Examining the Cultural Value of the Beijing Dance Festival from the Perspective of Cultural Ecology

Hui Zhang

Hui Zhang is a PhD student majoring in Arts Management at the Chinese National Academy of Arts.

Abstract:
Cultural value is a hot topic these days. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the value of contemporary dance festivals, particularly in the Chinese context, and even fewer from the standpoint of cultural ecology. The current study thus proposes to investigate the value of contemporary dance festivals in a Chinese context through the interaction of various participants in a specific network. Qualitative research, such as case studies, semi-structured interviews, and inclusive thematic analysis, is implied in this paper. This paper contains three theoretical innovations. The findings highlight the various levels of network participants and the roles played by those involved, demonstrating that those roles are more complex than Holden’s network analysis theory allows and emphasizing that the degree of interaction in the network is related to the effectiveness of the value of art festivals. Second, this paper suggests that the persistence of artworks and audience satisfaction could be two evaluation indicators for the value of arts and culture. In addition, the article connects Holden’s theory to cultural ecology theory and “political market square” theory to provide a more nuanced understanding of the value of contemporary dance festivals. The findings of this paper are hoped to be helpful in cultural policymaking and the design of other arts festivals.

Keywords:
Cultural ecology; roles; networks; cultural value; Beijing Dance Festival