Bawangbian as a Posthuman Cultural Performance of the Bai Nationality Dance

Abstract

Rooted in Bai agricultural, spiritual, and ancestral lifeways, the Bawangbian dance, marked by rhythmic body strikes using a bamboo whip adorned with coins, embodies seasonal cycles, animal behaviors, and cosmological symbolism. The objective is to investigate the Bawangbian dance of the Bai nationality as a posthuman cultural performance. Fieldwork was conducted in both rural and institutional settings across Dali, with data collected through participant observation, audiovisual documentation, archival research, and semi-structured interviews with four key informants: cultural bearers, professional dancers, and community members. Data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns of body-prop assemblage, ecological symbolism, and animistic ritual. Results show that the whip acts not as a passive prop but as a co-performer guiding movement, while the choreography reflects ecological rhythms and spiritual offerings. The study also highlights the role of gender, generational interaction, and digital adaptation in sustaining Bawangbian’s relevance in both local and virtual spaces. This research contributes to posthumanist discourse by demonstrating how indigenous performance practices enact relational ontologies and propose embodied models of ecological ethics. Future studies should explore comparative posthuman frameworks across ethnic ritual dances and examine the impact of digital mediation on traditional embodiment.