Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
Mao’s Last Dancer is an autobiography of Li Cunxin who was born into a farmer’s family of six children in Qingdao, China. Although he was raised in moderate poverty like many other children in rural areas, he was raised in a loving family and attended local school with other children in the neighborhood. He had great respect for his country’s leader Mao as a child and was thrilled to be selected for Madam Mao’s arts program after initial rejection. Although he initially found it painful to master the ballet art form, with a strong desire to be successful, he perseveringly mastered the art and gets selected for Houston Ballet, the first artist exchange program between China and America. When he sees off his parents and siblings, he promises himself to take care of his family and help them out by availing the rarest opportunity he was bestowed with. During his first visit to America, although he initially struggles with the cultural disparities, he experiences liberty for the first time and thoroughly enjoys his stay. As a result even after his return to China, he manages to return to US and with determination to stay back, marries his fellow dancer without informing Ben Stevenson who is responsible to return Li to China. Since this allows him to legally stay in US, he was apprehended in Houston consulate and threatened that his family’s safety in China will be in jeopardy if he doesn’t return. Li remains obstinate and refuses to leave to flourish in his career. He fulfills his ambition although he gets separated from his wife and eventually gets married again. He meets his family after sixteen years with the intervention of American President George Bush’s family where his parents were given opportunity to witness one of Li’s best performances. Later he visits China and meets all his family members. He migrates to Australia with his wife and children to be a lead ballet dancer for several years and eventually lead a career as a stock broker.
Recommendation: This book is recommended for all ages as it walks the reader through the rags-to-riches life of Li Cunxin in great detail and portrays evidently what it requires to be a world class ballet dancer in spite of the obstacles and hardships he experiences. The determination he had to fulfill his dreams and the discipline he exhibited to achieve excellence are highly commendable although the risks he has taken and the decisions he made which could have jeopardized his family’s safety in China requires some parental guidance for younger teens to be explained as this is an autobiography and not a fiction story.
Mao’s Last Dancer is an autobiography of Li Cunxin who was born into a farmer’s family of six children in Qingdao, China. Although he was raised in moderate poverty like many other children in rural areas, he was raised in a loving family and attended local school with other children in the neighborhood. He had great respect for his country’s leader Mao as a child and was thrilled to be selected for Madam Mao’s arts program after initial rejection. Although he initially found it painful to master the ballet art form, with a strong desire to be successful, he perseveringly mastered the art and gets selected for Houston Ballet, the first artist exchange program between China and America. When he sees off his parents and siblings, he promises himself to take care of his family and help them out by availing the rarest opportunity he was bestowed with. During his first visit to America, although he initially struggles with the cultural disparities, he experiences liberty for the first time and thoroughly enjoys his stay. As a result even after his return to China, he manages to return to US and with determination to stay back, marries his fellow dancer without informing Ben Stevenson who is responsible to return Li to China. Since this allows him to legally stay in US, he was apprehended in Houston consulate and threatened that his family’s safety in China will be in jeopardy if he doesn’t return. Li remains obstinate and refuses to leave to flourish in his career. He fulfills his ambition although he gets separated from his wife and eventually gets married again. He meets his family after sixteen years with the intervention of American President George Bush’s family where his parents were given opportunity to witness one of Li’s best performances. Later he visits China and meets all his family members. He migrates to Australia with his wife and children to be a lead ballet dancer for several years and eventually lead a career as a stock broker.
Recommendation: This book is recommended for all ages as it walks the reader through the rags-to-riches life of Li Cunxin in great detail and portrays evidently what it requires to be a world class ballet dancer in spite of the obstacles and hardships he experiences. The determination he had to fulfill his dreams and the discipline he exhibited to achieve excellence are highly commendable although the risks he has taken and the decisions he made which could have jeopardized his family’s safety in China requires some parental guidance for younger teens to be explained as this is an autobiography and not a fiction story.
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