This study aims to explore the evolution of indigenous performing arts identity in higher education dance courses at a Thai university, highlighting how culturally hybrid pedagogies develop in response to a specific policy environment, regional identities and community partnerships.
The research was conducted using a qualitative approach, including a literature review and a field study. Data in the field was gathered through participant and non-participant observation, and interviews.
The indigenous performing arts program at Mahasarakham University demonstrates a distinctive, regionally-specific form of cultural hybridity. The program actively negotiates between Isan community practices, royal court influences and state-mandated higher education frameworks, producing a recognisable institutional style. Their approach emphasizes individual expression, diversity and adaptability in teaching, aligning with the National Qualifications Framework and societal needs. The incorporation of both global and local perspectives facilitates a dynamic exchange that sustains and creatively transforms indigenous Isan performing arts.
This study offers new insight into how cultural hybridity operates in higher education by showing that hybrid identity formation is structurally shaped by curriculum reform, community engagement and regional cultural politics. The analysis provides a transferable model for understanding how universities mediate between local cultural heritage and national/global educational imperatives.
