Mao’s Last Dancer Pirouettes into Property Development

Only a few months after his departure as Queensland Ballet’s lauded artistic director, Li Cunxin has pirouetted into property development.

Better known as Mao’s Last Dancer—the title of his acclaimed memoir that was made into a film—Cunxin is behind a proposed boutique inner-city Brisbane riverfront mixed-use development.

He is listed as one of three directors of Blevio Proprietary Limited, along with Queensland coal baron Ken Talbot’s widow, Amanda, and her daughter Alexandra.

The Talbot family through its philanthropic foundation has been a longstanding supporter of the Queensland Ballet.  

Talbot Theatre, a 350-seat performance space at the redeveloped home of the Queensland Ballet, the Thomas Dixon Centre—an old shoe factory— at West End is named in memory of Ken Talbot, who died in a light plane crash in 2010.

Cunxin, 63, is renowned as the poor Chinese peasant boy who became an internationally acclaimed ballet dancer, defected to the West and married Rockhampton-raised ballerina Mary McKendry.

At the end of 2023, due to health issues, he stepped down after 11 years as Queensland Ballet’s artistic director.

The Teneriffe-based Blevio Proprietary Limited has filed plans with the Brisbane City Council for a five-storey development comprising 18 one, two and three-bedroom apartments at Bulimba in the city’s inner-east.

To be known as Vellure on Byron, it is earmarked for a three-lot corner holding spanning 1740sq m at 3-9 Byron Street, adjoining the Apollo Road ferry terminal.

“The development proposes a high-end apartment building with ground floor retail/food and drink tenancies, which has been designed to maintain consistency with that already established within the Byron Street streetscape, whilst providing improved activation and casual surveillance of the Apollo Road ferry terminal and the start of the future riverwalk,” the application said.

The Red Door Architecture-designed scheme also includes two rooftop communal spaces at levels 4 and 5, including a pool, roof terrace, barbecue and dining area.

“The building’s main entrance is framed by a grand three-storey void and a vertically descending garden,” a design statement said. “The sharp V-shaped void serves as a focal point, capturing the attention of visitors.”

According to a planning report, a key component of the application is a three into two-lot subdivision to establish a vacant lot to be dedicated to the council as a riverfront corridor park.

“The dedication of land to the Brisbane River side of the development shall also provide council with one of few remaining parcels to fulfil the riverwalk from the Apollo Road ferry terminal through to McConnell Street,” it said.

Under the plans, 50 carparking spaces also would be spread across the ground level and two basement levels.