Q & A: Making Connections Between Digital Media and Dance
We all have something that we are passionate about. For me, it is dance. It was a hard decision for me to decide what to major in when I got to college. I chose to major in dance because it is what I love to do. One question has continuously haunted me: how I was going to make a living with a dance degree? During my sophomore year at CSU, I discovered the Journalism & Media Communications Department. After taking the prerequisite courses and declaring the JMC major, I soon realized that journalism was an attractive career path that I could learn to love. I also realized that I could integrate my dance education with journalism in more ways than I thought.
Dance majors are constantly questioned about what they could possibly do with a dance degree. As a dance major and journalism major, I have also been asked quite often why I chose two majors that are completely unrelated. To answer these questions, the dance industry offers a variety of career paths, and journalism is connected to dance more than you’d think. Learning about digital media has allowed me to make the connection between dance and journalism because dancers utilize digital media all the time for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Since making this connection, I’ve been searching for ways to explain my passion for dance, and connection between these two industries to those who are genuinely curious.
After discussing with some of my dance friends about the connection between digital media and dance, I was referred to dancer, instructor, and choreographer, Ashley Shute to receive insight on the subject. Shute is a 23-year-old from Colorado Springs, CO. She has been dancing since age 6, and currently teaches various dance styles at Studio West, Dance Center, and Emmersion, all located in Fort Collins, CO. I interviewed Shute via cell phone and asked her questions that would provide a better understanding about the connection between digital media and dance.
Kaiser: Could you please explain some instances where you have used digital media for dance purposes?
Shute: When I was at PPCC (Pikes Peak Community College), the journalism department filmed a commercial with the dance majors. That was one of my favorite experiences with dance and digital media.
I was unable to obtain the link to the commercial that Shute participated in. However, the PPCC website lists a dance course called “Dance for Camera,” that integrates digital media with dance. A more detailed description about the media aspects of this course can be found here.
Kaiser: Wow, that sounds like a great opportunity!
Shute: It definitely was! When I moved to Fort Collins, I used my connections from PPCC to help me find dance jobs up here. I use Facebook as a social media resource to connect with the “Fort Collins Dance Scene,” which is a page that networks a large part of the dance community in Fort Collins. We post on the page about upcoming performances, and other dance events that are going on in the [Fort Collins] community. I also use Facebook to keep track of performances from my friends that are in the break dancing crew called, MightyrockmoreZ. A lot of times I’ll also find advertisements for other local dance companies such as IMPACT Dance Company, and audition dates for the CSU Dance Department.
Kaiser: You seem to be very involved with the Fort Collins Dance Community. How much of that connection involved digital media/social media?
Shute: It has played a huge role in my awareness of dance related events in the area, and even helped me find dance teaching jobs. As a part of the Fort Collins dance community, I also keep up with the dance section of CSU’s online magazine for the UCA (University Center for the Arts), “The Green Room.” I believe the producer of the magazine is Mike Solo. He does a lot of media production for Music, Theater and Dance at CSU.
Kaiser: This is actually the first time I have heard about “The Green Room,” but I’ll have to check it out! You mentioned using Facebook quite a bit to stay connected to the Fort Collins dance community. How important do you think social media is for the dancers?
Shute: I think social media is important to use in dance because it’s hard to advertise yourself by just using pictures. You can post videos clips on social media which is much more interesting than just a picture. Networking is also a great part about social media for dancers.
Kaiser: I agree. Social media is one of the best ways for dancers to network and communicate. Would you say you watch a lot of dance related content on digital/social media? If so, what styles of dance do you prefer to watch on social media?
Shute: That’s probably 90% of the content I post/like/watch on social media. For the styles, most online dance content is generally hip-hop and contemporary, but I like to watch all types of dance that can be found online. I follow the “So You Think You Can Dance” Facebook page, which has a lot of different styles of dance videos that pop up. I also follow the…oh what is it called? Its called urban something…
Kaiser: Urban Dance Camp?
Shute: Yeah! Urban Dance Camp! They mostly post hip-hop videos, but sometimes they’ll have contemporary, or lyrical hip-hop videos as well. I mostly watch these videos on Facebook. I don’t really use Instagram that much, but if I did, I’m sure it would probably be the same kind of content.
Kaiser: I follow those pages along with many others. It blows my mind how talented the dancers in those videos are. (You can find the link to Urban Dance Camp’s YouTube Channel here to discover why their digital dance videos are influential to dancers all over the world.) The professional, dance videos posted by Urban Dance Camp, and other organizations, are key examples of how dance is connected to digital media. With that being said, how do you think digital media influences the dance industry?
Shute: Well, I think it popularizes different dance styles. I think hip-hop and contemporary are more popular on social media than other styles. For example, ballet and ballroom don’t get as much attention. I think it limits the styles and content that people are going to watch. Ballet and other classic styles of dance do not get as much recognition through a lot of digital media because they aren’t used as much commercially. Commercial dance is way different than classical, or concert dance because it limits the connection between the performers and the audience. I don’t really know how to explain it… I guess it’s like listening to a CD rather than going to a live concert. Digital forms of dance create a different experience for the audience.
Kaiser: So, do you think digital media weakens, or strengthens the value of dance?
Shute: I don’t think it does anything to the value of dance, I just think it allows the audience to perceive it differently than they would at a live performance. I think it adds another dimension to what you can do with dance.
Kaiser: I think that is a great way to put it. I think the CD analogy is a perfect way to describe it, too. This brings me to my last question. How has digital media allowed you to showcase your passion for dance?
Shute: I post dance videos all the time, not necessarily for myself, but for others that I want to share it with. I like to share my passion for dance with my friends and family who don’t dance because I want to get them interested and excited about it like I am.
