About the Book
I can still remember so vividly those last steps I took, led by music that will haunt me forever...
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, Maos 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 Rudolf Nureyev, and later to Houston Ballet, where as principal dancer she fell in love with the acclaimed 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. 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, we learn what unfolded next for this inspiring family and why it is Marys turn to tell a truly remarkable tale.
Marys Last Dance is a powerful and uplifting memoir about chasing an impossible dream, and sacrificing ones 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 worlds most beloved books.
Contents
To my children
Sophie, Tom and Bridie
I can still remember so vividly those last steps I took, led by music that will haunt me forever. I was overwhelmed with sadness, knowing this moment would change my life knowing the decision I had to make. This would be my last dance...
Foreword
by Li Cunxin
I was born into utter poverty in Maos Communist China, one of seven sons of hardworking peasant parents in the north-east. It was a troubled period in Chinas history tens of millions of people died of famine and disease between 1958 and 1961. My family struggled desperately for survival.
Then, one fateful day, a delegation of Madame Maos cultural advisers from the Beijing Dance Academy came into my classroom to select students to study ballet. As they were about to walk out, my teacher stopped the last gentleman and said, What about that one? And that one was me.
That magical moment changed my life forever. From millions of children across China, only forty-four were selected. The seven years of harsh training taught me discipline and resilience. Upon graduation in 1979, I was awarded one of the first cultural exchange scholarships to study in America. This opportunity propelled me to become a ballet star. I danced all around the world, in front of presidents, prime ministers and royalty, and on the most prestigious stages.
In 1985, Mary McKendry, a principal dancer of London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet), came into my life when she joined Houston Ballet. The chemistry and magic that ignited between us was immediate, and we became favourite partners on stage and fell in love away from the spotlight. Mary was a dream to dance with. Her artistry, passion, work ethic and pursuit of perfection matched my own.
Although her childhood in Rockhampton, Queensland, was vastly different from the childhood I experienced in Communist China, there were similarities. Both of us were part of large, loving families. Mary was one of eight children born to a talented architect father and an artistic mother. She was trained by a brilliant ballet teacher in Rockhampton, and was subsequently accepted into the Royal Ballet School in London at the age of sixteen. Like me, she had to overcome homesickness, self-doubt and heartbreaking setbacks but was helped by some special, gifted mentors.
In each other we found our soulmate, both on stage and in life, and we chose to share our lives together. When our first child, Sophie, was born, she became the joy of our lives. Our world was blissful and perfect. Then something unexpected happened that knocked Marys life and career completely off course. I was heartbroken for her as I knew how much she loved ballet, which had been her deepest passion since she was an eight-year-old girl. Suddenly her beloved ballet was no more, and our perfect world crashed down. The road we travelled was full of difficulties, heartaches and shattered dreams, and we needed all the courage, determination and strength we could muster to overcome those challenges.
After many years devoted to the care of our family, Mary finally reconnected with ballet. She began working with leading dancers at the Australian Ballet and is currently principal rptiteur and ballet mistress at Queensland Ballet. She is a highly respected teacher and coach who is thrilled to continue her journey in ballet by helping the stars of today and tomorrow.
Mary is an incredible mother to our three children, Sophie, Tom and Bridie. Not only is she the bedrock of our family, but she has also changed me completely as a man. Her sophistication, joy of life, passion for ballet, strength of character, and love for me and our children have shaped me into the man I am. She is the strength behind my success.
In 2000 I started writing the story of my life, which became Maos Last Dancer . Little did I know then that it would touch so many hearts. To my surprise it became a bestseller, and then a celebrated film.
Ever since the publication of my book and the release of the film, people have been intrigued to know more of Marys story. She has been pursued by publishing houses but declined all approaches until Sophie encouraged her and volunteered to help. It has been fascinating to see their roles reversed from when our daughter was younger Sophie is actually helping her mother now! Piecing together Marys story has been a special bonding experience for them.
Its so gratifying to see Mary giving voice to her own story. I laughed and cried when I read the first 100-page draft manuscript. Her story is not only a companion to Maos Last Dancer but a sequel to it. So here is Marys story, and what happened next in our lives...
Li Cunxin
August 2020
BEFORE
PART ONE
Rockhampton
195875
I was the most unlikely candidate to be a ballerina if ever there was one...
Sometimes, even the most impossible dream can come true. When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to get from that wild and wonderful town called Rockhampton to the Royal Ballet School in London. It seemed so unlikely. Back then, Rocky was a town where there was nothing much to do besides family and friendship, and nothing much to think about except the idea of stepping out into a bigger world.
I took that step, and I have my mother, Coralie, to thank for that. Oh, my mother, dear Coralie. She was so refined. She married my dad, Neil George McKendry, and then having eight children in eleven years made refinement and gentility somewhat difficult.
Coralie Tighe grew up with her older brother, Hugh, and much younger sister, Anne, in 1930s and 1940s Kalinga, a humble suburb of Brisbane. She was taught by nuns at Corpus Christi College, Nundah, where she played piano and developed a great love of music, dance and art, which was part of her mother, Bridies, family heritage. Coralie learned ballet when she was younger, but the nuns didnt think that was very ladylike. Instead, she was encouraged to spend more time on piano and music theory, which she continued right up until her Licentiate in Music.
