Mao S Last Dancer

Author : Li Cunxin
Publisher : Random House Australia
Page : 530 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2020-11-03
Category : Ballet dancers
ISBN : 9781760899219

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Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin Pdf

Before you can fly, you have to be free. A new edition of the phenomenal international bestseller. From bitter poverty to the stardom of the West - this is the extraordinary true story of one boy's great courage and determinationIn a small, desperately poor village in north-east China, a young peasant boy sits at his rickety old school desk, more interested in the birds outside than in Chairman Mao's Red Book and the grand words it contains. But that day, some strange men come to his school - Madame Mao's cultural delegates. They are looking for young peasants to mould into faithful guards of Chairman Mao's great vision for China..This is the true story of how that one moment in time, by the thinnest thread of a chance, changed the course of a small boy's life in ways that are beyond description. One day he would dance with some of the greatest ballet companies of the world. One day he would be a friend to a president and first lady, movie stars and the most influential people in America. One day he would become a star: Mao's last dancer, and the darling of the West. Since its release in 2003, Mao's Last Dancer has sold all around the world and been made into a major motion picture. Like millions of other peasants' lives, it was a story that nearly vanished amidst revolution and chaos. It's a story of courage, a mother's love, a young boy's longing for freedom - a beautiful, rich account of an inspirational life, told with honesty, dignity and pride.

Author : Mary Li
Publisher : Random House Australia
Page : 482 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2021-10-19
Category : Ballerinas
ISBN : 9781761041914

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Mary's Last Dance by Mary Li Pdf

I can vividly remember the last steps of the last ballet, walking off the stage led by a mother and knowing the decision I had to make. That was my last dance. Mary Li (nee McKendry) is an international ballet star and a mother like no other. She became a household name when her husband Li Cunxin published his bestselling memoir, Mao's Last Dancer - but that book told only half the story. Growing up in a rambunctious family in Rockhampton, Mary discovered an extraordinary early passion for ballet. It saw her move to London at age sixteen, to study at the Royal Ballet School and dance at the London Festival Ballet with the likes of Nureyev, and later to Houston Ballet, where as Principal Dancer she fell in love with the acclaimed Chinese ballet dancer Li Cunxin. The couple became the darlings of the dance world, and were happier than they could have imagined at the arrival of their firstborn daughter, Sophie. Then right at the height of her international career, Mary seemingly disappeared from view, leaving the fans aghast. What could have happened to cause a woman so committed, so talented, to give it all away in a heartbeat? Now, almost twenty years on, fans finally get their answer about what happened next to this inspiring family, and learn why it is Mary's turn to tell a truly remarkable tale. This is a powerful and uplifting memoir about chasing an impossible dream, and sacrificing one's own ambition for the love of a child. It is a moving and unforgettable story of passion, dedication and devotion - and the highly anticipated sequel to one of the world's most beloved books.

Author : Cunxin Li
Publisher : Fusion Press
Page : 398 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2003
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : STANFORD:36105117955810

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Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li Pdf

Li Cunxin grew up in a remote commune village in China. His life was one of daily hardships - there was never enough food for him or his six brothers and his only entertainment, especially during the harsh winters, was being told Chinese fables by his father. His life seemed mapped out - he was the frog at the bottom of the well who would have to be content with being able to see only a small patch of sky. Madam Mao's Peking Dance Academy. His selection was based purely on his physique and the fact that he came from a family that had been peasants for three generations - he knew nothing about the art form at all. encouragement of his teachers, Li danced through his pain to become a talented performer who won a rare scholarship to America. Communist ideals, to discover the truth behind Chinese propaganda. In 1981 he famously defected, certain that in doing so he would never see his family or his homeland again. frog had escaped the well and could marvel at the expanse of sky.

Author : Li Cunxin
Publisher : Walker Childrens
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2008-07-22
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 0802797776

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Dancing to Freedom by Li Cunxin Pdf

In a poor village in northern China, a small boy named Li Cunxin was given the chance of a lifetime. Selected by Chairman Mao's officials from among millions of children to become a dancer, Li's new life began as he left his family behind. At the Beijing Dance Academy, days were long and difficult. Li's hard work was rewarded when he was chosen yet again, this time to travel to America. From there his career took flight, and he danced in cities around the world—never forgetting his family, who urged him to follow his dreams.

