A STUDY ON THE CULTURAL REPRESENTATION AND INTEGRATION MECHANISM OF DANCE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE ZHUANG AND HAN NATIONALITIES IN THE NANLING CORRIDOR

Abstract

This study aimed to: (1) examine the cultural representation and integration forms of Zhuang-Han dance interaction in the Nanling Corridor through five representative dances, including Qilin Dance, Tea-Picking Dance, Huapo Dance, Dragon Dance, and Fire Cat Dance; (2) analyze the person–behavior–environment interaction mechanisms underlying Zhuang-Han dance integration based on Triadic Reciprocal Determinism; and (3) identify the comprehensive integration mechanisms of Zhuang-Han dance interaction and their relationship with cultural convergence and shared cultural identity. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining field observation, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaire surveys. Data were collected through more than 10 field observations and four rehearsal participations in representative areas of the Nanling Corridor, interviews with intangible cultural heritage inheritors, dancers, experts, and local cultural practitioners, as well as questionnaires measuring perceptions of dance integration and cultural identity. Qualitative data were analyzed through comparative case analysis, while quantitative data were used to supplement the interpretation of cultural integration patterns. The results showed that: (1) the five representative dances demonstrated five distinct integration forms: symbol extension and local reconstruction, agricultural cultural interaction, social function expansion, physical integration under cultural identity, and cultural vocabulary transplantation; (2) Zhuang-Han dance integration was formed through continuous interaction among individual cognition and physical habits, dance performance behaviors, and geographic, economic, and socio-cultural environments; and (3) the comprehensive mechanism of dance integration followed a dynamic process of contact, selection, adaptation, and reconstruction, indicating that cultural integration occurs through interaction rather than one-way assimilation.