Mao’s Last Dancer
2009, English. Directed by Bruce Beresford.
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.
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- Post-credits
- None listed
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
Start now and it ends at ….
Popcorn Flick
Fun if you don’t overthink it.
6.6/10 from 126 TMDB viewer ratings.
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Where to watch Mao’s Last Dancer
Mao’s Last Dancer is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in India.
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Fandango At HomeAvailability in India as of 9 November 2026. Streaming data by JustWatch.
Cast & crew
- Bruce BeresfordDirector
- Bruce GreenwoodBen Stevenson
- Kyle MacLachlanCharles Foster
- Joan ChenNiang
- Chi CaoLi Cunxin - adult
- Amanda SchullElizabeth Mackey
- Wang ShuangbaoDia
- Aden YoungDilworth
- Jack ThompsonJudge Woodrow Seals
- Penne Hackforth-JonesCynthia Dodds
- Chengwu GuoLi Cunxin - teenage
- Wen Bin HuangLi Cunxin - boy
- Madeleine EastoeLori
Details
- Released
- 1 October 2009
- Country
- Australia, China
- Written by
- Jan Sardi
- Budget
- $25M
- Box office
- $24M
Check ratings elsewhere
News & fan talk
What Mao’s Last Dancer is based on
Mao’s Last Dancer is based on a true story.
Source details from Wikidata and TMDB.
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Mao’s Last Dancer: quick answers
Is Mao’s Last Dancer worth watching?
Our verdict is Popcorn Flick: Fun if you don’t overthink it. It scores 6.6/10 from 126 TMDB viewer ratings.
How long is Mao’s Last Dancer?
Mao’s Last Dancer runs 117 minutes (1h 57m).
Does Mao’s Last Dancer have a post-credits scene?
None is listed for Mao’s Last Dancer. Viewers tag these on TMDB, so a brand-new film may not be tagged yet.
Mao’s Last Dancer parents guide: is it suitable for kids?
Mao’s Last Dancer is rated PG in India. That rating means it is generally fine for children.
Which OTT platform is Mao’s Last Dancer on?
Mao’s Last Dancer is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in India. (Checked 9 November 2026.)
What movies are like Mao’s Last Dancer?
If you liked Mao’s Last Dancer, try Coco Chanel, Footloose, A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate.
Who directed Mao’s Last Dancer?
Mao’s Last Dancer (2009) was directed by Bruce Beresford and stars Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen.
What is Mao’s Last Dancer based on?
Mao’s Last Dancer is based on a true story.