Ballet Stories

Two documentary shorts and one narrative portrait capture the joys and challenges of a life in ballet.

Go behind the scenes in “Kindred Spirits,” which follows members of the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company as they navigate the highs and lows of a cultural exchange tour to Hong Kong. In “Ten Times Better,” experience the extraordinary untold story of George Lee, an immigrant AAPI dancer who confronted and broke barriers in ballet and Broadway in the mid-20th century. Take to the streets of London in “Twenty,” the gritty story of a dedicated ballet dancer coping with homelessness while undertaking a potentially life-changing audition. These three different takes on ballet stories share common threads: focus, drive, and an abiding love for the art of dance.

Venue accessibility: The entrance to the screening room is at 600 The Embarcadero. Once you enter the gates, there is an office to your left with a front desk. The person at the front desk will escort you to the elevator to get to the screening room.

Program Info

Runtime: 79 minutes

Saturday, October 19 @ 6:00PM

Venue: Delancey Street Theater

$15 GA / $40 Arts Patron

Program Films

A dancer in bright red lipstick stands at a bar in a ballet classroom. Her eyes are wide and focused, and her reflection in the mirror shows a number pinned to her black leotard. Her hair is slightly frazzled, and a couple flyaways stick out of her bun.
In an intimate and moving portrait of challenges and determination, “TWENTY” tells the story of a young homeless ballet dancer undertaking a potentially life-changing audition.
Jason Hogan
Patricia Zhou
(United Kingdom, 2023) 15:41 minutes

Twenty

A group of nicely dressed high school-college age dancers pose for the camera with wide smiles. They all point a foot in front or behind themselves, and their arms are all up, pointed in front of them, or around each others' backs.
Documentary short “Kindred Spirits” follows members of the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company as they navigate the joys and challenges of a cultural exchange tour in Hong Kong.
Andreas Gabriel Guzman
(Hong Kong, 2023) 32:00 minutes

Kindred Spirits

Vintage photo of George Lee, a Chinese male ballet dancer, doing a straddle jump in the air in a photo studio, hands touching his toes. He has a wide smile and wears the original Chinese costume from George Balanchine's Nutcracker: black pants, a flowing top, a woven straw hat, and white ballet shoes.
“Ten Times Better” blends archival footage and interviews to tell the story of George Lee, an extraordinary mid-20th century ballet dancer and Broadway performer whose relentless drive and love of dance helped him confront and break barriers.
Jennifer Rita Lin
(United States, 2023) 30:40 minutes

Ten Times Better