Mao's Last Dancer: Young Readers Edition

Name: Mao's Last Dancer: Young Readers Edition
ISBN: 9781761622342

Li Cunxin

Formats & editions

Buy from…

Audible

One day, not so very many years ago, a small peasant boy was chosen to study ballet at the Beijing Dance Academy. His mother urged him to take this chance of a lifetime.
But Li was only eleven years old and he was scared and lonely, pushed away from all that he had ever known and loved. He hated the strict training routines and the strange place he had been brought to. All he wanted to do was go home – to his mother, father and six brothers, to his own small village. But soon Li realised that his mother was right. He had the chance to do something special with his life – and he never turned back . . .
Visit the official Mao's Laster Dancer Movie website maoslastdancermovie.com

Published: 6 January 2026
ISBN: 9781761622342
Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia Audio
Format: Audio Download
Length: 9 hr 44 min

Categories:

About the author

Li Cunxin

Li Cunxin AO was born in communist China in 1961, the sixth of seven sons in a poor rural family. His life under Chairman Mao’s regime changed dramatically when, at the age of eleven, he was chosen to become a student at the Beijing Dance Academy. Li went on to become one of the finest male dancers in the world, and was principal dancer at Houston Ballet and the Australian Ballet. From 2012 until the end of 2023 he was artistic director at Queensland Ballet, and in 2025 he was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Prix de Lausanne for his outstanding contribution to the arts and dance. Li's memoir, Mao's Last Dancer, is one of the most successful autobiographies of all time. It was published around the world and has been adapted into a young readers’ edition, a picture book, a stage play and a major motion picture. Li lives with his wife, Mary, in Brisbane. He continues to contribute to the world of ballet and to Australia’s cultural life.