NV: FROM 1ST ASIAN IN NYC BALLET TO BLACKJACK DEALER
<p><pi><b>This package/segment contains third party material. Unless otherwise noted, this material may only be used within this package/segment.</b></pi></p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--SUPERS</b>--</p>\n<p>00-05</p>\n<p>Monday</p>\n<p>Las Vegas, NV</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>09-14</p>\n<p>George Lee</p>\n<p>Blackjack Dealer, Former Ballet Dancer</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>:37-1:00</p>\n<p>Jennifer Lin</p>\n<p>Director of 'Ten Times Better</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--LEAD IN</b>--</p>\n<p>UNTIL NOW, COLLEAGUES OF A HUMBLE CASINO EMPLOYEE IN LAS VEGAS MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT HIS STORIED PAST ON BROADWAY </p>\n<p>BEFORE HIS CAREER DEALING CARDS, GEORGE LEE WAS THE FIRST ASIAN DANCER FEATURED IN NEW YORK CITY BALLET.</p>\n<p>HIS STORY IS SO INTRIGUING IT IS NOW THE SUBJECT OF A NEW DOCUMENTARY.</p>\n<p>ANJALI PATEL REPORTS.</p>\n<p><b>--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS</b>--</p>\n<p>STEP INTO THE 4 QUEENS...</p>\n<p>(nat pop - dealing) "Okay, I have 19, you have 15, and you gotta hit."</p>\n<p>AND YOU'LL FIND LONGTIME BLACKJACK DEALER GEORGE LEE.</p>\n<p>Blackjack Dealer George Lee: "I work from Saturday, Sunday, Monday Tuesday Wednesday, then Thursday Friday I'm off."</p>\n<p>AND NOW - JUST STEPS AWAY FROM THE BLACKJACK TABLE... THAT'S BECOME A PART OF HIS PERSONA - IS A POSTER...</p>\n<p>THAT'S FUSING HIS PRESENT... WITH A PAST -- THAT UNTIL NOW - HAD BEEN PRETTY PRIVATE.</p>\n<p>Blackjack Dealer George Lee: "They don't know I was a dancer, no."</p>\n<p>Reporter off cam: "Now they do."</p>\n<p>Blackjack Dealer George Lee: "Now they gonna know now."</p>\n<p>THE NEW DOCUMENTARY... TEN TIMES BETTER... CHRONICLES LEE'S LONG-LOST CAREER - AS A PERFORMER.</p>\n<p>Jennifer Lin, director of 'Ten Times Better': "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 kind of like the gold standard of nutcrackers and so im looking at these pictures and I saw pictures of a young chinese dancer doing the chinese dance from the nutcracker."</p>\n<p>DIRECTOR JENNIFER LIN DISCOVERED... GEORGE LEE WAS LIKELY THE FIRST ASIAN PERFORMER FEATURED IN THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET.</p>\n<p>Jennifer Lin, director of 'Ten Times Better': "He was a pioneer and to me this is lost history that's being excavated, so to speak. so you know 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."</p>\n<p>Natsot: "This when I was in refugee camp."</p>\n<p>LEE'S STORY BEGINS IN CHINA - HIS MOTHER, A POLISH BALLERINA... PUSHING HIM TO TAKE UP DANCE AS A YOUNG CHILD.</p>\n<p>IN SHANGHAI... HE'D PERFORM IN NIGHTCLUBS - IN EXCHANGE FOR FOOD.</p>\n<p>FLEEING CIVIL WAR... THEIR TRAVELS LATER TOOK THEM TO A REFUGEE CAMP IN THE PHILIPPINES.</p>\n<p>AND WHEN THEY FINALLY MOVED TO THE STATES IN THE 1950'S - HIS MOTHER... INSTILLING IN HIM A MANTRA... THAT RESONATES WITH MANY IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICA.</p>\n<p>George Lee, blackjack dealer at 4 Queens :"Everything I've done, I always think, I gotta do the best I can, I gotta be ten times better than anyone else."</p>\n<p>HIS 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.</p>\n<p>Natsot: "Yeah you see I bust."</p>\n<p>IT WAS IN THE 80S... WHEN HE DECIDED... IT WAS TIME FOR A SECOND ACT... GOING TO DEALING SCHOOL DURING THE DAY - AND PERFORMING AT NIGHT.</p>\n<p>THE NOW FULL-TIME BLACKJACK DEALER AND LAS VEGAS LOCAL SAYS... HE HADN'T TAKEN MUCH TIME TO REFLECT ON HIS PAST - UNTIL THIS DOCUMENTARY.</p>\n<p>Reporter: "Do you feel more proud now when you look back at your life?"</p>\n<p>George Lee, blackjack dealer at 4 Queens: "I feel a little bit, at least there's some recognition because for so many years, 40 years, nothing, i dealing my job, nobody know who i am."</p>\n<p>THIS PERFORMER... FINALLY GETTING HIS FLOWERS.</p>\n<p><b>-----END-----CNN.SCRIPT-----</b></p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--KEYWORD TAGS--</b></p>\n<p>KICKER FEEL-GOOD LAS VEGAS BALLET NEW YORK BROADWAY DANCE</p>\n<p></p>