Li Cunxin Mao's Last Dancer

"Mao's Last Dancer" is a auto-biography that Li Cuxin wrote. The begining setting of the book is the country side of China during Dictator Mao's reign. Li lived with his entire family and his extended family as well. His family lives in near poverty, starving nearly every day while being taught in class that Mao  has done greatness to China and that no one would be hungery, but as he soon becomes to realize his entire village was starving. The main conflict begins to occur when he is chosen along with 10 other children to attend the Beijing Dance Academy which the second main setting of the book. He was sent there to learn ballet and other folk dancing to bring honour to China under Mao's name. As he lives at the academy he struggles to understand the manderin dialect and to understand dance. During this time he pushes his body to the limit and pushs himself in studies to help his family. Eventually he gets the rare chance to go to America and perform which was nearly impossible because you need the dictator's permission to go.