The film, Mao’s Last Dancer, follows the life of Li Cunxin, a Chinese ballet dancer in the 1980s, and his subsequent defection to America. Li Cunxin was born in the Shandong Province and is selected to be a dancer at the Beijing Dance Academy at age 11. Eventually he is sent to America to diversify and refine his dance abilities. It is during his stay here that he decides not to return to China and is banned from returning. After this event, he establishes himself as a permanent and successful dancer. With American-Chinese relations smoothing in the 1990s, Li is allowed to return to China and visit his home village.
Describe how Li experiences ‘culture shock’ when he first arrives in America. Give specific examples of what is strange to him and what he struggles with.
Li’s first experience in America is a warm welcome from this kind and generous man Ben, which reveals his knighthood through the idealization of America as a mixing pot of nationalities. Ben uses his social power when he takes Li to learn at his school of ballet. Ben has many connections to teachers and students, which allow Li to learn more advanced ballet. We further see Ben piloting the theme of the white knight when he takes Li to the mall. Ben exposes Li to the wonderful world of consumerism and monetary freedom, showing off his power of monetary wealth. In the opening of the mall scene, we see people below Li skating as a relaxing act, strongly contrasting the heavily militarized form of ballet he has been learning during his childhood. This contrast emphasizes the freedom of expression in America. We also see Ben spending gratuitous amounts of money for Li to accustom him to the dressing habits of Americans. Li cannot fathom the generosity of Ben’s expenditure and asks, “Why you do this” to which Ben replies “I’m not trying to influence you”.
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