PBS’ “American Masters” will broadcast “Ten Times Better,” the story of George Lee, the Asian American dance pioneer who helped turn “The Nutcracker” into a Christmas classic, on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Lee was a quiet, 88-year-old blackjack dealer in Las Vegas when filmmaker Jennifer Lin discovered him after an exhaustive search. Lee’s casino colleagues were shocked to learn of his history as a child prodigy and refugee from China.
George Balanchine tapped Lee to help create “The Nutcracker,” and Gene Kelley recruited him for the groundbreaking Broadway hit “Flower Drum Song.”
The New York Times described Lin’s 30-minute documentary as “a dance pioneer’s amazing odyssey.” Lee attended the film’s world premiere at New York’s Lincoln Center in 2024. He passed away this year at the age of 90.
This represents the national broadcast debut for “Ten Times Better,” which won many film festival awards and racked up nearly 90,000 views on the “American Masters” YouTube channel. Broadcast schedules vary by station. For example, KQED in San Francisco lists it at 10:30 p.m., while PBS SoCal in Los Angeles lists it at 9:30 p.m.
The filmmakers include Jennifer Lin, director, producer and scriptwriter; Jon Funabiki and Cory Lin Stieg, producers; Paul Van Haute, director of photography; and Rachel Sophia Stewart, editor.
For more information, visit www.tentimesbetterfilm.com.