A Study Of China's First National Folk Dance Festival

On 1 April 1953, under the auspices of the central government and with the patronage of the ministry of culture, China's First National Folk Dance Festival took place. It was the first time, not only since the founding of the People's Republic of China, but also in history, that a folk dance festival of such magnitude was organized by a government. That event displayed very well the special attention that the new leadership of the country paid to the heritage of folk dance music and to its living repositories. It also reflected the policymakers' resolution to preserve tradition and construct upon that very tradition new socialist dance music. In this respect, the first national festival was a successful happening that accomplished its historical purpose.Nevertheless, if we re-examine and re-evaluate that episode from the perspective of the development of all Chinese arts during the 20th century - i.e. by considering it a central link in the chain of events whereby 20th century Chinese traditional music and professional music influenced each other, and the process "from tradition to modernity" occurred - we shall discover that its significance and bearing on Chinese dance music during the second half of the 20th century went beyond the intentions of its promoters. One basic reason is that most of the participants in the festival were folk dancers who had already gained a certain professional status and were well-established and brilliant masters. In the wake of the festival, a large group of them was assimilated in professional performing troupes and academies. It was this "great shift" of folk performers that deeply enriched the panorama of Chinese dance music in the second half of the 20th century.The present dissertation is based on a comprehensive collection of the historical material regarding the festival. It provides a detailed description of the sequence of the festival, as well as the changes in the lives of people and the events that occurred as a result of it. The author discusses in depth the main cultural background against which the festival originated, and appraises the historical position and significance of this happening that was set in motion as an "action of the government" with a "folk" title. The ultimate purpose is to borrow the "lens" of history so as to critically evaluate the pros and cons, the benefits and the losses of the policy called Preservation Plan of Folk Cultural Heritage that is currently gaining widespread support.