As I look through my handbook and modules it raises the question to me; how does technology effect the professional dance world?
As the life of being a professional dancer is very much a public lifestyle, (by that I mean that we are judged on what we portray with our bodies to an audience) it makes sense that increasing your performance to a digital and much larger audience is a smart move and one that is necessary in broadening the dance world and making it more public, as well as your own personal dance profile. There are many different platforms that are useful for doing this such as Network Dance, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter and Facebook.
I think as a dancer or any performer in the arts it is very important to have a presence among some form of social media. Whether that be a member of a dance network such as Network Dance or having your own personal following on a larger scale on a platform like Twitter or Instagram. Not only does it open up further opportunities to get a job somewhere else in the world but it can also open some form of financial security like a private sponsor or a sponsorship from a brand like Freed, Bloch or Yumiko.
When thinking about exposure through footage, Youtube would probably be the most efficient platform to promote yourself as a dancer. If we think back 30-40 years then the amount of exposure for the arts purely through technology was a lot less and a lot less accessible by the general public. Current technology makes it easy to capture something spare of the moment, but in this day and age where we are being recorded more and more the likelihood that a moment will be captured is significantly higher than 30-40 years ago. So for example if tomorrow in class I happen to do something cool and it happens to be recorded which is very possible with the ease of capturing footage that is with a phone or tablet device, the likelihood of hundred of people seeing it is made possibly purely through technology alone.
With all the good, does come some bad. With technology being so accessible it is very easy for a bad moment to be captured and broadcast as well as good. I think probably one of the most damaging things to a dancers career is his or her reputation. With technology, you can literally be one click away from ruining your career. My first break at the Theatre I am working with came through a social media mess up by a fellow dancer. It involved him writing profanities on a public Facebook profile which ended up getting him taken out of the piece and leaving me 3 days to learn a full neo-classical ballet.. needless to say it was stressful but luckily I prevailed and it helped me with roles later to come as I quickly became the dancer who can "learn material quickly"
The internet is a massive tool for not only dancers but for choreographers and directors too. Directors can hold auditions for their company and make it completely accessible just through the power of a computer. Choreographers can post videos or pictures of some of their work on a social media platform that could lead to future employment. The list is endless of just how beneficial technology is to our profession. Not only through dancing but in a theater also. Using technology we can enhance digital images to make performances better, we can project different lighting designs, like I said.. the list is endless.
I hope that this insight to the benefits of technology has been interesting. The only thing that we can hope for is more. A larger following, a bigger interest from the general public towards dance and arts and more exposure across mainstream media and Television to promote the arts and especially dance in the future.
Hi Lawrence,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting read. I would love to see The Arts more exposed through mainstream media!
Over the last couple of years I have noticed on my own Facebook that there are more posts about The Arts and how many Artists there are out there that I would never have had contact with in the past. Web 2.0 platforms have given all artists the ability to speak and be heard rather than just being represented by a union. Not everybody joins a union but I think it is safe to say that most people are on social media and with blogs, Facebook, google+, etc., it has given artists a platform to express themselves in another way, not just with their art but with a voice that can become very loud depending on how many shares you get and followers you have. Web 2.0 has given the public a way to force change. One of the benefits of online polls compared to door to door polls, is time. A poll can be quickly conducted and signatures collected and sent off to the council or government in far less time. It can be seen by a much wider audience through social media and gives a wider range of participation. We are able to connect with so many more people.
For dancers, there are definite benefits to being able to advertise yourself as you have already had experience of. However, as your predecessor discovered to his disadvantage, it gives one a great deal of responsibility to make sure that one is always seen in a favorable light. People are now being judged on how they behave in private rather than judged on their ability to do the job. Is it really private if one is allowing it to be displayed on public profiles? If a person is willing to put things up publicity then we can't really expect to not be judged for it, can we?
Nora :)
thanks both - good conversation about this topic - promotional work and personal lives are both now online - but perhaps the 'employers' and the audiences need to have better skills to be able to see the difference? The points are far in your blog Lawrence - broadcasting has taken on a new meaning - live television 24/7. Large followings hold a respect but also perhaps a suspicion for professional without a following? Can you give some examples of good use of social media?
ReplyDeleteI think some good uses of social media for dancers in particular would be platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Keeping a clip short and sweet on facebook or YouTube could quickly show an audience something impressive and engage them in dance, even if for just 10 seconds.
ReplyDeleteI think because dance doesn't have a huge platform like football or other sports it is much more difficult to show the world professional dance of any kind. Lucky in Estonia the Theater is held in high regards so dance will be shown in the cinema and on billboards around town promoting dance and the theater to everyone in town.