A beloved downtown Las Vegas blackjack dealer is the subject of a new documentary that's shining a light on how he once broke barriers for Asian Americans in the world of performing arts.
George Lee has called Las Vegas home for more than four decades, but not many know about the life he led beforehand. Now, a poster for the documentary "Ten Times Better"hangs just a few steps away from the blackjack table where he earns his livelihood. That poster is fusing his present with a past that, until now, had been pretty private.
"Ten Times Better" chronicles the life of George Lee and his journey from a dancer to a dealer. The documentary's director and producer, Jennifer Lin, said she stumbled across Lee's story and knew it was one that needed to be told.
"I really discovered George in the library. I was doing research in the New York Public Library for another project of mine and I was looking at publicity photos from the 1954 premiere of the Nutcracker by George Balanchine. This is kind of like the gold standard of nutcrackers. I'm looking at these pictures and I saw pictures of a young Chinese dancer doing the Chinese dance from the Nutcracker," Lin said.
After doing more research, Lin said she discovered that Lee was likely the first Asian performer featured in the New York City Ballet.
"He was a pioneer, and to me, this is lost history that's being excavated, so to speak. So now, when people talk about the history of ballet and the role of Asian Americans, they'll be able to say, 'Yes, and George Lee, he was a pioneer,'" Lin said.
When she contacted Lee about filming the documentary, he was in disbelief that someone wanted to feature him in a short film.
"That was a shock for me, because dealing blackjack, quietly, nobody knows nothing. Nobody knows who I am, and here comes Jennifer and she brought everything out," Lee said. "I'm happy that somebody recognized me after so many years. I was away from all the ballet and things like that, and she's the one who brought me back."
Lee's story begins in China. His mother was a Polish ballerina who pushed him to take up dance as a young child. In Shanghai, he'd perform in nightclubs — often in exchange for food.
"It's in my blood, to be dancing, because my mother was a ballet dancer and was a good ballet dancer," Lee said, smiling.
Fleeing civil war, their travels later brought them to a refugee camp in the Philippines. When they finally moved to the states in the 1950s, his mother instilled in him a mantra that still resonates with many immigrants and other marginalized communities in America.
"Everything I've done, I always think, I've got to do the best I can. I've got to be ten times better than anyone else," Lee said.
Hence, the name of the documentary — "Ten Times Better."
"That messaging really resonates with a lot of people. Not only Asian and Asian Americans, but many immigrant communities can really relate to that, as well as women, who've feel they've had to be ten times better in the workplace to prove themselves," Lin said.
George Lee's impressive career saw him perform on Broadway, and in touring shows and revues, eventually leading him here, to Las Vegas, where he performed at places like the Riviera and Thunderbird hotels. It was in the 1980s when Lee decided it was time for a second act. He went to dealing school during the day and would perform at night.
"Sometimes I miss, but you know, you're getting older, what can you do. You've got to stop sometime," Lee said.
The now full-time blackjack dealer and Las Vegas local said he hadn't taken much time to reflect on his past — until this documentary, which premiered in early 2024.
"I feel good that I accomplished something, that people saw what I can do," Lee said.
Now, he said the regulars that come to see him at the Four Queens ask him about his past life.
"Now they come around and say, 'I don't know you're a ballet dancer?'" Lee said, laughing. "Now everybody know who I am now, not just a blackjack dealer."
This performer is finally getting his flowers.
"George most definitely helped pave the way for another generation of Asian and Asian American dancers, both in ballet and in musical theater," Lin said.
On Tuesday, May 7, the Beverly Theater in Las Vegas is holding a screening of "Ten Times Better," in partnership with the AARP, Four Queens Casino, Wynn Las Vegas, the Asian Community Development Council, AAPI Chamber of Commerce of Southern Nevada and the Nevada Ballet Theater.While tickets are sold out, the producer tells Channel 13 they are holding two more screenings in California this year, in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She hopes to get "Ten Times Better" out on public television for broader release in late 2024 or early 2025.
"The Asian American experience, there's still a lot of documenting that needs to be done, so we're hoping this small film will help fill in the blanks in terms of the contribution of Asian and Asian American performers," Lin said.
Click here to read more about "Ten Times Better."
