CMU School of Drama


Friday, April 10, 2020

Has Coronavirus Turned Instagram Into What It Actually Should Be?

Dance Magazine: In 2018 I wrote an article about how Instagram was changing the value system of the dance world. It took to task the hyper-sexualization of the body's facility, the fetishism of dance tricks. The article sparked an international dialogue and people weighed in, shared and reposted so much that it was the second most popular article on Dance Magazine's website that year.

18 comments:

Bianca Sforza said...

I think that our current population is and will continue to be the most resilient cohort of people. It is one thing to be living during a global pandemic that is killing thousands of people, but it is another to still be productive and continue creating and living as close to normal as possible. The performing arts have taken a massive hit in this time. We are unable to do the one thing that we do, yet we are still finding any way possible. We are overcoming this adversity and continuing to thrive. The dance community has a much harder time than theatrical performances, in my mind. Theatre has the potential to be on a video call, design teams can still design, actors can essentially do a table read, eye movement can be the new blocking, it can still work. But with dance, it can be harmful in the long term on bodies to be dancing on unideal surfaces, most people don’t have proper bars to use, and space in homes may be very limited. My heart is going out to all the dancers of the world right now in this struggling time. I do appreciate how many are turning to instagram as a platform of education in this world of dance.

Sidney R. said...

I think I have noticed more authenticity among social media platforms. I'm not going to say it's entirely changed. Many are still posting photos that seem insensitive for the time. It just feels more positive and purposeful. Priorities are shifted for everyone. This article speaks primarily in regard to dance, but the concept of returning to the core of your art is entirely applicable. Why did you choose to do what you do in the first place? Does this distance from it remind you that you love it, or challenge the commitment itself? For me, I am definitely longing for a sliver of the community I feel in the theatre. I miss the simple staged readings and studio shows, not just the glamorous big-budget productions. From what I can tell from social media, I'm not alone. The sharing of memories and positive thoughts may seem cheesy, but it's thoughtful. When I replied to one of my friend's inspiring messages, she thanked me for making her feel like she wasn't speaking into a void.

Cecilia S said...

I’ve always tried to stay away from Instagram as much as I could for the reasons that the author outlined. Its exhibitionistic nature made everything posted on the platform to be quite toxic. Moreover, I understand why the author says dancers on instagram hyper-sexualize and fetishize the art and the body. At the same time, I feel like many dancers post to look good rather than to demonstrate the beauty and intricacy of the art, and the practice goes behind dance. That extends to beyond dance to every person, but I am noticing that people are beginning to be more authentic on Instagram during quarantine. People aren’t focusing on glamor and looking good as much right now. I hope that we all take this chance to reflect on our purposes in what we do, and think how we can better reflect them, how we can authentically reflect them in our posts.

Apriah W. said...

I'm fairly removed from the dance world so I hadn't realized that there was some controversy going on in terms of dance and social media. Granted, I see posts of dancers online and though, at times, some of it "sexy" (for lack of a better word) I've never perceived it as dancers sexualizing their craft. If they have on little clothing (or are "half naked" as the article keeps on stating), I tend to think that that's what they are comfortable in while dancing and that's what allows them to move freely. When you think about it, most dance clothes are fairly revealing. Their bodies are their instruments and they want to show off what they are doing with them. The lines, the curves, etc.. I think. So in a way, it makes sense to me that they post these things. I completely get that there may be some people who take advantage of that and use it as a tool for lust. So I understand why this may be frustrating among people in the dance community, I just hadn't realize that this was something that was going on. I will say that though some people may come off in that way, it may genuinely not have been their intention. Other people's perception does not equate to one's intent. But then again, I don't feel as though I know enough about what has been going on, so I will leave that there. With that being said, I also appreciate the sense of community that's being exuded through social media as we are all at home exercising social distancing. Many people had known this before, but I think we've all realized that it's not just a place to show off yourself or what you can do, but also connect with others in different ways. This is good for everyone.

Emma Pollet said...

I absolutely agree with this article. Social media is a slippery slope because it is everything but. It provides us with “connection” while doing the exact opposite. Now that we are in a global quarantine, Instagram and its content have shifted. Social distancing has led us to use social media to be more social. People are becoming more vulnerable online, and not in the way that the article talks about--the way people have been virtually vulnerable in the past. Before, people would show more of their bodies or more of their facets that social media sees as a trend. As the author of this article said, “It's not surprising that during this period the tone of content overall has become more thoughtful.” I agree with that, but I can also argue that it has become more thoughtless as well. People are no longer thinking (or at least myself, because I am definitely guilty of posting to appeal to the people who follow me) about posting for likes, and are more focused on posting for connection. And the sheer desire to connect takes a lot less thought than the desire to please others.

