Li Cunxin

Li Cunxin AO was born into utter poverty in Mao’s Communist China, at a very young age he was selected to train at Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy. So began Li’s journey. The 7 years of harsh training regime at the Beijing Dance Academy taught him discipline, resilience, determination and perseverance. Li’s astounding drive and relentless work made him one of the best dancers in the world.

Li then made a successful career transition from ballet into finance. He was a senior manager at one of the largest stockbroking firms in Australia. He was named 2009 Australian Father of the Year. Li was Queensland Australian of the Year in 2014 and received the Asia Society’s Game Changer Award in 2015. He was awarded the Queen’s AO Honour for his distinguished service and contribution to Arts and Ballet.

In 2025, he was awarded the prestigious Prix de Lausanne for his lifetime achievement in ballet.

Li was at the helm of Queensland Ballet for 12 years, which he transformed it from a small regional ballet company into a world-class organisation. The inspirational story of Li’s life is recounted in his memoir Mao’s Last Dancer, which is one of the most successful autobiographies of all time. It was published around the world and has been adapted into a young readers’ edition, a picture book, and a major motion picture. It won the Book of the Year Award in Australia and received the Christopher Award for literature in the USA. It went on to become an international bestseller.