Mao's Last Dancer in NZ

FIONA GOODALL

LI CUNXIN: Discusses the movie dedicated to his life.

From life as a peasant in north-east China to a successful career as a senior manager at one of the biggest stockbroking firms in Australia, Li Cunxin is not your typical Aussie bloke but his life is definitely worth writing about.

The average peasant living in Chairman Mao’s communist China during the 1960s could count himself lucky if he had a roof over his head, but Li thanked his lucky stars when at the age of 11, he was chosen by Madame Mao’s cultural advisers to become a student at the Beijing Dance Academy.

Forty years later he is in New Zealand to promote Mao’s Last Dancer, the film adaptation of his autobiography.

Topping Australia’s bestsellers list for more than 18 months and sold in more than 20 countries, Li's autobiography caught the eyes of many authors and film producers in Hollywood and throughout the world. But it wasn’t until he met screenwriter Jan Sardi and film producer Jane Scott that he decided to go ahead with a movie adaptation of his life.

"I felt that a movie of my life was a bit self-indulgent."

The film is based on Li’s life where he is plucked from obscurity in rural Qingdao to become a dancer. His teacher Teacher Song saw his disappointed face when the cultural advisers visited his school and didn’t pick him.

"She had this overwhelming urge to point me out," he says.

"I think it was because I was so energetic, I definitely wasn’t her favourite pupil."

From that moment, Li’s life was changed forever and he became one of an elite group of young children who joined the Beijing Dance Academy under the watchful eye of Madame Mao.

Through sheer determination and strength of character, Li worked hard to become one of the academy’s top dancers and at 18 was offered the chance to dance in the United States.

An avid admirer of Chairman Mao and the red guards, Li says his views on communism took an abrupt turn when he moved to the US.

"I totally believed that China was the most privileged country in the world, we had been brainwashed and were completely cut off from the outside world."

After defecting from China, Li was forced to live apart from his family for many years which were "the most painful years of my life".

Only once the government changed and China became more open to the rest of the world, was Li given the opportunity to see his family again.

Almost 40 years on, Li lives in Australia with his wife, two daughters and son.

A professional speaker and a stockbroker, he credits his life now to the back-breaking schedule he was forced to keep from a very young age.

"I re-applied the discipline of being a dancer into my next career."

His strength of character is nothing without the help of his mother who he claims "was inseparable to my success".

"If it wasn’t for my mother’s encouragement at such an early age, I would still be a peasant."

He believes the key to his success was to "assimilate" into the American culture without turning his back on fellow Chinese immigrants.

Go into the draw to win tickets to Mao’s Last Dancer or the junior edition of Li’s autobiography by visiting www.stuff.co.nz/auckland. Entries close March 4.

Mao’s Last Dancer will be screening from Thursday, March 4.

- © Fairfax NZ News