Artistic director Li Cunxin intends to remain with the Queensland Ballet

When the Australian Ballet’s artistic director David McAllister announced he was calling it quits, all eyes turned to Li Cunxin after his success turning Queensland Ballet into a powerhouse. Now, the man himself has responded to rumours he’s heading south.

When the Australian Ballet’s long serving artistic director David McAllister announced he was calling it quits last Friday the person who should fill his shoes seemed obvious.

The stratospherically successful Li Cunxin, artistic director of Queensland Ballet, was the name on everyone’s lips. As a former principal dancer with the Australian Ballet he knows his way around the national company and he has turned Queensland Ballet into a powerhouse.

But according to Li there’s nothing to see here folks. He intends to stay put and continue doing the job he loves.

Queensland Ballet's artistic director intends to stay in Brisbane despite rumours he could be tempted to defect to the Australian Ballet. Pic Mark Cranitch.

Yesterday Li (who was touted for the job along with American superstar dancer David Hallberg, choreographer and former dancer Stanton Welch and others), quashed rumours that he would throw his hat in the ring to replace McAllister who has served in the job for 20 years and will stay on while an international search for his replacement begins.

Leaving Queensland could be a good career move for Li but his wife Mary has maroon blood and loves being back in her home state after a career overseas and interstate. And they both love Brisbane.

Mary McKendry and Li Cunxin attended Friday’s Gambaro Moet and Chandon Ball alongside Kate Jones and Paul Cronin. (AAP image, John Gass)

Also, Li, 58, has more work to do he says - seeing the completion of the $45 million redevelopment of the ballet’s headquarters, The Thomas Dixon Centre in West End, which will be finished in late 2020. He also wants to be around for the opening of the $12 million Queensland Ballet Academy at Kelvin Grove State College next year.

And he is determined to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary next year too.

We would be devastated to lose the bloke who increased box office from $2.4 million when he arrived in 2013 to a whopping $5.1 million last year. Sponsorship and philanthropy in the same period has risen from $3.1 million to $7.7 million.

So the Australian Ballet will just have to wait.