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Li Cunxin on making the impossible choice to leave his family in China | Anh's Brush With Fame
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Chinese dancer and bride tell of love and a scare
When they first met in late 1979, he was the prince in ''Swan Lake.'' She remembers his regal carriage and his dark, curly hair. He remembers her face and admits, with a mischievous grin, that it haunted him for months.
Li Cunxin, Chinese ballet dancer 06/12/1981 HOUCHRON CAPTION (03/28/2004): Attorney Charles Foster, 20-year-old Li and his first wife, Elizabeth Mackey, leave the U.S. consulate after Li's dramatic defection from communist China in 1981.Steve Campbell/Staff
Rose, J. (2013, April 12). Li Cunxin continues journey of transformation. Chron. https://www.chron.com/entertainment/arts-theater/article/Li-Cunxin-continues-journey-of-transformation-4430476.php#photo-4463253
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'I would have jumped off a roof for Mao': how Li Cunxin danced to freedom
Forced into ballet as a child in Mao’s China, Li Cunxin defected to the US and had to work as a stockbroker to support his family back home.
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Houston Ballet exchange
British-born Ben Stevenson, who had formerly been a soloist with the Royal Ballet in London, served as the innovative powerhouse behind the Houston Ballet from 1976-2003. In March of 1979 he joined the Centre’s Arts Leaders Delegation to China led by Lincoln Center Chair Martin Segal.
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Ben Stevenson
Biographical account of Ben Stevenson.
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Two of ballet's biggest names, Li Cunxin and Ben Stevenson, mark four decades of friendship
When choreographer Ben Stevenson met Li Cunxin in Beijing in 1978, he knew the teenager, who would later be the subject of Hollywood film Mao's Last Dancer, was special.
On Friday 5 April, 2013, Queensland Ballet will open the Australian premiere of Ben Stevenson's world-acclaimed Cinderella in the Playhouse, QPAC. This will be the Company's first mainstage season under the artistic direction of Li Cunxin.
Former artistic director Ben Stevenson with Li Cunxin in the 1980s
Mao’s last dancer. (2008, April 15). En Pointe with Houston Ballet. https://houstonballet.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/maos-last-dancer/
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Saving Mao’s Last Dancer
Charles C. Foster marshalled the force of the entire U.S. government to help a Chinese ballet artist who wanted to stay in Houston
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Lawyer who risked it all to help China dancer inspires film
When famed Chinese ballet dancer Li Cunxin first met Houston immigration attorney Charles Foster in 1981, they sat down in Foster's downtown Houston office and quietly sized each other up.
The 2020 recipient of the Roy M. Huffington Award for Contributions to International Understanding is Charles C. Foster. He has dedicated much of his career to the improvement of his community, through his work as a globally recognized U.S. immigration attorney in inspiring immigration reform, cultivating international understanding, and strengthening cross-cultural relationships.
Watch from 14.58mins to 16.26mins for Li Cunxin's reflection on Charles C. Foster, the lawyer who represented him.
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An International Immigration Incident with Attorney Charles Foster
Q&A with Charles C. Foster regarding his process and outcome of Li Cunxin's trial.
Photos
Ben Stevenson, O.B.E. (2020, April 20). Texas Cultural Trust. https://txculturaltrust.org/bio/ben-stevenson-o-b-e/
Charles foster. (2022, January 4). Foster Global. https://www.fosterglobal.com/attorney/charles-foster/