Join the Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production for a double-feature documentary screening of Ten Times Better and About Face, followed by an illuminating Q&A with award-winning director Jennifer Lin.

Throughout U.S. history, Asian American dancers have navigated a landscape of rigid stereotypes and limited opportunities. These films highlight the resilience, activism, and sheer talent of those who refused to be sidelined, claiming their rightful place on the nation’s most prestigious stages. Whether you are a film student, a dance enthusiast, or an Asian American Studies scholar, this event offers audiences a compelling exploration of art and identity.

• When: Wednesday, April 22
• Time: 12-2:50pm
• Where: INTS 1128
• Admission: Free and open to the public.

BIO:

JENNIFER LIN, director/producer, created the documentary BEETHOVEN IN BEIJING about the Philadelphia Orchestra’s China legacy, which premiered nationally on PBS’s Great Performances. Lin spent more than 30 years as a reporter for The Philadelphia  Inquirer, including postings as a correspondent in Beijing, New York City, and Washington, D.C. As an author, Lin has written a family memoir, Shanghai Faithful, and an oral history of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s historic 1973 tour of China. ABOUT FACE is the second collaboration with producers Jon Funabiki and Cory Lin Stieg. The trio also made the award-winning TEN TIMES BETTER, streaming on PBS’s American Masters Shorts.

ABOUT THE FILMS:

TEN TIMES BETTER

Ten Times Better, a short documentary that premiered at the Dance on Camera Festival 2024 at Film at Lincoln Center, tells the astonishing and heartwarming story of George Lee, a trailblazing dancer who originated a featured role in George Balanchine’s "The Nutcracker" 70 years ago as a teenage refugee from China. The film was directed by Jennifer Lin, a former reporter who tracked down the then-89-year-old Lee in Las Vegas, where he had worked for 40 years as a blackjack dealer at the Four Queens casino.
 

ABOUT FACE

Two Asian American dancers challenge the elite world of ballet to jettison offensive racial tropes and Asian stereotypes, including dancing in yellowface makeup. Acclaimed ballerina Georgina Pazcoguin and groundbreaking choreographer Phil Chan drive a global grassroots movement, battling entrenched tradition and political pushback as they force critical examinations of beloved classics like The Nutcracker and La Bayadère. This vivid account of creative evolution reveals the tension and risks they endure to push an art form—created centuries ago for kings and queens—to be more relevant to today’s diverse audiences.  
 

SPONSORS

Generously co-sponsored by the CHASS Dean's Office, the Center for Ideas and Society, the Department of Ethnic Studies, and the Department of Dance.
 

PARKING
Information about visitor parking can be found at: https://performingarts.ucr.edu/parking/