1. Baayork Lee was born on December 5,1946 and is an American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author.
14 Facts About Baayork Lee
1. 2.
Baayork Lee started dancing at an early age, and she made her Broadway debut at the age of five as Princess Ying Yawolak in the original production of The King and I in 1951.
3.
Baayork Lee appeared in George Balanchine's original production of The Nutcracker, where she met ballerina Maria Tallchief, whom she idolized.
4.
Baayork Lee was the dance captain for Promises, Promises and recreated the choreography for subsequent touring productions, starting her future path as a choreographer.
5.
In 1975, Baayork Lee was invited by Bennett to participate in the workshops from which A Chorus Line was developed.
6.
Baayork Lee became one of Bennett's closest collaborators, and she helped to develop the choreography in many of his subsequent shows.
7.
Baayork Lee was the associate choreographer for Tommy Tune for a time.
8.
Baayork Lee has choreographed several productions for the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center.
9.
Baayork Lee choreographed the troubled production of Marilyn: An American Fable.
10.
Baayork Lee directed and choreographed South Pacific for City Springs Theatre Company in Sandy Springs, Georgia in 2019.
11.
Baayork Lee gave a keynote address and was a 2003 Woman Warrior Honoree.
12.
In 2017, Baayork Lee received the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, which honors members of the theater industry for their significant contributions to charitable causes.
13.
Baayork Lee was honored for her longstanding commitment to future generations of artists through her work with the National Asian Artists Project and theatre education programs around the world.
14.
Baayork Lee is a co-founder of NAAP, a non-profit that showcases the work of Asian-American theatre artists through performance, outreach, and educational programming.