Draft:Dance on social media

Challenging live performance: Dance on Social Media for Wellbeing and to Resist Dance Quarantine during the 2020 Covid-19

The time when the Covid-19 virus forced humanity to go into a lockdown was a challenging time in 2020, especially within the dance world. According to Mirelle Flore Chamba Nana (2023) social media has kept in person dance activities alive during the Covid-19 pandemic. With the help of social media dance has boosted people's well being and joy by creating and/or participating in Tik Tok dance challenges and trends. Mirelle Flores Chamber Nana states that dance entertainment on social media does not only offers pleasures of the mind, but dancers offer a wide range of hedonic and eudamionic well being as the spectators are called upon to participate in quarantine dance activities.

Has Social Media Changed How We Experience Dance in Public Spaces?

According to Suzannah Friscia (2020) social media has opened dance up to new audiences and new ways to be an audience member. The technologies of video cameras and recording devices can keep the remembrance of choreographed dance pieces long after they are preformed. Suzannah Friscia states that help of social media and technology dance does not have to be an "experience only" art anymore. Now with Social media's streaming services people can watch performances from anywhere and not just from the traditional theater.

Job Opportunities

Social media can be used as tool to build a dancer's professional career, job opportunities, and offers that come from content views and the amount of likes each post receives. According to Zimányi, Gabriella & Lanszki, Anita. (2020) the number one advantage of social media was job opportunities for dancers around the world. Social media has made communication of music artist, choreographers and dance companies more simple and accessible with direct messaging.

Consumer Dance Identity

Social Media, competition dance and televised dance shows have rose to fame around the same time which has brought competition dance much popularity. According to Heather Harrington (2020) these three things have created the "Consumer Dance Identity". Consumer Dance Identity illustrates the influence of competition dance and its pressures to obtain perfection in the dance industry. For example, Heather Harrington (2020) states that the "Consumer Dance Identity" model dance is described as petite, thin, hyper-flexible, but not to flexible that the dancer does not have strength .Also, Heather Harrington (2020) states that Consumer dance Identity influences dancers to follow social, cultural and gender norms that can limit a dancer's artistic expression. Consumer dance identity affects dancers not only physically, but emotionally and mentally and can cause more harm than good. Heather Harrington (2020) states that dancers today are taking on that identity in order to receive validation from competition judges and the goal to get “likes” and views on content and fame.

How short-term social media fast reduces self-objectification among pre-teen and teen dancers.

The pressures of social media, competition dance and televised dance shows can take a toll on a dancer's physical, mental and emotional health. These pressures can lead into body-image issues, low self-esteem, and long term injuries. Social media creates a bleak illusion that can distract people from reality, so It is encouraged for people to take a break off of social media. According to Roberts, Tomi-Ann, et al. (2022) a study was conducted that preteen and teenage dancers fasted social media for three days. Even though it was a short social media fast the results shown that fasting social media for a few days it increased these young dancers' mood, self-esteem and body image in a positive way.