Exclusively for attendees, a copy of Li Cunxin’s The Lucky Son will be included with every ticket, a full week before the book is available to the public.

Join Li Cunxin for a celebration of his new book The Lucky Son, the highly anticipated follow up to one of the world’s most beloved books, Mao’s Last Dancer.

In Mao’s Last Dancer, Li Cunxin stole our hearts with his inspirational rags-to-riches story of being plucked from obscurity as a child in Communist China to become one of the world’s most acclaimed ballet dancers.

In conversation with celebrated journalist and screenwriter Benjamin Law, join Li as he shares his hard-won and heart-felt life lessons on learning and leadership, love and legacy, and the power and possibility of dreaming big.

As a celebrated artist living in the West, Li grapples with the complexities of cultural identity and personal sacrifice. Navigating the dazzling yet demanding world of international ballet, he is confronted by haunting memories of his humble beginnings in rural China and the family he left behind.

Torn between two worlds, Li must reconcile the passion for his art with the love for his poor family in China, all while building his own family with his former dance partner and beloved wife Mary, and creating a new-generation ballet company that will transform the Australian ballet scene and take its dancers to the world stage.

Whether success comes through luck or from hard work and dedication, Li’s inspiring story is proof that sometimes fortune favours the brave, and that the greatest performance of all is the one we give in our own heart.