Hometown ties
Mao's Last Dancer star to guest perform in "The Nutcracker"
UPDATE: Chi Cao's final guest performances as the prince in the Houston Ballet holiday classic, "The Nutcracker," are Dec. 22 and 23 (both matinees).
Guests at "The Nutrcraker" tonight will be in for a special treat as Chi Cao, star of Bruce Beresford's Mao's Last Dancer, takes the stage to guest star as the prince.
Beresford's film centers around former Houston Ballet dancer Li Cunxin, who defected from Communist China in 1981 to continue dancing under Ben Stevenson as a member of the Houston company. One of the first two cultural exchange students allowed to study in America during Mao's reign, Li spawned an international incident when he was detained for 21 hours at the Houston consulate. George H. W. Bush, then Vice President, intervened on Li's behalf. Li had a 16-year career with Houston Ballet before moving to Australia with his family in 1995.
Chi Cao, a principal in the Birmingham Royal Ballet in England, plays the adult Li in the film. The movie opened internationally in October and is slated to hit U.S. theaters next year.
He will also guest star as the prince during matinee performances Dec. 20, 22 and 23.