Mao’s Last Dancer Li Cunxin on his long-awaited follow-up: ‘I don’t think my publisher expected it to take 14 years!’
News Source
•Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:00:32 GMT
📰 What Happened
Ballet dancer Li Cunxin has released a new memoir called The Lucky Son. It is the sequel to his famous 2003 book, Mao's Last Dancer. The new book picks up as he and his wife Mary move to Houston to dance. Cunxin had signed a deal for a follow-up, but leading the Queensland Ballet took all his time. He jokes that his publisher did not expect it to take 14 years.
The book also sketches the lives of his six brothers back in China. It paints a picture of a country climbing from poverty to become a world power.
🔍 The Backstory
Mao's Last Dancer told the story of a poor boy from China chosen to train as a ballet dancer. It became a worldwide bestseller and was later made into a film. The book made Cunxin a household name in Australia. Since then, he has led the Queensland Ballet and helped it grow. His story links China's fast changes with his own unusual life.
🎯 Why It Matters
The book shows how one person's life can change across two countries. It also gives readers a rare look inside a family shaped by China's history.
Ballet dancer Li Cunxin has released a new memoir called The Lucky Son. It is the sequel to his famous 2003 book, Mao's Last Dancer. The new book picks up as he and his wife Mary move to Houston to dance. Cunxin had signed a deal for a follow-up, but leading the Queensland Ballet took all his time. He jokes that his publisher did not expect it to take 14 years.
The book also sketches the lives of his six brothers back in China. It paints a picture of a country climbing from poverty to become a world power.
Mao's Last Dancer told the story of a poor boy from China chosen to train as a ballet dancer. It became a worldwide bestseller and was later made into a film. The book made Cunxin a household name in Australia. Since then, he has led the Queensland Ballet and helped it grow. His story links China's fast changes with his own unusual life.
The book shows how one person's life can change across two countries. It also gives readers a rare look inside a family shaped by China's history.