Li Cunxin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Li Cunxin
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Cunxin in 2010
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| Born | 26 January 1961 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse(s) |
Elizabeth Mackey
(m. 1981; div. 1987)Mary McKendry
(m. 1987) |
| Children | 3 |
| Li Cunxin | |||||||||
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| Chinese | 李存信 | ||||||||
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Li Cunxin (born January 26, 1961) is a famous Chinese-Australian former ballet dancer. After his dancing career, he became a stockbroker. From 2012 to 2023, he was the artistic director of the Queensland Ballet in Australia.
Contents
Early Life in China
Li Cunxin grew up in a very poor family in a village near Qingdao, China. He was the sixth of seven brothers. His early life was during the time when Mao Zedong led China. Li felt a strong desire to help his country and even joined the Communist Party's Youth League.
When he was eleven years old, special advisors chose him to attend the Beijing Dance Academy. This was a very strict school where students trained for 16 hours a day. Li studied there for seven years. At first, he struggled with ballet, but he was good in his political classes. Everything changed when he met a teacher named Xiao, who loved ballet. Teacher Xiao's passion inspired Li, and by the time he finished, he was the top student in his class.
Ballet Career
A famous ballet director, Ben Stevenson, from the Houston Ballet in the United States, visited the Beijing Dance Academy. He offered scholarships for two dancers to study at his summer school in Houston. Li was one of the chosen students. He was one of the first students from the academy to go to the United States with financial help from the Chinese government.
Moving to the United States
After his summer studies, Li decided to stay in the United States. This decision caused a big stir and made headlines. He was held at the Chinese Consulate in Houston. To help him stay in the U.S., he married an American dancer named Elizabeth Mackey in 1981. After many hours of talks, and with help from the Vice President at the time, George H. W. Bush, Li was allowed to stay in the U.S. as a free man. However, he lost his Chinese citizenship.
Li danced with the Houston Ballet for 16 years. During this time, he won several medals at international ballet competitions.
Dancing in Australia
While dancing in London, Li met another ballerina named Mary McKendry, who was from Rockhampton, Australia. They married in 1987. In 1995, Li and Mary moved to Melbourne, Australia, with their two children. Li became a main dancer with the Australian Ballet.
In July 2012, Li Cunxin became the artistic director of the Queensland Ballet. He became a very important part of Brisbane's cultural life. In June 2023, Li announced that he and his wife Mary would retire at the end of that year. Li mentioned a heart condition, and Mary had been receiving treatment for cancer. Li is now retired and lives in Brisbane.
Awards and Recognition
Li Cunxin has received many honors for his work and life.
- In 2009, he was named Australian Father of the Year.
- In July 2016, scientists named a newly found spider species Maratus licunxini after him. They said the spider's amazing mating dance reminded them of Li's ballet performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
- In 2019, he was given the Officer of the Order of Australia award. This was for his "distinguished service to the performing arts, particularly to ballet, as a dancer and artistic director."
- In December 2023, the University of Queensland gave Li an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree. He also gave the graduation speech.
Life as a Stockbroker
After moving to Australia in 1995, Li injured his ankle, which kept him from dancing for a while. During this time, he started learning about the stock market. He had become interested in it when he was in Houston. He began working at a stockbroking firm and also took a three-year course to learn more about finance.
The Australian Ballet and the stockbroking firm allowed him to work at both jobs at the same time. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he worked as a stockbroker from early morning until noon. Then, he would go to the Australian Ballet for rehearsals and performances. He followed this routine for two years. Li felt these were his best years as a dancer because he combined his amazing technique with artistic expression.
Li retired from ballet in 1999 when he was 38 years old. He then joined a company called Bell Potter Securities to help them work with Asian clients.
Mao's Last Dancer
In 2003, Li Cunxin wrote his autobiography, a book about his own life, called Mao's Last Dancer. The book won many awards, including the Australian Book of the Year. A children's version of the book, Mao's Last Dancer: The Peasant Prince, also won awards in 2008.
His book was made into a movie in 2009, directed by Bruce Beresford. The film won an audience award at a film festival. An American figure skater, Nathan Chen, even skated to music from the movie at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Chen, who also trained in ballet, talked with Li Cunxin to help him prepare for his Olympic performance.
Family Life
Li Cunxin's first marriage was to Elizabeth Mackey in 1981. They later divorced in 1987.
He married Mary McKendry in 1987. They have three children: Sophie (born in 1988), Thomas (born in 1992), and Bridie (born in 1997).
In June 2023, Li announced that he and Mary would retire from their roles at the Queensland Ballet at the end of that year.
