Chengwu Guo Ballet
By Danielle Brown
Published in Print Jan 2025 order now!
Chengwu Guo, Principal Artist with The Australian Ballet, is a celebrated dancer whose journey from China to the world stage has been nothing short of inspiring. Beginning his dance training at the age of eleven, Chengwu quickly rose through the ranks, earning recognition for his talent and dedication. He won gold at the Tao Li Bei of China Competition and the Beijing International Competition before achieving a major milestone in 2006 with a prize at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne. This victory granted him a full scholarship to The Australian Ballet School, where his exceptional abilities flourished. After joining The Australian Ballet in 2008, Chengwu’s career soared, earning him the title of Principal Artist in 2013.
In addition to his dazzling performance career, Chengwu, alongside his wife and fellow Principal Artist, Ako Kondo, has embarked on a new venture: Chengwu Guo Ballet. Together, they are reshaping ballet education through their innovative philosophy, focusing not only on the body but also on the mind. Eschewing the traditional, rigid focus on physical shapes, Chengwu and Ako emphasise teaching the brain first, allowing the body to naturally follow. This dynamic artistic couple is passionate about connecting professional dancers with students, sharing their wealth of experience, and challenging the old-school methods of teaching.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chengwu Guo during his recent masterclasses at the Tanya Pearson Arts Centre in Sydney, where he and Ako introduced their fresh approach to Sydney dancers.
What makes your teaching philosophy different from traditional training methods?
Chen: It’s so important to stop thinking about just the body and whether someone has the right facility for dance. I always tell students the end goal—whether you’re going to be a professional dancer or not—doesn’t matter. What matters is your individual growth and enjoyment. Our approach is about functionality and practicality. If you’re using the correct muscles and the right movements, you’re doing it right. That’s what I judge—not whether you look like an ideal dancer. I want students to go home inspired, not discouraged. The goal is to make them think, to give them the information they need to explore and have their own breakthroughs. When they come to class, they bring their goals, and we work together to achieve them. If they don’t have a goal, that’s okay too. My goal is simply to make them better.
How has your personal experience shaped your perspective on body image in ballet?
Chen: I’ve lived through the challenges of not having the ‘ideal ballet body.’ When I was selected for my class, I was chosen out of 20,000 people, but I had the ‘worst body’ in my group. My ballet scores were always very low. By the beginning of my third year of training, I decided to get serious and push myself to improve, even though I didn’t know exactly how. I made progress with what I had. My feet, for example, weren’t great initially, but now they’re much better than before. However, I’ve also learned that good feet, while important, aren’t everything. Perseverance and using what you have to grow are far more critical. I’m living proof that you don’t need the perfect body to succeed in ballet.
Why do you believe it’s important to focus on training the brain as well as the body in dance education?
Chen: This is one of the main reasons I wanted to start Chengwu Guo Ballet —to help dancers train their brains, not just their bodies. Simply training the body will go nowhere if the brain isn’t involved. I can’t tell your body what to do; I can only guide your brain to form a plan, and then your brain tells your body. If we bypass the brain—the master—and go straight to the body—the servant—it’s ineffective. The servant will falter without the master’s guidance. I bring this idea into my classes to encourage dancers to think and talk. I hate it when teachers shut down discussions by saying, ‘No, stop talking.’ They miss the point—those five minutes of discussion can solve issues that might otherwise take an hour of training. It makes the process smoother and more efficient. When dancers are given freedom and options, they start thinking creatively. They begin asking, ‘What else can I do? Are there other ways?’ That’s how the human mind works. When students start thinking and talking, I encourage it—I want to know what they’re discussing. Sometimes their insights are so valuable that they make the process even more efficient. That’s exactly what I’m aiming for: to get them thinking and collaborating in a way that improves their growth as dancers.
How do you think the traditional mindset around who can or cannot do ballet needs to evolve, and what changes would you like to see in the approach to ballet as an art form?
Chen: I do believe things need to change from this point onward. It’s been too much of the same—this idea of ‘you can do ballet’ or ‘you cannot do ballet.’ It’s simply been too rigid. It’s time to flip that perspective and rethink what ballet truly is. Ballet is an art form that anyone can take up. It’s not something for others to decide on behalf of someone else.
How do you balance allowing students the freedom to chat and explore while ensuring they don’t miss essential information in class?
Chen: From my own experience, I see that some of the younger dancers, around the age of 10 to 12, are very active and love to chat. I’m like, ‘What are you talking about? I want to hear.’ Even if it’s just one little sentence, I think it’s lovely, so I encourage them to chit-chat. But when I’m giving information, sometimes they get distracted and miss it. And that’s okay. I don’t want to force them to listen. I let them be, and then something interesting happens. One of the students, all of a sudden, separates herself and starts listening, while the others are still chatting. Over time, that student starts to improve, and the others realise, ‘Hey, my friend is getting better, and I’m not.’ That’s when they start to understand why it’s important to focus. My message is simple: If you want to learn, I’m here to help. If you don’t, that’s okay too. No pressure. This is the agenda Ako and I both believe in: teaching the brain, not the body.
How do you plan to address the growing demand for your classes as the numbers continue to increase?
Chen: I’ve been thinking about this from the beginning. I think our numbers are growing significantly, and we probably need to invite more teachers. First, I’d involve more principal dancers for people who want to meet them. I think that would be lovely—a good first step. Our company dancers, interestingly, also show interest in this area. But because they only have one Sunday, they want to rest. I totally understand that. But when they’re asked to teach, they feel valued, and they do want to share their knowledge. So I feel, why not combine our resources—the professional industry and the broader market? Every person who comes to teach would need to have a conversation with us. We’d tell them exactly what we talked about today so they know where we’re coming from and what we believe in. It’s so important to nurture people’s brains, not just their bodies. That’s why when we engage with professionals, we have to help them understand that teaching is a different identity compared to performing.