Martha Graham, 1894-1991: The mother of modern dance

In the beginning of the twentieth century, women like Isadora Duncan and Ruth Saint Denis wanted to create a new form of dance. Duncan and Saint Denis felt restricted by ballet. Modern dance was created as a revolt against ballet.

Martha Graham was one of the most famous dancers and creators of dance, called choreographers. She brought modern dance to a new level of popularity in American culture. She created a new language of movement that expressed powerful emotions.

She started traditions that are still used in modern dance today. They include expressive movements of the body to...

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Ms. Graham showed the world how the body can  be a powerful communication tool.

Mao's last dancer makes return to ballet

At the age of eleven, Li Cunxin was plucked from a poor rural village in China's Shandong province to attend the Beijing Dance Academy.

He became one of the best dancers China ever produced and was granted permission to visit the United States to study with the Houston Ballet Company.

In the US, Li Cunxin defected, sparking a tense standoff between Beijing and Washington that drew the intervention of then US Vice President George H W Bush.

He remained in the US until 1995, when he moved to Australia and became principal dancer with the Australian Ballet until retiring in 1999.

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Here we have a short interview with Li Cunxin, an accomplished Chinese ballet dancer. He talks about his plans as the new Artistic Director of the Queensland Ballet.