Feature: How 25-Year-Old Mason Lee Runs a Bicoastal Dance Company

There are multiple questions independent choreographers begin to ask themselves while building their name: What is my mission? How can I support myself? What sets my work apart from others? 

In May 2022, a woman approached Lee who enjoyed his work, and that he should build a dance company. Lee appreciated the compliment but  his reluctance to create the company remained. A couple months later, Lee felt a ‘spiritual green light’ and attempted to build a group of dancers. 

“I kept reaching out online needing dancers – I wanted a consistent group. I figured if any or most say no, I won’t do it,” says Lee. “They all said yes.” In September 2023, Mason Lee Dance Theater was born.

Lee is an interdisciplinary choreographer, dancer, and writer. Since graduating from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2021, he has seized choreographic opportunities with tenacity and focus. As an independent choreographer, Lee has presented work nationally at venues including Stomping Ground LA, Hollywood Majestic Theater, and NYU’s Jack Crystal Theater, to name a few. As the Founder and Executive Artistic Director of Mason Lee Dance Theater (MLDT), Lee completed his first season with his nonprofit organization, leading over 20 dancers bicoastally to perform over six times this year. 

“I’m 25 years old starting two companies and trying to build a brand,” says Lee. “I think one of the hardest things is convincing people to buy into the brand, in order for the brand to grow. People are going to question, why should I invest in you? Why should I follow your company? Why is it important?”

Unlike most smaller companies, MLDT is unique for several reasons. In addition to performing in New York and Los Angeles, the company’s choreographic work contains multiple dance styles and dancers of varying backgrounds. 

“Mason’s choreography looks very different on each dancer in the company,” says Laura Goossens, MLDT Rehearsal Director. “Instead of trying to mold the dancers into a specific voice, he allows them to interpret the movement as their own. This way the choreography looks natural on each of the performers, and the audience gets to enjoy seeing artists on stage,” she continued. 

Lee’s choreography is known to be challenging, mostly due to his emphasis on the musicality and blending of dance forms and technical demands. “It’s hard to define my work,” says Lee. “I’ll do a pointework piece with heavy partnering and then next a contemporary work with some hip-hop influence.” 

Drawing on his background, Lee’s identity is a driving force in his creativity. “I’m a Black Christian queer guy, all those identities will influence my work in one way or another,” says Lee.

In addition to his personal identity, Lee values connecting with his artists on a human level. Beyond the dancer’s technicality and skill, Lee emphasizes transparency and communication with his company artists.“What draws me to a dancer is when I have a conversation with them…I just know if there’s an understanding and a good match. I think that’s also where spirituality comes in,” says Lee. 

As an artist, Lee uses spirituality in a lot of his work and space. “My mom is a very spiritual person, so that bled into my work…it’s very much a sensor, helping me guide and dictate what I can or can’t take on in regards to different opportunities,” says Lee. 

In alignment with Lee’s spirituality and pursuit to uplift artists, MLDT provides choreographic opportunities to emerging artists outside of the company, including the outreach opportunity, Amplify Series. The series creates a performance platform dedicated to magnifying emerging choreographers in marginalized communities. Since its inception, there have been three rotations of choreographers and is still ongoing. “Even though it’s a small company, we’re making some big impacts [as a nonprofit],” says Lee. 

For Lee, filing for a nonprofit was only the beginning of structuring a brand-new dance company. As an artist, creating a trademarked company is a large risk that includes high costs, building a board of directors,  uniting a strong group of dancers, and marketing the company brand well. “I do a lot by myself,” says Lee. “I email venues, people who want to help with the company, choreographers, and schedule space for the week to coordinate with the dancers. I make sure everything is running smoothly.” 

Behind MLDT there is also a supportive Board of Directors, which serves as an integral pillar to the company’s success. From reviewing contracts, assisting with grant proposals, and contributing fresh perspectives and opinions, the board acts as the company’s backbone ensuring smooth operation. Although only five members, Lee’s Executive Board Members share one commonality: they believe in his mission and in the company’s future. “People need to believe in what you do,” says Lee. “In order to be a leader, you have to be okay with being confrontational.” 

With both companies, Lee strives to grow his repertoire and Board of Directors in order to eventually host MLDT summer intensives and partake in tours and festivals as a company. “In the past year, we've already broken ground with so many things and started to establish a name for ourselves,” says Lee. “I am focused in honing in and creating something that’s bigger than myself.”

Photo Credit: Owen Burnham

View more of MLDT's Work Here

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