Li Cunxin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Li.

Li Cunxin (born 1961) was born into a poor family in Li Commune near the city of Qingdao in the Shandong province of China. At the age of eleven, he was selected by Madame Mao's cultural advisers to become a student of The Beijing Dance Academy, where he trained for seven years. Cunxin later defected to the West and went on to become one of the world's best male ballet dancers, dancing with the Houston Ballet for 16 years. He married Mary McKendry after a failed marriage with Elizabeth Mackey, moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1995 and has three children (Sophie, Thomas and Bridie). He wrote a book about his life, Mao's Last Dancer, which is also available in a young reader's edition. "Mao's Last Dancer" has received numerous accolades including "Book of the Year" award in Australia. Currently he works as a senior manager for one of the largest stockbroking firms in the world and is also a popular public speaker.