Before there was this. There was this. John Lamb was just four when teachers in California offered him free ballet lessons.

I would go to dance, and, yes, I would be made fun of at school, but I knew there was something bigger.

His hard work propelled him to the Boston Ballet, where he made history as the first vietnamese american male principal dancer, now retiring after 20 years with starring roles. What is it like to be the first to be a trailblazer in this way?

Oh, gosh. You know, I keep thinking back and I think I'm no different than anyone else. And I say, gosh, that four year old kid coming from poverty somehow made it into an industry that may be deemed elitist, but somehow I faced it all.

His parents, Mai and Hao, came to America in the eighties as part of a wave of vietnamese boat refugees. His father still works seven days a week. This was his parents first time seeing John perform in Boston. I really appreciate everybody. They help my boy.

It's been my home for 20 years.

Lamb says he still has more to accomplish with a memoir and his nonprofit, Lamb Dance Works. What advice would you offer to the.

Next generation to keep that fire burning bright and bright? To not let go of what you believe in?

A final bow, but not the last dance for this trailblazer? Vicki Nguyen, NBC News, Boston.

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