of Flower Drum Song. The film is a tale of talent and perseverance in the face of hardship and a reminder of the extraordinary stories behind the nameless faces all around us.

A closing reception (7:30 to 8:00 p.m.) will follow the screening. This event is co-sponsored by ArtsEmerson, the Emerson Visual and Media Arts Department, the Boston Ballet, and the Chinese Historical Society of New England.

Panelists: Jennifer R. Lin, Director, Producer, Ten Times Better | Alison Qu ’20, Creative Producer and Associate Producer, HowlRound Theatre Commons; Co-director, EmStage’s I Love XXX; Co-founder and Executive Director, CHUANG Stage | John Lam, Associate Professor of Dance, Boston Conservatory at Berklee | Bindi Kang, Assistant Professor, Performing Arts, Emerson College | Christopher Grant, Director, Student Success, Access, and Belonging, Emerson College

Moderator: Susan Chinsen, Creative Producer, ArtsEmerson, and Founder, Boston Asian American Film Festival