Thai Contemporary Dance

Thai contemporary dance is the fusion of various dance forms and has evolved in Thai society in accordance with Western influences on Thai culture. This qualitative research examines the background, style and form of contemporary dance in Thailand in order to determine a model for future creation of dance. The investigation identifies four distinct periods in the history of Thai contemporary dance that have seen three clear style concepts emerge: dance based on popular literature, dance based on social experience and original artistic creations. There are four steps in dance creation that influence the overall choreographic creation, which are input, process, output and outcome. Thai contemporary dance depends on social conditions, the economy, politics and industry, as well as the important factors of choreographer, audience and inheritor. This research concludes that, for successful construction of Thai contemporary dance in the future, the choreographers must constantly invent, develop or establish quality individual creative concepts and methods that can be used to attract the interest of an ever-changing audience.