Elena DelVecchio said...

I think I agree with this article to an extent. I love the idea of this bad situation allowing social media to become a more vulnerable place. I've also noticed many people being more open and posting their craft on Instagram, which is great. I'm glad people are becoming more comfortable (or maybe, just more bored). But, I don't love the idea of invalidating pre-Corona Instagram content. I guess I'm a big believer in doing what makes you happy. If "posing half naked in window sills," as the author says, makes you happy, then I don't think that's any less valid than other content being posted. All in all, I agree with the concept. Social media being a place where everyone can post what they want is great, which is why I have qualms with putting down other forms of content. I might be making a big deal out of this, but I just want everyone to post what makes them happy. I think that would make social media a better place overall.

Reesha A. said...

Given the present times, social media has been one of the few things that people are using to stay connected to each other and try to feel as normal in these abnormal times as they could be by being aware of the other people's lives. I feel like I am very happy that apps like Instagram are there, because it is one of the few things that is keeping me engaged during these times.
From an industry wide perspective, social media is very useful in helping artists putting up their work for people to see it, given that it is not possible in these times of social distancing. Instagram, in particular, with features like video sharing, stories etc really can help artists to not only present their work but also to catalogue their work from finish to start.
It seems to me like that that is the biggest reason why dancers in particular use this app to the degree that has been described in the article, because it allows them to still present their work and the hard work that went into creating that work.

Bridget Doherty said...

I agree with what the article has to say about the perceived shift in content and intention in current use of social media. I do take issue with the author’s repetition of “half naked” when describing “pre-pandemic” social media usage, especially in the dance context. I think there is some shame in superficiality, but especially in dance, clothing (or lack thereof) should not be used as a jab to someone’s public content or self. Movement of the human body is obviously central to dance, and dancers often wear clothing designed to show off their body and accentuate its movements, today it might as well come as a given to the nature of dance. Social media has become the only safe form of mass communication and disbursement of information, and it is an interesting study to look at how trends in content and intent have shifted with the shuttering of in-person meetings.

Margaret Shumate said...

This article serves to raise several important issues, but my first thought in response is a cynical one: "does this actually accomplish anything?" The author is right that entertainment, and perhaps dance especially, has a lot of problems, a lot of built in institutional trauma. Dance frequently puts thin white women on pedastals, and makes people of color work twice as hard. When people of color do succeed, they are often feteshized. Most of the dancers I know have eating disorders; it seems to come with the territory. And the author is right: this moment is a moment to 'reboot,' and to reevaluate and possibly reassemble the field in a way that is better than before. It's the perfect opportunity for a storybook ending. But articles saying "This is an opportunity to make things better" often don't really prod anyone to actually make things better. Of course, I'm sitting behind my computer writing a comment to the same effect. Maybe it's a necessary step. It's probably the wrong hill to die on. But I do think it's worth re-evaluating what we're sitting here doing. Social media provides us all ample opportunities to observe and comment. The risk is that we become complacent and feel like we've done our part to enact change by commenting, instead of doing.

Samantha Williams said...


I follow a number of dancers at the American Ballet Theatre on Instagram, and I have seen more and more of these live classes popping up over the last two weeks. I admire that they’re keeping to their routines and trying to have a sense of normalcy. I also admire that they are sharing resources and skills that are valuable and normally unattainable by your average human. Any kind of person, old or young, regardless of their economic status or gender or location can now readily access live classes and performances taught and performed by the best in the business. The article makes a good point, however, that this is not to overshadow the fact that a great many of these people and companies are using this as an opportunity for clout/a PR boost. I think it is easy to tell when someone is vlogging because they’re bored and want to share things with the world, or vlogging to end up on the first page of Daily Mail (ex. Kendal Jenner and Justin Bieber tone-deafeningly talking about how privileged they are on Instagram Live the other day).

Claire Duncan said...

I danced for seven years and am still friends with a lot of dancers so this article was really interesting to me. I follow a lot of dancers who post those very catchy photos of them leaping in the streets or extending to high heaven on a beach, but as I have been out of the dance world for a few years now, I never really processed the impact that these visuals could have. I have really enjoyed the influx of dance and exercise classes available online right now. It is really fun to see all these professional dancers out of the refined studios and in their kitchen using the counter as a barre. Even outside of this dance world, this article finds relevance in the newfound connections throughout the world. I think the barriers and facades that normally appear on social media have been lowered throughout this. As much as we are social distancing, there is a real sense of community that has been building over these platforms that usually reward more superficial displays.

Elinore Tolman said...

