Mao’s Last Dancer: The story continues in The Lucky Son
Li Cunxin’s inspiring story won over readers and Hollywood and its sequel The Lucky Son is out in October, but beforehand we’re invited to hear the author talk about this next chapter at an exclusive QPAC event.
If you loved Mao’s Last Dancer you will be thrilled to hear that the sequel is just months away – and we’re invited to the launch.
Or as many of us who can get tickets to join Li Cunxin in the Concert Hall at QPAC on September 29 for a celebration of his new book The Lucky Son, the highly anticipated follow-up to one of the world’s most-loved books, Mao’s Last Dancer.
The former artistic director of Queensland Ballet, acclaimed author and beloved Chinese Australian dancer will be in conversation with celebrated journalist and screenwriter Benjamin Law as he shares his hard-won and heart-felt life lessons on learning and leadership, love and legacy, and the power and possibility of dreaming big.
Li Cunxin was born in Communist China in 1961, the sixth of seven sons in a poor rural family. His life under Chairman Mao’s regime changed dramatically when, at the age of 11, he was chosen to become a student at the Beijing Dance Academy.
Li went on to become one of the finest male dancers in the world. He was principal dancer at Houston Ballet and the Australian Ballet. From 2012 until the end of 2023 he was artistic director at Queensland Ballet. In 2025 he was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Prix de Lausanne for his outstanding contribution to the arts and dance.
Li’s memoir, Mao’s Last Dancer, is one of the most successful autobiographies of all time. It remained on the best sellers list for more than 18 months and won numerous awards, including Australian Book Of The Year. It was made into a major motion picture in 2009.
In Mao’s Last Dancer, Li Cunxin stole our hearts with his inspirational rags-to-riches story of being plucked from obscurity as a child in Communist China to become one of the world’s most acclaimed ballet dancers. The sequel, The Lucky Son, continues his remarkable story.
As a celebrated artist living in the West, Li grapples with the complexities of cultural identity and personal sacrifice. Navigating the dazzling yet demanding world of international ballet, he is confronted by haunting memories of his humble beginnings in rural China and the family he left behind.
Torn between two worlds, Li must reconcile his passion for his art with the love for his poor family in China while building his own family with his former dance partner and beloved wife Mary, and creating a next-generation ballet company that will go on to transform the Australian ballet scene and take its dancers to the world stage.
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Whether success comes through luck or from hard work and dedication, Li’s inspiring story is proof that sometimes fortune favours the brave, and that the greatest performance of all is the one we give in our heart.
An Evening with Li Cunxin: The Lucky Son, Concert Hall, QPAC, September 29. A signed copy of The Lucky Son, will be included with every ticket, a week before the book is available to the public on October 6 (Penguin, $36.99). Tickets on pre-sale now and on sale June 5 from 10am.
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