Anti-Social Media?
Monday 28th September Skype - Module One Discussion
To say this was a loaded hour of conversation would be an understatement. Right down to our very last minute together this discussion was full of depth, ethics, current major issues and lots of questioning. As I look back over my notes, I realise one blog post could not possibly cover it all, so for now I will focus on just one of the earlier topics that struck a chord with me.
Social Media.
Now, I have never been its biggest fan. I didn't even have Facebook until I was 18 and I still don't have Instagram (not many 21 year-olds can say that).
I do realise that as a dancer Instagram is a platform I ought to be utilising for both promotion and progress - especially in a global pandemic when we are in and out of lockdowns like yo-yos - and it is something I am trying to overcome. More on that later perhaps.
The discussion emanated from the idea of social media creating an online version of you from your data (both what you post and what you engage with), and how this can be used to 'sell' you as a product. As a dancer, you are basically trained to 'sell yourself' - those very words are uttered (often very loudly) to you. Is that not, essentially, what your CV is, what your showreel is, and what you do when you audition? Are we not selling ourselves as a product for rent?
Our conversation covered how it is great for networking, connecting, promoting yourself and expanding your horizons, but moved on to explore the idea of how there has been a shift in focus to how influential a performer is, how many followers they have, how much promotion and publicity (MONEY) they can draw in, and, most importantly, how this means they're more likely to get a job. They are chosen to cater to the audience, the fan base, and please the people who admire them enough to pay to see them. Someone mentioned that this results in art that you're not passionate about making - which begs the question, is it even art?
This truly set my cogs in motion. As a graduate of Northern Ballet School, I am a technical dancer. In fact, anyone who knows anything about NBS knows that they produce technically skilled, diverse dancers. It is not uncommon for them to be spotted in an audition because of this. Why? Because there has been a major shift - in no small part due to social media - in the popularity of 'tricks'. We can also thank shows such as "Dance Moms" for this. Routines become about what the audience can 'consume' a lot of because it is fast and impressive, rather than what they can appreciate or be moved by emotionally - maybe I'm bias but 20 side tilts, 10 walk-overs and a few aerials do not take me on an emotional journey or convince me of choreographic intention. Technical dancers who have trained for years to be elite in their craft and have overcome countless obstacles and difficult days with perseverance and passion (blood, sweat, tears, injuries, mental battles, financial issues, heartbreak...) are passed up or overlooked because someone else has a bag of tricks they can offer, or, as the case may be, they have a huge social media following to offer.
If it wasn't obvious, this annoyed me. So I asked myself why. Why does this annoy me THIS much? Why do I think it's so unfair? Well, my answer might be selfish, or it might the entire point - that may require more questioning. However, my first thought was the recognition of the fact that I was not naturally gifted with the body of a dancer. At all. My natural facility (what everyone wants and what allows for half of the 'tricks' to be done impressively) is definitely NOT a 'selling point' for me, I have a few bones and joints not quite where they should be (just born that way) which create interesting issues, and I don't particularly excel at one thing (eg. turns, elevations, tap). But I LOVE what I do and pursued a career of passion anyway. I worked hard. And I saw in some of my peers who were naturally gifted that they didn't work as hard, they didn't suffer the battles that I had, they got away with A LOT and they still came out on top.
So for social media to come along and not only encourage the 'tricks over technique' culture, but to actively create an 'influence over ability' culture, I question how good this can really be for the arts - and I use the word 'arts' here deliberately because for the 'industry' it is arguably good if it keeps the money coming in and draws an audience.
There are many questions to ask around this.
Am I just jealous because I don't have the natural abilities/facilities and don't have such a level of popularity?
Is it okay for the arts to let "outsiders" and social media ranking determine who gets a successful career over those who have worked without recognition?
Is the issue that the arts actually now HAVE to do this to get an audience in?
How have we gone from your career making you popular to having to be popular to have a career?
If social media can promote my industry, especially in these awful times, and help it to live on through new generations then I am exceptionally grateful for that. My question is, how exactly is it doing it?
