Essay On Mao's Last Dancer

Most films captivate the audience’s interest through the main character. This film did just that. Through the main character Li Cunxin, I was able to notice the amount of hard work and dedication which lead Li to become a famous ballet dancer known worldwide. The film based on the autobiography by Li Cunxin, “Mao’s Last Dancer” directed by Bruce Beresford is about a Chinese boy named Li Cunxin who was born into a large family of 6 boys. At the age of eleven, Li was selected from a poor Chinese village by Madam Mao’s cultural representatives to leave his family and study ballet in Beijing. The film focussed on his eventual departure from China to U.S.A after being selected by a world leading choreographer, Ben Stevenson and the consequences that followed.

To leave his family at age eleven, I admired how he persevered even though his teacher was very tough and picked on him for being too weak. The film often referred back to his old life in the village portraying that his family meant the world to him shown by flashbacks. I can understand why a film was made for Li Cunxin to portray how a

Sometimes all it takes is someone to believe in you. One person’s support can make all the difference in the world and one person’s success is often attributed by the support of a single person. The film highlighted Li’s determination to succeed as one of the world’s most professional classical ballet dancers. He could have given up at any stage but his strength of character and continual perseverance kept him going along with making his family proud. The beauty of Li Cunxin was that the world could witness such extraordinary talent. I would recommend this film to other teenagers because it shows that following your dreams is worth pursuing if you are prepared to leave your family and maybe your