Discover one man’s incredible journey from poverty to world-famous artist in this exclusive Museum of Brisbane exhibition. Mao’s Last Dancer the exhibition: A Portrait of Li Cunxin features never-before-seen interviews, performance footage and personal artefacts in an intimate portrait of a contemporary Australian icon.

Born into bitter poverty during the height of Mao’s Communist China, Li grew up in a world few of us can imagine. Through a chance of fate, at age 11 he was selected to attend Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy – a rare opportunity to escape his humble, rural existence. Inspired by the love of his family and determined to succeed, Li become an international ballet star and celebrity when his fight to stay in the United States with his new wife made worldwide headlines in the 1980s.

Li moved to Australia with his wife, Brisbane-born ballet star Mary McKendry, in 1995 to become a Principal Artist with The Australian Ballet. Today he lives in Brisbane with his wife and children where he is Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet. The exhibition brings audiences up to date with Li’s life in Brisbane today and the extraordinary impact he continues to have on the lives of so many within and outside the dance community.

Don’t miss this extraordinary story of personal resilience and the strength of love – Mao’s Last Dancer the exhibition: A Portrait of Li Cunxin will be on display at Museum of Brisbane from December 1 2017 to April 29 2018.