Mao's Last Dancer is based on the extraordinary true story and memoirs by Li Cunxin, who, from the Shandong Province in China, was plucked at the age of 10 from his poverty stricken small village school to train to be a dancer in Beijing. Enduring the strict discipline of the Academy of Dance and suffering the heartache of separation from his family, Li ultimately seizes the gift of his incredible opportunity with determination to succeed. He was later offered to study with one of the top ballet companies in the world, the Houston Ballet in America.