Sustainable Development in Dance Education: Building an Artistic Ecosystem in Thai Dance Higher Education

Abstract

Dance education occupies a critical role in advancing sustainable development, especially in contexts where traditional art forms intersect with modern cultural and economic change. This paper investigates the current state of Thai dance education, using Department of Thai Dance, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University (SSRU) as a case study, and explores how its reforms align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study adopts a qualitative approach, combining document analysis, interviews, classroom observations, and focus group discussions to examine institutional strategies and pedagogical practices. Findings indicate that Thai dance education faces multiple challenges: institutional pressures from state policies and quality assurance systems, heavy faculty workloads, declining student enrolment, and the demand for versatile graduates. Traditionally focused on producing teachers or performers, dance education must now respond to broader labour market and societal needs. The Thai Dance Department, SSRU has addressed these issues by restructuring its Performing Arts Creative Project into a three-stage process of skill assessment, creative work presentation, and academic output. This model ensures technical proficiency, fosters innovation, and strengthens scholarly contributions. The study discusses this reform through the lens of the artistic ecosystem, a framework emphasizing the interdependence of curricula, institutions, communities, and technologies. The SSRU case illustrates how dance education can balance tradition with innovation, expand cultural identity through creativity, and integrate community engagement with digital platforms. Ultimately, the research argues that sustainable development in dance education requires cultivating adaptable graduates, bridging academic and professional domains, and embedding dance education within a larger ecosystem of cultural sustainability.