Imagine this.

An 11-year-old boy, the sixth of seven brothers, living in poverty in deepest rural People’s Republic of China is wrenched from his family and transported to Beijing (then Peking) to attend Madame Moa’s dance academy. This was at the height of Mao Zedong’s rule over the new Communist nation.

Students at the Academy trained 16 hours a day, six days a week for seven years, starting at 5.30 each morning.

Li Cunxin graduated top of the class, defected to the United States causing an international incident and went on to become one of the world’s finest dancers.

Li’s is an incredible story of pain, resilience, joy, despair and, ultimately, triumph.

Mao’s Last Dancer will be the headline act at this year’s Trust dinner, set for the Dunedin Town Hall on Friday, 7th August.

Joining Li on stage will be New Zealand comedian and Billy T Award winner Paul Ego, perhaps best known for his persona as PAK’nSAVE’s Stickman. There will be world-class music and dining with all funds raised to be directed towards the Trust’s initial research project which had attracted significant international collaboration.

For further details about seats, tables, partnership opportunities etc, please get in touch.