Really enjoyed reading this post. I worked as a dancer many years ago and I find it so difficult to imagine being a dancer now with it almost being a popularity contest for jobs. Like you, I'm big on technique and I remember many times travelling to Pineapple for auditions getting through the jazz/ commercial round then the tap, then often ballet. It was only at the end of the audition you'd be asked if you could do any 'tricks' and this didn't mean you wouldn't get the job it was just an added bonus if you could. To train for all those years to be overlooked by someone who has no technique but can tumble or has more followers must be such a mental strain, I can't even imagine!
ReplyDeleteHi Jen, honestly it does feel like a popularity contest sometimes and thankfully there are companies who are looking for dancers/artists rather than acrobats but I do worry about the future. It would be interesting to look at other aspects of how social media is changing "old values" and how new generations are taught to think and present themselves. I'm definitely not against 'tricks' used here and there - like you say, they used to be a bonus not a necessity - but I think technique shows far more skill and commitment!
DeleteHi Roanne, Very interesting blog! I do have social media and have been using instagram to take classes over this lockdown period, however I rarely ever post anything performance related on my feed. My instagram is mainly travel photos and of my friends and family. I think the internet can be such a judgey place and I don't think I'd want to share any of my dance footage online and I certainly don't use my accounts to promote myself. However I know this is becoming and increasingly common thing. I work on cruise lines and worked with an American girl who danced in LA, she told me once that at an audition she had to state how many instagram followers she had and I thought it was the most absurd thing ever! I hate that this is the way the industry is going!
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, I think that is precisely how I would use Instagram (that's pretty much how I use Facebook) so it is nice to hear another dancer feels the same! I agree the internet can be so judgemental and can sometimes do more damage if you were to post dance footage than it can to help you. But of course that's up to the individual! I cannot believe the girl from LA had to state her followers!! Or rather, I sadly can believe it but don't want to. Technical dance is almost becoming its own genre nowadays x
DeleteHey Roanne! I loved reading you post and could relate to it in so many ways. I have Facebook and Instagram, but only really use it for personal use and I barely ever post a dance photo, and whenever I do, I feel anxious that I will get judged. Non-performers don't watch dance videos online and think 'wow that kick was controlled' or 'their technique is flawless'. In some ways I am also a culprit of this. When I watch dance videos on social media, I am normally drawn to the video because of flexibility or tricks. I feel that because I cant do fancy tricks, no-one would be interested in my dance videos. And as for castings, it's so sad that a good following could aid an individual in getting a job, what was wrong with the original way? I also get frustrated by this, however I never felt comfortable enough to express it x
ReplyDeleteHi Alice, thank you for your comment! That's such an interesting point about people don't watch videos on social media and focus on control or technique - it's a bit like how in an exam that is what they're actively looking for but in a competition it's about how impressive it is visually. You could argue that it's the visual effect a theatre show has that is most important, but personally I think that the training needs to be there in order for it to look clean/strong/impressive etc. Perhaps there will come a saturation point when people are so used to seeing all the same tricks that technique and feeling become what is impressive again x
DeleteWouldn't that be wonderful! I have watched so many videos of dancers that are full of tricks and don't do much dancing at all. Despite this, when I look back on my training, I see myself focussing on my technique that I almost lost the sense of what dance was to me. I then had to learn to develop my practice with the performance quality. Ultimately, in an audition, they might not notice if you don't quite pull up your supporting leg in the kick, but they will notice if you're not performing. I believe there is importance in balancing technique and 'the wow factor'. x
DeleteYes!! Completely understand that - I remember a period in college when we had been stripped back and focused on technique so much they started telling us we had lost some of our performance. I had one teacher in particular who told me never to lose it because that was what made you stand out. I agree there is a balance, for me part of it is knowing I'm secure in the steps so I can be confident to perform and add those layers. But the performance is so important! x
DeleteRoanne... WOW! This blog has really made me think. It's difficult the fact we have trained for so many years (as a musical theatre graduate I see this but obviously in a slightly different light). You go to an audition and produce the most technically perfect pirouette and no one batters an eyelid. Someone does a backflip and their CV jumps to the top of the pile... but which one involves more training and technique -.-. This happens the same in singing too! People think the louder they sing and the more the riff the more impressive it is and the technique is forgotten.
