Movie
Mao’s Last Dancer
Before you can fly, you have to be free.
At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he falls in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.
Streaming, rental and purchase options
Where to watch in United States
Checked Sep 4, 2026
Mao’s Last Dancer is available to stream on Hoopla, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Plex, Pluto TV, Tubi, and YouTube in United States. You can also rent or buy it from Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play. Use the direct links below to open the provider.
Synopsis
At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he falls in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.
More about Mao’s Last Dancer
Cast
Bruce GreenwoodBen Stevenson
Kyle MacLachlanCharles Foster
Joan ChenNiang
Chi CaoLi Cunxin - adult
Amanda SchullElizabeth Mackey
Wang ShuangbaoDia
Aden YoungDilworth
Jack ThompsonJudge Woodrow SealsCredits
- Directed by
- Bruce Beresford
- Written by
- Jan Sardi
Production details
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- English
- Budget
- $25M
- Box office
- $23.9M
Production
- Great Scott Productions Pty. Ltd.