Author : Li Cunxin
Publisher : Penguin Group Australia
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2005-05-02
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781742281209

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Mao's Last Dancer: Young Readers Edition by Li Cunxin Pdf

One day, not so very many years ago, a small peasant boy was chosen to study ballet at the Beijing Dance Academy. His mother urged him to take this chance of a lifetime. But Li was only eleven years old and he was scared and lonely, pushed away from all that he had ever known and loved. He hated the strict training routines and the strange place he had been brought to. All he wanted to do was go home – to his mother, father and six brothers, to his own small village. But soon Li realised that his mother was right. He had the chance to do something special with his life – and he never turned back . . . Visit the official Mao's Laster Dancer Movie website maoslastdancermovie.com

Author : Li Cunxin
Publisher : Penguin Group Australia
Page : 40 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2012-09-07
Category : Juvenile Fiction
ISBN : 9781742537214

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The Peasant Prince by Li Cunxin Pdf

'This is your one chance. You have your secret dreams. Follow them! Make them come true . . . ' In a poor village in northern China, a small boy is about to be taken away from everything he's ever known. He is so afraid, but his mother urges him to follow his dreams. For soon he will become a dancer, one of the finest dancers in the world . . . So begins The Peasant Prince, the true story of Li Cunxin's extraordinary life. Based upon his internationally best-selling memoir, Mao's Last Dancer, this remarkable picture book captures the essence of one of the most inspiring stories to come from China in many years. With hauntingly beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Anne Spudvilas, Li's journey of courage and determination is simply told, and as powerful as any fairytale.

Author : Li Cunxin
Publisher : Walker Childrens
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2008-07-22
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 0802797784

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Dancing to Freedom by Li Cunxin Pdf

In a poor village in northern China, a small boy named Li Cunxin was given the chance of a lifetime. Selected by Chairman Mao's officials from among millions of children to become a dancer, Li's new life began as he left his family behind. At the Beijing Dance Academy, days were long and difficult. Li's hard work was rewarded when he was chosen yet again, this time to travel to America. From there his career took flight, and he danced in cities around the world—never forgetting his family, who urged him to follow his dreams.

Author : Li Cunxin
Publisher : Walker Childrens
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2008-07-22
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 0802797792

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Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin Pdf

At the age of eleven, Li Cunxin was one of the privileged few selected to serve in Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution by studying at the Beijing Dance Academy. Having known bitter poverty in his rural China home, ballet would be his family's best chance for a better future. From one hardship to another, Cunxin demonstrated perseverance and an appetite for success that led him to be chosen as one of the first two people to leave Mao's China and go to American to dance on a special cultural exchange. But life in the U.S. was nothing like his communist indoctrination had led him to believe. Ultimately, he defected to the west in a dramatic media storm, and went on to dance with the Houston Ballet for sixteen years. This inspiring story of passion, resilience, and a family's love captures the harsh reality of life in Mao's communist China and the exciting world of professional dance. This compelling memoir includes photos documenting Li's extraordinary life.

Author : Li Cunxin
Publisher : Viking
Page : 464 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2014-06-25
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 0734311702

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Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin Pdf

Author : Xing Jin,Catherine Texier
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 222 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : UOM:39015070640654

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Shanghai Tango by Xing Jin,Catherine Texier Pdf

Jin Xing is a former prima ballerina, one of the brightest stars of the Shanghai Ballet. But her journey to international fame was fraught with difficulty, because Jin Xing was in fact born a man. From an early age she was intensely uncomfortable with her gender - a young boy dreaming of becoming a ballerina and a princess. Unable to understand or put words to these feelings, she immersed herself in ballet dancing, her first love. Before long, her precocious talent was noted and at the age of nine, in spite of her parents' concerns, she joined the People's Liberation Army Dance Corps. There, she received both dance and military training and attained the rank of Colonel. The curtains opened on a new act in her life when, at the age of 19, she received an arts scholarship to study modern dance in New York. While there she discovered for the first time that it was possible to change sex. She took the singularly courageous decision to return to China to undergo one of the first full sex-change operations the country had ever witnessed. The dream she had nutured from youth - of becoming a woman - finally became a reality. As dramatic, graceful and deeply felt as a pas de deux, Shanghai Tango is a deeply personal and inspiring account of growing up in a body that feels alien and of braving pioneering surgery in communist China.

