Mao's Last Dancer in Around the World

Jan 26, 2013 Lilisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, around-the-world-2013, 2013, china

Li Cunxin overcomes life's challenges and through sheer discipline, drive and the motivation to break through the shackles of communism, does just that. Born in a commune in northeast China, Li's impoverished family struggled to put food on the table, making sacrifices for each other as the bare essentials for basic living were virtually nonexistent. Despite the challenging conditions of everyday life, his parents taught him the values and principles that became his life compass as he overcame t ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 21, 2012 Suzanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography, favorites, memoir, dance

When he was 11 years old, Li Cunxin was selected from his peasant community and sent to Beijing to study dance at the Beijing Dance Academy. Mao’s Last Dancer is Li’s moving memoir of his rise from near starvation to being one of the top ballet dancers in the world.

Wow! What can I say about this wonderful book. I loved it from start to finish. Li Cunxin’s life is like a fairy tale. He was born into Communist China, taken away from his family at a young age, and given a gift that would change hi ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 22, 2018 Barbarac rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, biograph-memoir, china

A truly enjoyable memoir. I loved reading about Li Cunxin's life in China. Despite the hard life in Mao's time, he had a happy childhood and great memories of his family. The years in the Beijing dancing school were incredible to hear about. I can only close my eyes and imagine the bathrooms (gross).
Once Li's story moves to the US I lost a bit of interest, and the descriptions of multiple practices, and dances and famous dancers can sometimes be a bit tedious. But I kept reading because I wanted ...more

Like · see review

Mar 09, 2008 Lynne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, audiobooks

This is an autobiography of a young Chinese peasant who was selected to attend Madame Mao's dance academy in the 1970's. I enjoyed the description of life in his village and at the academy. The book suffered from poor editing in my opinion. It was far longer than it needed to be. If I had a better background in ballet, I might have appreciated the long string of "and then I was selected for the cast of ballet x" in the second half of the book. ...more

1 like · Like · see review