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About
Ballet lovers hold deep reverence for classics like The Nutcracker and La Bayadère, and for decades many fans overlooked the racist Asian caricatures embedded in some of these productions.
When ballet dancers Phil Chan (resident choreographer at the Oakland Ballet Company) and Georgina Pazcoguin (first female AAPI soloist at the New York City Ballet and recent Ballet West guest artist) launched the Final Bow for Yellow Face movement, they were met with pushback from traditionalists who accused them of trying to change history. In "About Face," director Jennifer Lin ("Ten Times Better") follows how Chan and Pazcoguin created new choreography that respected the cultures being depicted. Their petition was ultimately signed by the directors of every major ballet company in the United States, as they convinced ballet leaders that their advocacy is not about canceling the classics. It's about ensuring that the ballets they love — and the art form itself — can endure and evolve in a more diverse future.
The screening of "About Face" will be preceded by a special screening of the short film "Ten Times Better," which tells the largely unknown story of George Lee, a Chinese American dancer who performed for George Balanchine at New York City Ballet before spending decades as a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas.
Post-film discussion and reception with Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute, Phil Chan, and Georgina Pazcoguin, founders of Final Bow for Yellow Face.
Part of the Ballet West Summit Festival, July 15-17.