Author : Toni Morrison
Publisher : University of Virginia Press
Page : 290 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2019-10-01
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780813943633

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Goodness and the Literary Imagination by Toni Morrison Pdf

What exactly is goodness? Where is it found in the literary imagination? Toni Morrison, one of American letters’ greatest voices, pondered these perplexing questions in her celebrated Ingersoll Lecture, delivered at Harvard University in 2012 and published now for the first time in book form. Perhaps because it is overshadowed by the more easily defined evil, goodness often escapes our attention. Recalling many literary examples, from Ahab to Coetzee’s Michael K, Morrison seeks the essence of goodness and ponders its significant place in her writing. She considers the concept in relation to unforgettable characters from her own works of fiction and arrives at conclusions that are both eloquent and edifying. In a lively interview conducted for this book, Morrison further elaborates on her lecture’s ideas, discussing goodness not only in literature but in society and history—particularly black history, which has responded to centuries of brutality with profound creativity. Morrison’s essay is followed by a series of responses by scholars in the fields of religion, ethics, history, and literature to her thoughts on goodness and evil, mercy and love, racism and self-destruction, language and liberation, together with close examination of literary and theoretical expressions from her works. Each of these contributions, written by a scholar of religion, considers the legacy of slavery and how it continues to shape our memories, our complicities, our outcries, our lives, our communities, our literature, and our faith. In addition, the contributors engage the religious orientation in Morrison’s novels so that readers who encounter her many memorable characters such as Sula, Beloved, or Frank Money will learn and appreciate how Morrison’s notions of goodness and mercy also reflect her understanding of the sacred and the human spirit.

Author : Jingjing Xue
Publisher : Black Inc.
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2021-03-16
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781743821466

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Shanghai Acrobat by Jingjing Xue Pdf

For readers of Mao’s Last Dancer comes the inspiring true story of a world-famous acrobat who left communist China to begin a new life in Australia. Jingjing Xue was born in China in 1947, during a period of civil war. Jingjing, left in an orphanage in Shanghai, was destined to a life of hardship before officials singled him out and enlisted him to train with the Shanghai Acrobatics School. Shanghai Acrobat tells the moving story of Jingjing’s rise from poverty to become an admired performer in China and beyond. Through the turbulent period of the Cultural Revolution, he realised the value of freedom. This is a story of hope and perseverance, of overcoming adversity and of finding a place to belong. ‘A beautifully written book ... a poignant, riveting story of determination and perseverance against the odds. This is a success story that will resonate for those from all over the world who have called Australia home.’ —Andrew Kwong, author of One Bright Moon ‘Inspiring . . . the richness of detail, along with the photographs, reveal a marvelous story of endurance and fortitude.’ —Kirkus

Author : Anne Spudvilas
Publisher : Allen & Unwin
Page : 48 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2017-10-25
Category : Juvenile Fiction
ISBN : 9781743437100

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Swan Lake by Anne Spudvilas Pdf

SHORT-LISTED: CBCA Picture Book of the Year, 2018 'Anne Spudvilas is one of Australia's most talented visual artists. Her illustrations are full of emotion and beauty. Anne's Swan Lake is simply enchanting and sublime!' Li Cunxin, author of Mao's Last Dancer and Artistic Director, Queensland Ballet The iconic ballet Swan Lake, the tragic love story of a princess transformed into a swan by an evil sorcerer, has been revered for more than a century. In this atmospheric adaptation, Anne Spudvilas reimagines the classic tale of passion, betrayal and heartbreak in the dramatic riverscape of the Murray-Darling.

Author : Chika Onyeani
Publisher : Jonathan Ball Publishers
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2012-03-27
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781868425068

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Capitalist Nigger by Chika Onyeani Pdf

Capitalist Nigger is an explosive and jarring indictment of the black race. The book asserts that the Negroid race, as naturally endowed as any other, is culpably a non-productive race, a consumer race that depends on other communities for its culture, its language, its feeding and its clothing. Despite enormous natural resources, blacks are economic slaves because they lack the 'devil-may-care' attitude and the 'killer instinct' of the Caucasian, as well as the spider web mentality of the Asian. A Capitalist Nigger must embody ruthlessness in pursuit of excellence in his drive towards achieving the goal of becoming an economic warrior. In putting forward the idea of the Capitalist Nigger, Chika Onyeani charts a road to success whereby black economic warriors employ the 'Spider Web Doctrine' – discipline, self-reliance, ruthlessness – to escape from their victim mentality. Born in Nigeria, Chika Onyeani is a journalist, editor and former diplomat.

Author : Edward Villella,Larry Kaplan
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 356 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 0822956667

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Prodigal Son by Edward Villella,Larry Kaplan Pdf

The reminiscences of Villela, who spent over 20 years with the New York City Ballet under the legendary Balanchine. He discusses his formative years, his introduction to ballet, and the battles he had with and the respect he had for "Mr. B." Includes bandw photos. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR