Li Cunxin AO

Vice President

Li Cunxin began dancing at age 11 when he was selected to join Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy. Graduating in 1979 he took part in a cultural exchange visit to the US and – after a well-documented defection – found a home with the Houston Ballet, becoming principal dancer and staying there for 16 years. Over his career, Li has performed with some of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world, winning medals in several international competitions, and eventually becoming principal artist with the Australian Ballet.

When he retired as a dancer, Li Cunxin embarked on a second career; taking a detour into the world of finance where, for several years, he worked as a senior manager at Bell Potter, one of the top stockbroking firms in his adopted home of Australia.

In 2005 Li returned to dance with an appointment to the board of the Australian Ballet and in 2012 became the Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet. That same year he sat on the judging panel for the final of the Genée International Ballet Competition in Wellington, New Zealand. His 2003 autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, is an international bestseller and in 2009 it was made into a critically acclaimed feature film.

Li is a motivational speaker and mentor and was recently nominated as a finalist for the Australian of the Year Award.