Beyond the Book: Background information when reading Mao's Last Dancer

Beyond the Book

This article relates to Mao's Last Dancer

At the age of 34 Li realized his career as a dancer would soon be over, so he began to study at the Australian Securities Institute (in between rehearsals and performances) qualifying as a stockbroker two years later.  Today he lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and three children and works as a stockbroker.  He also finds time to work with many charities, including UNICEF.

He is an avid supporter of The Cochlear Research Institute in Australia which conducts ongoing research and provides support to those who cannot afford the implant.  The cause is close to his heart as his first child was born profoundly deaf and, at four-years-old, became one of the youngest children to receive a cochlear implant. Sophie is now 15 years-old and excels in jazz, tap, and ballet.

Interesting Link: Pictures of Li Cunxin and his family.

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This article relates to Mao's Last Dancer. It first ran in the March 2, 2005 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.