ReplyDeleteIt's a difficult battle but one thing I love about your blog is that I can see that you stick to what you believe in! You don't like social media- you don't get twitter, you believe technique is priority - you don't train the tricks. (I know that isn't worded well but Im sure you know what I mean... its late and im tired haha)
It's amazing especially in such an influential time that you stick to what you believe in so never loose that! I look forward to reading your future blogs too x
Thank you so much Chloe! I honestly truly appreciate your comments. I have always been someone who has stuck to what I believe in, and in some ways people who don't know me that well would think that was a strange contradiction of my personality, but I have found that even when what I believe in is massively challenged (and I'm pressured to believe something else) not only do I come back to what I believe in but other people actually admire your faith in your values even if they hold different values to you.
DeleteI can well imagine you see this in musical theatre too. And I know exactly what you mean about singing louder and adding more riff! There are literally years of science, passion and discovery behind technique (of whatever genre) and to throw that away based on how many people pressed a particular button on social media is, actually, as crazy as it sounds! x
Roanne, I absolutely LOVE this post!!!!! The points you covered are spot on (at least in my opinion anyway)
ReplyDeleteI've taught dance for 6 years now at the dance school where I trained in Manchester and the variety of lessons that are on offer to our students is crazy compared to the 3 lessons a week consisting of Ballet, Tap and Modern that I had when I started out. Not only that but the emphasis on tricks is my absolute bug bear!!! I am SO big on technique and believe that it what creates the divide between rhythmic gymnastics and dance. Once I've seen one free cartwheel, I don't need to see 10 more, and if you're putting this midway into a routine with a 3 metre run up from the corner then does it really need to be there? What depth is it actually adding to your choreography? It's funny, I often joke with the other teachers about getting my first walkover at 14 - it was shocking! And I mean borderline handstand - crab - stand up, but I thought it was amazing and so did everyone I danced with or competed against... flash forward 6 months and every single competitor at my next competition just had a walkover plonked right into the middle of their routine.
I've worked in the industry professionally for 5 years now and I can't even tell you the shift in focus I have seen in that small time! Artists constantly trying to outdo one another to pull that focus in an audition room was tough enough but now I feel with social media, this is happening on a global scale almost daily! I see someone in Australia do 5 pirouettes on barely a releve into an illusion and instantly I feel like my clean triple might as well be a single.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and giving me a chance to vent mine!! x
Thank you so much for your comments Georgina!! I really appreciate them!
DeleteI have seen a big shift at the school I started at - like you I started with just Ballet, Tap and Modern (then Jazz when we got older) - and now they are doing acro and all want to learn 'competition tricks'. It breaks my heart. The main thing is they need to understand WHY we train technique, and that is what I try to bring when I get the opportunity to teach them, but at such an impressionable age they just want to impress.
I completely agree about the divide between dance and rhythmic gymnastics!! That is it's own beautiful thing but should not be mistaken for technical dance.
I feel that somehow standards are getting higher and lower at the same time, and the balance is just all wrong. I hope the scales can tip in the right direction soon. I'm glad you shared your thoughts with me on the subject!! It's reassuring to know it isn't just me being old fashioned haha x
Hi Roanne! this was such a relatable and interesting read. I myself, as you know, am a technically trained dancer who is passionate about this art form we are so lucky to be given the opportunity to pursue as a career. I think its great if a dancer can do tricks but i agree in that there isn't much emotional value in them- its more showman ship and wowing the audience. The presence of social media is a tricky debate. On one hand its great for self promoting as a business but there are many negatives that aren't commonly talked about. I feel like we are commonly wowed by the tricks because those dancers have the aesthetics that we all want- 180 degree turnout, long legs, flexible back( i.e the 'ideal' dancers body- which raises the question should there be?). I definitely feel there is a pressure to get your followers up and be know by more people- even casting directors will look at peoples social medias to decide what type of person they are, which in my opinion also is down to constantly having to 'sell' ourselves.
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