Customer Reviews

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao's Last Dancer

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During China's Cultural Revolution, a young boy named Li Cunxin endured extreme hunger, bitter cold, and a tiny bare living space that he shared with six brothers and his parents. They survived while countless others did not. Yet Li dreamed his life would differ from that of the fabled little frog who could not get out of the deep, dark well in which he lived.

An extraordinary and completely unexpected opportunity to live a better life came Li's way when a small delegation visited his school searching for children with potential to become ballet dancers. They chose Li, and at the age of eleven he left his family to study ballet at the Beijing Dance Academy. Although he missed his family terribly, years of rigorous training led him to become one of China's best dancers, which in turn generated an invitation to study ballet in the United States. Li had managed to escape from the dark well, but he did not know for a long time if he would see his family again.

This beautifully-crafted children's book, which Li Cunxin adapted from his adult memoir, offers a gripping portrayal of life during the Cultural Revolution and a moving depiction of his progression to adulthood and fame. To bolster the realism, the illustrator traveled with Li to China to visit his old village and the dance academy, and she trained in traditional Chinese painting techniques. Dancing to Freedom makes a valuable addition to any collection of children's books that rank highly on artistic merit and substantive content.

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao's Last Dancer is a children's picturebook based on the true-life story of author Li Cunxin, who was selected by Chairman Mao's officials to become a dancer. His arduous training allowed him to travel to America and around the world. Even though he was not permitted to see his family, he kept them in his heart and dreams. "One day a wonderful thing happened. I learned that my parents could come from China to see me dance! Could it be true that after all this time I was to see them again?" A final page tells young readers more about the China that Li knew growing up in the 1960s - a very strict place in which the government firmly controlled people's lives and possessions, and a place that has since changed greatly. Illustrator Anne Spudvilas traveled with Li to visit Li's village, family, and friends as well as studying Chinese brush painting to grace Dancing to Freedom with a truly authentic touch. Also highly recommended is the "Young Readers' Edition" of Li's autobiography, "Mao's Last Dancer".

Li was one of seven Chinese brothers, sons of a peasant farmer. They were wretchedly poor. They never had enough to eat, but somehow they managed to survive. One day, officials arrived at Li's school looking for students to study something called "ballet." Out of millions of students, Li was chosen. He was ripped away from everything and everybody he knew and loved and sent to the Beijing Dance Academy. Knowing it was his only chance o help himself and his family, he endured. Not only did he become a stellar dancer, "Mao's last dancer," he was chosen to go to Houston in America where he flourished and
became one of the world's greatest dancers. His parents were allowed to travel to the United States to see him dance, the culmination of his years of grueling work.

It's inspiring story is exquisitely illustrated in Chinese ink and watercolor on rice paper. The palette is composed of soft grays and blues, capturing the cold apoverty of his youth. The pictures brighten with his sucesses.The flowing ink lines of his body convey the fluidity of the dance.

I was disappointed to learn that this edition is for young readers.
The story is wondeful, which formed the basis of a motion picture with the same title. The account is autobiographical and tells the story of the rise of a young, Chinese peasant boy to principal dancer of the Houston Ballet.
This would make a wonderful gift for a young ballet fan.
Sadly, not being a young reader, I returned this book in favor of the adult edition at a significantly higher price.