The Missouri Reader Vol. 36, Issue 2 | Page 32

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story
of Mao’s Last Dancer (Li Cunxin,
illustrated by Anne Spudvilas,
Walker & Company, New York,
2007)
The author of this book, Li Cunxin (pronounced
Lee Schwin-Sing), was born into an impoverished
peasant family in a remote area of Mao’s communist
China. At the age of 11, an extraordinary and
completely unexpected chance came Li’s way. One
day, officials from Beijing came to Li's school to select
potentially suitable students to be trained for Madame
Mao’s ballet company - a glorious mission to serve in
Chairman Mao’s revolution. The officials selected a girl
and said, “You are going to be a dancer." As the
officials were leaving, the teacher tapped the shoulder
of one of the men, pointed to Li and asked, “Why don’t
you try him as well?” Li, then, was selected to train in
Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy. Seven years of
brutal discipline and harsh training taught him
resilience, determination and perseverance. Li’s drive
and relentless hard work transformed him into one of
the best dancers in China. When he was 18 years old,
Li was awarded one of China's first cultural exchange
opportunities to travel to America, where he danced as
a soloist with the Houston Ballet. Two years later, Li
defected to the U.S. —a dramatic event involving the
then American vice-president George Bush, Sr. and the
Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. Li went on to join
Houston Ballet as a lead dancer, and later won two
silver and a bronze medal at three International Ballet
Competitions. In 1995, Li and his family moved to
Australia, where Li danced as a principal with the
Australian Ballet. In 1999, Li made a successful career
transition from ballet to finance. He is now a senior
manager at one of the largest stockbrokerage firms in
Australia. An international motivational speaker and a
best-seller author, his indomitable will to succeed is
inspiring. The story, first told to adults in the author's

bestseller Mao’s Last Dancer (Cunxin, 2004), and later
turned into a film by the same title (2009), is retold as
a picture book that shares the poignant and inspiring
memoir of a boy caught in the throes of life in Maoist
China.
This fascinating story is poignantly brought to life
by Anne Spudvilas’ hauntingly masterful water-and-ink
brush paintings. Spudvilas, one of Australia's foremost
picture book illustrators, traveled with Li to China,
where she studied traditional Chinese brush-painting, a
technique that lends authenticity to her illustrations.
The somber grays and blues of the first part of the story
grippingly highlight the drabness and cold poverty of
Li’s young years, and his harsh training during the
Cultural Revolution. These images stand in stark
contrast to the sudden burst of flamboyant color as his
story moves to America, success, and stardom. The
details of people’s subtle expressions and surroundings
are also beautifully and authentically drawn, and
flowing ink lines convey the fluidity of dance.
Because this is an abridged account of a much
longer story, some political context is missing. For
example, the author didn’t explain that his deflection
to the U.S. was strictly prohibited in the 1970s - a
period when the Chinese government controlled
people’s lives and possessions with an iron fist.
Children will probably need a teacher’s help to connect
the historical facts with Li's experiences. Teachers
wanting to build context for the story can find relevant
information by reading Li Cunxin’s full-length
autobiography or seeing the film.

©The Missouri Reader, 36 (2) p. 31