Movie Mao's Last Dancer Opens at River Oaks Theatre

Houstonians have fond memories of ballet dancer Li Cunxin when he performed with Houston Ballet from 1979 to 1995. Now his inspiring story has been translated to the big screen, based on his best-selling autobiography titled Mao's Last Dancer.

At the age of 11, Li Cunxin was plucked from a poor Chinese village to study ballet at Madame Mao's Beijing Dance Academy. In the late 1970s, he came to Houston Ballet through a cultural exchange program, during which time he married an American dancer. Li Cunxin went on to perform for 16 years with Houston Ballet and was acclaimed worldwide, later becoming a principal dancer with The Australian Ballet. He is portrayed in the film by three actors, including Chi Cao, a principal dancer with the Royal Birmingham Ballet.

Mao's Last Dancer (www.maoslastdancer-movie.com) will be released in theaters in the United States in August, and in Houston at the Landmark River Oaks Theatre (www.landmarktheatres.com) on August 20.

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