Communicating the Identity of Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University Through the Creation of Thai Dance Costumes for the Performances “Chui Chai Rajanagarindra”

Abstract

      The research entitled the Communicating the Identity of Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University Through the Creation of Thai Dance Costumes for the Performances “Chui Chai Rajanagarindra” aimed  to: 1) Investigate the institutional identity of Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University as reflected in the lyrics of Chui Chai Rajanagarindra; 2 ) Create costume designs for the Thai dance performance entitled  Chui Chai Rajanagarindra; and 3) Examine the effectiveness of costume design in communicating the university’s identity through Thai dance performance. The findings revealed that the song Chui Chai Rajanagarindra conveyed the university’s identity across three dimensions: 1) The historical and prestigious dimension, which conveys the university’s origins, development, and the royal benevolence through the bestowal of the name “Rajanagarindra”; 2) The socio-cultural dimension, which represents the role of Rajabhat universities in local development, cultural preservation, and serving as an academic center of Chachoengsao Province; and 3) The organizational image and spirit dimension, which
expresses pride, attachment, and the institutional ideology shared among university personnel and students through symbolic lyrics and traditional Thai musical melodies. The results of the creative costume design for the Thai classical dance performance Chui Chai Rajanagarindra revealed that the finalized performance costume successfully integrated cultural and artistic elements with the university’s identity through the use of colors, costume forms, decorative patterns, and symbolic motifs associated with Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University. The design was developed under the concept of preserving Thai classical dance aesthetics while simultaneously communicating the university’s institutional image. The costumes demonstrated elegance in accordance with the principles of Thai classical dance and were suitable for welcoming ceremonies, formal occasions, and important university events. The evaluation of the effectiveness of communicating the identity of Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University through the costumes of the Thai classical dance performance Chui Chai Rajanagarindra indicated that 9 out of 12 evaluation items—including floral ear ornaments and garlands, shawl patterns, shawl colors, textile patterns, textile colors, accessories, and the overall costume appearance—were rated at the “very good” level, accounting for 75 percent. Meanwhile, 3 items—namely head ornaments, collar patterns, and collar colors—were rated at the “good” level, accounting for 25 percent. These findings reflect that the costume design was highly effective in appropriately conveying the identity of Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University as represented in the song Chui Chai Rajanagarindra.