Li Cunxin to step down as AD of Queensland Ballet

[Sophoife]

It has been announced that Li Cunxin, "Mao's Last Dancer", is to step down as Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet. His wife Mary (McKendry) will also retire from her roles as ballet mistress and principal répétiteur.

 

He has a heart condition and has recently experienced complications, and she is being treated for cancer.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/jun/20/li-cunxin-maos-last-dander-retires-queensland-ballet-health-concerns

 

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/102499144

 

[bridiem]

I'm so sorry to hear about their health problems. Li Cunxin has had an amazing life and career and I have very fond memories of Mary McKendry as a dancer with London Festival Ballet. I wish them both the very best.

[Jan McNulty]

I'm very sorry to about their health problems.

 

As a newbie ballet watcher I didn't see Mary McKendry dance many performances but she was my first Giselle at a performance at the Liverpool Empire in February 1985.

 

Houston Ballet performed at the Edinburgh Festival in the late 1980s and I saw Li Cunxin dance the leading role in a ballet about Buddha created on him by Christopher Bruce and also as Siegfried in Swan Lake the following evening.  I avidly read his biography - Mao's Last Dancer - when it was first published and what a moving and uplifting read it is.

 

Best wishes to both of them.

[Emeralds]

Very sad to hear 😢 - love and admire them both - but of course very sensible decisions to look after their health first.

 

Have watched both when they were at Houston Ballet (although they were both usually paired with other partners) and saw them again in London when Li brought Queensland Ballet over to perform La Sylphide (Li in person, Mary on stage)!

 

Because QB is such a small company, Mary often takes character roles (very good she is too) in the classics as well as being repetiteur/ballet mistress, while Li does company teaching, the occasional character role, community outreach as well as directing. Both busy professionals while bringing up 3 children! When I last heard of them performing it was in Manon in Brisbane, Li as Monsieur GM and Mary as Madame, in October just last year!

 

Li recounted a cheeky story of how he approached Deborah MacMillan to ask if the small but spunky company  could acquire Manon, as he’d enjoyed performing Des Grieux and Lescaut as a dancer.  She said, your company doesn’t have enough dancers. He replied, I’ll get them. Later on, he told her: we have the dancers you want now. She went to QB, approved it and supervised the staging, participated in PR telling fans enthusiastically of her pleasure in seeing QB present Manon. Afterwards, she glanced at the company roster, and exclaimed, Li, you tricked me- the company doesn’t employ that many dancers! He replied, Oh but we do have dancers- senior students, retired dancers on the staff all delighted to take on mime or walk on parts, all eager to train and be good enough to go on stage (and they were, according to friends who saw it. ) That’s spunk for you. 😁

 

I have every faith that Mary and Li (he’s always called Li there, hardly ever  Cunxin) will get through this with their positive and courageous attitude they have in approaching life and work, and the support from their family and for each other. Best wishes and wishing you both successful treatments and speedy recovery, Mary and Li. 

Edited June 20, 2023 by Emeralds

[Sharon]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

Very sad to hear 😢 - love and admire them both - but of course very sensible decisions to look after their health first.

 

Have watched both when they were at Houston Ballet (although they were both usually paired with other partners) and saw them again in London when Li brought Queensland Ballet over to perform La Sylphide (Li in person, Mary on stage)!

 

Because QB is such a small company, Mary often takes character roles (very good she is too) in the classics as well as being repetiteur/ballet mistress, while Li does company teaching, the occasional character role, community outreach as well as directing. Both busy professionals while bringing up 3 children! When I last heard of them performing it was in Manon in Brisbane, Li as Monsieur GM and Mary as Madame, in October just last year!

 

Li recounted a cheeky story of how he approached Deborah MacMillan to ask if the small but spunky company  could acquire Manon, as he’d enjoyed performing Des Grieux and Lescaut as a dancer.  She said, your company doesn’t have enough dancers. He replied, I’ll get them. Later on, he told her: we have the dancers you want now. She went to QB, approved it and supervised the staging, participated in PR telling fans enthusiastically of her pleasure in seeing QB present Manon. Afterwards, she glanced at the company roster, and exclaimed, Li, you tricked me- the company doesn’t employ that many dancers! He replied, Oh but we do have dancers- senior students, retired dancers on the staff all delighted to take on mime or walk on parts, all eager to train and be good enough to go on stage (and they were, according to friends who saw it. ) That’s spunk for you. 😁

 

I have every faith that Mary and Li (he’s always called Li there, hardly ever  Cunxin) will get through this with their positive and courageous attitude they have in approaching life and work, and the support from their family and for each other. Best wishes and wishing you both successful treatments and speedy recovery, Mary and Li. 

What a great story @Emeralds

I too saw them dance often in the 80's.

I wish them both well with their health problems. 

[art_enthusiast]

Indeed. Very sorry to hear this.

 

I wasn’t around in the 80s but have eagerly read both of their autobiographies, Mao’s Last Dancer and Mary’s Last Dance - I found hers particularly riveting, especially the second half, as it goes into detail about how her daughter Sophie learned to speak.

 

Also was fortunate to see Li coaching 2 Queensland Ballet Jette Parker young dancers in the Bluebird PDD during the Next Generation Festival last year. Hugely interesting to see.

I wish them both a swift recovery.

 

[alison]

I'm very sorry to hear of the couple's health problems, and wish them all the best.  Very pleased, though, to see the Guardian giving coverage to something in the arts happening so geographically far away, especially given how much arts coverage in the press seems to be declining.

[capybara]

Best wishes to both Li and Mary as they manage their health issues. Such difficult times for them.

I’m not surprised about the Guardian coverage: Li’s story is inspirational and they have both made an extraordinary contribution to the ballet world.

Now for all the speculation about Li’s successor……

[Sim]

I loved Mao's Last Dancer and so admire Li Cunxin's inspirational journey.  I am so sorry that he and Mary are both unwell.  Wishing them both the very best with what they are having to deal with.  

[Blossom]

Such sad news and hope they make a speedy recovery.