Peter Andreevich Gusev and the Origins of the Classical Choreographic School in China

This article examines the activities of the outstanding Russian Soviet choreographer, teacher, and dancer, P.A. Gusev, during his time in the People’s Republic of China in the 1950s. It describes Gusev’s work in terms of its general influence on the formation of the Chinese classical choreographic school. The features, forms, and methods of his pedagogical work are reflected, and its diversity and multifaceted nature are emphasized. Gusev’s desire to train and educate a new generation of Chinese choreographers and dancers is noted in the course of classes at the choreography courses at the Beijing Choreographic School, as well as the first ballet troupe in China, Experimental Ballet, which was part of the Beijing Choreographic School (now the National Ballet of China), combining the trends of classical world choreographic art and traditions of the great national dance art of China. The article presents an analysis of the productions of classical ballets by Gusev, as well as by students and young Chinese choreographers studying at the choreography courses. Among them are “Swan Lake” by P.I. Tchaikovsky, “Le Corsaire” and “Giselle” by A. Adan. The process of preparation and the course of rehearsals of these ballets are described. A detailed description of the first Chinese national ballet, “The Beautiful Fish,” which later became known as the Chinese dance drama, is given. The article presents an analysis of P.A. Gusev’s results as a basis for the further development and prosperity of Chinese classical choreographic art. In conclusion, the importance of organizing ballet masters and dance school courses at the Beijing Choreographic College, the outstanding role of P.A. Gusev in it, and the need for interaction and continued cooperation in the field of ballet between the PRC and the USSR, established by Soviet figures in the middle of the last century.