For Tony Lee, life is a pirouette. Some days spin in chaos, but when he finds balance—even for a moment—it feels like everything has shifted toward joy. “Sometimes when I’m having a particularly hard day, feeling on balance doing a pirouette can even help the day feel like it’s turning around to something good,” he says. That sense of alignment, fleeting but transformative, mirrors the way he approaches both dance and life: serious and playful, chaotic and centered, balancing it all with humor. He jokes that flick flack might be his other signature move, because how seriously can you take anything with a name like that?
Originally from Chino Hills, California, Tony began dancing at eighteen at Anaheim Ballet, later training with Runqiao Du and Susan Mann at Towson University. Though he came to dance later than many of his peers, he quickly immersed himself with determination, refining his craft under teachers who pushed him not only technically but also personally. Runqiao Du, he recalls, was the first to take his professional dreams seriously, and Susan Mann challenged him to change his lifestyle and mindset to meet his goals. Catherine Horta-Hayden offered him a gift he never forgot: permission to stop just catching up and start dancing. “That changed the entire way I approached dancing,” he says.
Tony’s career has since stretched across an extraordinary spectrum: American Repertory Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, Uptown Dance Company, VT Dance, SLAM Hip Hop Dance Group, Centenary Stage Company, Connecticut Theater Dance, Musicals with a Message, Olympic Ballet Theatre, and Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company. He also graduated from Johns Hopkins University with degrees in Computer Science and Film & Media Studies, proving that balance isn’t just a metaphor for him—it is the way he lives, weaving discipline, artistry, and intellect into a single life.
In Vietnamerica: The Musical, Tony has been humbled by the depth of the Vietnamese story. “I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know about Vietnam history, war, and exodus to America,” he reflects. Though not Vietnamese himself, he recognizes the echoes of exile and belonging in his own life. “Even though I’m not Vietnamese and didn’t experience Vietnamese history myself, I can relate to the experience of being made to feel like an outsider even once I feel like a part of the community. But I’m learning that the important part is how you respond and let things affect you.” That insight informs how he approaches the work: with empathy, humility, and deep respect.
For Tony, rehearsals have been a reminder of why he loves dance. He describes the cast as collaborative, hardworking, and fun—a community of artists who don’t just work together but celebrate together. “The cast is such a talented group of dancers, and all have their different strengths. We work hard, but have fun and don’t take things too seriously. Everyone is so easy to work with and it really does feel like a community. It’s very fitting for a show about resilience and community.” He credits director Thang Dao for creating a safe and inspiring space where every dancer’s voice is heard.
Tony hopes audiences feel that same heart when they watch the show. “I want them to feel the heart and community we put into the dances,” he says. If people remember one thing about him, he hopes it is his personality—the individual spark he brings to the ensemble and the show as a whole. More than anything, this process has reignited his love for dance. “It really reminded me how important dance is to me and how it has played such an influential part of my life,” he says.
On September 7, 2025, at Capital One Hall in Tysons Corner, Tony Lee will step into the light with the ensemble, turning chaos into balance, and balance into joy. To watch him dance is to witness a pirouette made flesh: spinning through life’s noise until suddenly, miraculously, everything is centered.
Watch Tony capture your attention —get your tickets here: https://www.ticketsonsale.com/tickets/vietnamerica-capital-one-hall-tysons-9-7-2025-5818424