Mao's Last Dancer

The movie Mao’s Last Dancer of the Australian director Bruce Beresford is a story of passion, determination and love, presented at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2009. It is the story of Li Cunxin, born in 1961 in a small mountain village in the province of Qingdao, China, who became one of the best ballet dancers in the world. The sixth of seven sons of a peasant family, he grew up worshipping Mao Zedong before leaving for the United States on a cultural exchange.

** click here for the movie's trailer **

In the seventies, a delegation from the Beijing Dance Academy arrived at the village school to recruit suitable boys to learn ballet and serve in the Chairmain Mao’s revolution. At age 11, Li leaves his family to go to Beijing. So starts an amazing challenging journey of work and life experiences; follow seven years of learning and harsh practice from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., training and incredible determination to succeed. 

During the Mao’s regime, Li is among the first dancers to be allowed to travel to America. Ben Stevenson, one of the world’s most respected choreographers and teachers, Artistic Director of the Houston Ballet selects him through a cultural exchange. Very quickly, his exceptional talent amazes the public, colleagues and teachers.

Li Cunxin

In a dramatic defection, Li finds himself locked up in the Chinese Consulate in Houston. This creates a standoff between the Chinese and the American governments. In twenty-four hours, he is a free man, but prohibited to return and see his family in China. He somehow puts up with the idea and follows his career in America, dancing with the Houston Ballet for many years, traveling along the United States as a guest star. 

Finally, his parents are allowed to travel and come and see him in Houston. Their meeting on stage after a successful performance makes a powerful touching scene. Soon, afterwards, Li is able to return home for a visit. He takes this trip with his new wife, the ballerina Mary McKendry, an Australian born woman that he met in London. Since 1995, the couple lives in Melbourne with their three children.

The movie Mao’s Last Dancer is based on the autobiography of Li Cunxin that hit the top of Australia’s best sellers list and spread around the world. The book and the film are reflections on life and consistent work, stories of success and sacrifice, insights on cultural codes and what it takes to follow up one’s passion. They tackle success and everything that lies beyond: effort, pain, resilience, perseverance and vision.

Li’s life journey reminds me of Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and  the “10.000 hour rule”. The ballet dancer is the living proof that success is impossible without integrity and training and sweat. Otherwise, through the movie, I am still thinking of what it means to be attached to one's family, to the origin and native roots: “When I dance, I dance for them [his parents]", says Li. What cultural values does one carry on? How are we marked by where we come from? 
Ultimately, I come to think that Nietzsche’s words: “become who you are” also mean do not forget where you come from…