Sunday, April 24, 2011

Dancing ideology

Last night I watched Mao's Last Dancer based on the autobiography of ballet dancer Li Cunxin. I highly recommend it. I appreciated the portrayal of the
  • striking cultural contrasts between Communist China and Houston, Texas in the 1980's! 
  • nature and totalitarian goals of Marxist-Leninist ideology
  • social, artistic, and personal dimensions to the Cultural Revolution
  • enduring importance of family, even to adult children
Another inspiring ballet-based movie I recommend (regardless of whether or not you like ballet) is Billy Elliot. It portrays an aspiring young male dancer in a completely different culture in the 1980's: a coal mining town in the north of England racked by strikes and the battle between miners unions and the Thatcher government!

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