On Tuesday August 12th the Woods Hole Public Library will show two documentaries of little known, often forgotten performers as part of the Nancy Norman Lassalle Dance Series.
Ten Times Better (30 min 2024), directed by Jennifer Lin, tells the story of George Lee, a Chinese-born ballet dancer who was probably the first Asian to perform at New York City Ballet when he danced in George Balanchine’s original production of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” as the Chinese Tea, in 1954. Mr. Lee, who immigrated to the United States in 1951, was studying at the School of American Ballet, City Ballet’s affiliated school, when Balanchine asked him to demonstrate his talent.
Mr. Lee had been trained by Russian teachers in Shanghai. He responded to Balanchine, who was raised in Russia, in the choreographer’s native language. After Balanchine asked Mr. Lee “what he could do good”, he performed “splits and double turns, down and up, turn again like a ball”. Lee received acclaim for his efforts, but despite this he had a relatively short ballet/dance career. The film details his story and rediscovery before he died this spring at the age of 90.
The second film: The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance, (52 min.) tells the story of Fayard and Harold Nicholas. The brothers were best known for their unique interpretation of a highly acrobatic dance technique known at the time as Flash Dancing. They were also considered by many to be the greatest tap dancers of their era, if not all time. Their virtuoso performance in the musical number “Jumping’ Jive” (with Cab Calloway and his orchestra) featured in the 1943 movie Stormy Weather has been praised as one of the greatest dance routines ever captured on film.
It is fitting that we recognize these artists for their excellence and make sure they are no longer forgotten in the future. This is a free event. The doors open at 6:45 for a 7 pm start and there is parking at the Library and the Woods Hole Historical Museum. Please join us!