Mao's Last Dancer

"Mao's Last Dancer" tells the true story of Li Cunxin, a 11-year-old Chinese boy who is plucked from a poor village to study ballet in Beijing, where he is trained by senior teacher Chan and later impressed by American ballet director Ben Stevenson, who invites him to study in the US. There, Li falls in love with American dancer Elizabeth Mackey and faces a difficult decision about his future, as he navigates his growing passion for dance and his loyalty to his family and country. Li eventually defects to the US, where he becomes a principal dancer with the Houston Ballet and later marries Elizabeth, but their relationship ultimately ends.