Mao's last dancer book cover

Li Cunxin's Life

  • Chapter 1- Page 3

    The Li family were forced to move to Qindao from the North by the Japanese in World War 2
  • Chapter 1- Page 3

    Li Cunxin's parents got married
  • Chapter 1

    Li Cunxin is born
  • Chapter 5- Page 70

    Li Cunxin starts school
  • Chapter 7- Page 90

    Li gets chosen to try out for the Beijing Dance Academy. He leaves to go to Beijing.
  • Chapter 8- Page 120

    Li begins his first day of training at the ballet academy
  • Chapter 9- Page 134

    Li meets a boy named zhang xiaojia. They become friends.
  • Chapter 10- Page 140

    He starts living an extreme lifestyle full of dancing and praising chairman Mao.
  • Chapter 13- Page 173

    Beijing dance academy was invited to Tiananmen square to hear chairman mao speak.
  • Chapter 13- Page 175

    The head of the communist youth party at Lee’s academy asked him to apply for membership
  • Chapter 13- Page 188

    Teacher Xiao visited Li’s family in Qingdao in the New year's holiday to get to know his students families better.
  • Chapter 14- Page 199

    Fourth year at the beijing dance academy
  • Chapter 14- Page 194

    Academy chosen to dance at China’s most famous ballet “The red detachment of Women” Li gets a main role.
  • Chapter 14 - Page 197

    Premier of China dies in 1976.
  • Chapter 14 - Page 198

    Li chosen to be the main Character of “The children of meadow"
  • Chapter 14 - Page 202

    Massive earthquake in the coal mining city of Tangshan - 200,000 killed over 150,000 injured.
  • Chapter 14- Page 203

    Chairman Mao died
  • Chapter 18 - Page 235

    Li goes to America for the first time.
  • Chapter 14 - Page 197

    Mary Mckendry visits Beijing dance academy.
  • Chapter 19 - Page 271

    Li left china for the second time
  • Li becomes cast as Prince

    Less than a month before Li has to go back to China - for Houston's ballet major tour. Li becomes first cast as the Prince.
  • Chapter 22 - Page 294

    Li marries Elizabeth Mackey.
  • Marries Mary Mckendry

    Li marries Mary Mckendry.
  • First daughter is born

    Li’s first daughter is born
  • Moves countries to Melbourne, Australia

    Li moves to Melbourne Australia.