Born into poverty in rural China in 1961 during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, Li Cunxin’s destiny changed forever at age 11 when he was selected by Madame Mao’s cultural delegation to attend the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy. Through relentless dedication and gruelling training, he emerged as one of China’s top ballet talents.
Discovered by renowned choreographer Ben Stevenson, Li became one of the first Chinese artists permitted to study in the United States under Mao’s regime. His dramatic defection to the West at age 19, which led to a high-profile diplomatic standoff at the Chinese Consulate in Houston, made global headlines and marked the beginning of an extraordinary international ballet career.
Li went on to perform as a principal dancer with the Houston Ballet for 16 years and later with The Australian Ballet. He guest performed around the world with some of the best ballet companies and won two silver and a bronze medal at three International Ballet Competitions. While dancing in London, he fell in love with an Australian born ballerina with a major ballet company in England, Mary McKendry. They married in 1987, and in 1995 moved to Melbourne with their two children where Li became a principal dancer with the Australian Ballet. After retiring from the stage, Li reinvented himself in finance, becoming a successful stockbroker in Australia.
In 2012, Li followed his dance passion and became the fifth Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet in Australia, transforming the company into a world-class institution. Li’s autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, was published in 2003 and immediately hit the top of Australia’s best sellers list. It was number one in the non-fiction category and won the Book of the Year Award in Australia, the Christopher Award in America and it was short-list for the National Biography Award among other prestigious literary awards. It stayed on the top 10 Bestseller List for over one and a half years, is in the 56th printing and has been published and sold in over 20 countries. His best-selling autobiography was made into a blockbuster film in 2009 and won several international prestigious awards. Today, Li Cunxin is celebrated not only as an artist of rare talent but also as a symbol of resilience, courage, and the transformative power of art and determination.
