Li Cunxin

Infobox actor


imagesize = 150px
name = Li Cunxin
birthname = 李存信 Lǐ Cúnxìn
birthdate = birth date and age|1961|1|26
location = Qingdao (青岛), China
spouse = Mary McKendry

Li Cunxin (born January 26, 1961) is a Chinese-Australian former ballet dancer and current stockbroker.

Li 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. Li 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. Li moved to Melbourne in 1995, and has three children (Sophie, Thomas and Bridie).

Li's autobiography is entitled "Mao's Last Dancer". It has received numerous accolades, including the Australian "Book of the Year" award. In 2008, the children's version of this book, "Mao's Last Dancer, The Peasant Prince" (illustrated by Anne Spudvilas),won the Australian Publishers Association's Book of the Year for Younger Children [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/books/brooks-wins-book-of-the-year-award/2008/06/15/1213468236048.html "Brooks wins Book of the Year award", "The Sydney Morning Herald", 2008-06-15] ] and the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards Children's Book Award.cite web
url=http://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/awardsevents/awards/Queensland_Premiers_Literary_awards/2008_winners/#ChildrensBookMaryRyansAward
title=Queensland Premier's Literary awards 2008 winners
date= 2008-09-17
accessdate = 2008-09-17
publisher=http://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/ Department of Premier and Cabinet] A film of "Mao's Last Dancer" is currently in production.Fact|date=September 2008

Currently Li Cunxin works as a senior manager for a large stockbroking firm and is also a popular public speaker.

External links

* [http://www.licunxin.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm?author_number=995 Biography at BookBrowse]
* [http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_03/nov03/interview_li_cunxin.htm Interview at ballet.co.uk (2003)]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1071240.htm Transcript of ABC interview (2004)]

Notes

References

* [http://www.penguin.com.au/catalog/search-title-details.cfm?found=3&startrow=1&formTitle=&formAuthor=&formKeyword=mao%20last%20dancer&formISBN=&formCategory=ALL&formImprint=All&formCountry=All&formAudience=All&formMedia=All&formOrigin=All&formOrderBy=Title&SBN=067004024X&Author=Cunxin%20Li Mao's Last Dancer] ISBN 0-670-04024-X.