This article immediately grabbed me because of its title. As someone who embarrassingly spends a lot of time on Instagram, I have been noticing a shift in how people approach their posts. Instagram is a very artifical app made for people to show off their lives, yet with the coronavirus taking over, posts are starting to become more casual. Less people are caring about the look or aesthetic of their feed and are now openly posting their thoughts to the page. Just looking through Instagram’s artists and this article, the artists of the world are also taking a more casual approach to how they post. The art is becoming more accessible and as Dance Magazine said, more educational for those observing. I have a feeling when this all calms down, Instagram posters will fall a bit back into their old habits, but I have a feeling a more positive outlook on education and casualness will be more appreciated and respected on the app.

Natsumi Furo said...

Too often these days, I think what would life be without the Internet, especially social networking, during the global quarantine. Thanks to the Internet, we are being able to have at least a minimum social connection to stay sane. While I strongly agree with the article that this crisis clarified what is important and what is not, I don’t think Instagram and other social media have very much tuned into what it actually should be. As the article suggests, some people are trying to utilize social media as a tool for education and other productive activities. However, I feel like the number of people who react negatively to those actions have also increased. People are obviously stressed out from the quarantine, and they release the energy through social media by unnecessarily criticizing people, who are trying to do their best in this situation, as hypocrites and imprudence people. …Or is this so Japanese? I hope it’s not… Anyways, I am getting tired of those people, but I will try not to become one of them and do what I believe as a right action to take right now in this unprecedented time.

Sierra Young said...

I think that this article is very interesting. I was immediately grabbed by the fact that it had to do with Instagram, as I spend a lot of time scrolling on instagram. I really like this concept that Instagram has become less vain because of the outbreak and I somewhat agree. While I cant directly relate to the dance part of this article, i think there are many ways that social media is bonding people together during this time. Instagram has managed to become a vehicle to show off, whether it's making people jealous that you're in a cool place or spending time with cool friends, it has become and always was very performative. Coronavirus has forced people to go back to he bare essentials of living in many ways, and peel back the mask to reveal how they are coping with being locked at home. Social media has been very helpful in staying connected during this isolating time.

Mia Zurovac said...

I think the way the world is adapting with the works of COVID-19 is absolutely impeccable. I never imagined a world where viruses would put everyone's everyday life on hold and transition to online. I think the fact that we even have the internet and different platforms such as instagram, facebook, twitter, etc. means that we have more opportunities to share our love and talent with each other and inspire one another when we are down. It’s so important to keep hope and to keep doing what we love, even if that means sacrificing the small things in order to make it work. With this virus, it’s important to be strong not only for yourself and your family but your others as well. Having dance classes and lessons via instagram shows that we are stronger than this virus and that nothing can stop up from doing what we love.

Gabe Marchant said...

As someone who spends far too much time on Instagram, I have to agree with what this article is saying about social media during the time of the coronavirus. Like the article said, we have always been connected online, however, now we are forced to make these online connections more valuable and genuine since we have been told to socially distance ourselves from friends and even family. Ever since this all started, I have been truly shocked by the amount of free content that is being published online. Not only does it grant access to unique videos, but it also creates an archive in the cloud that can be available for generations to come. I recall the panic that the performers went through before we had the answers we do now about school and how they were going to do dance classes virtually. I think this article has outlined a pretty successful usage for social media to continue the training and education associated with dance.

Allison Gerecke said...

I kind of wavered back and forth on agreeing with this article and being frustrated by it. It drew me in by focusing on Instagram, and as other commenters have mentioned, Instagram has been very active lately, but the content is less for the purposes of self-promotion and more for communication. Although there’s also a cynical way to look at it too, which is that a lot of the things that people post that people like the author take issue with are photos of things they’re doing and experiences they’ve had, to show off or to get a lot of likes, and no one is doing that right now. No one is traveling to exotic locations or doing photo shoots right now, and so the new normal of relatable content is more natural ‘here’s how I’m living in the quarantine’ and performative communication like the tag stories. On the other hand, I do think the author is right in that a lot of people are actually using this time to be less image-focused and more personal- and interpersonal-improvement focused.

Bahaar Esfahani said...

I am not gonna lie, I am kind of really digging this middle school flashback we're all experiencing on Instagram. I've been seeing so many people just being silly and having fun, no longer posting only photos they look good in (the silly "Until tomorrow..." challenge comes to mind) and now letting their personalities shine through on their stories. I have talked to and made friends with a lot of people I wouldn't have otherwise because of all this. I think since we're all so bored, lots of us are turning to social media for social fulfillment. Living on social media is something I'm not usually a fan of when the real world is out there, but, well, it isn't right now. Overall, as stupid as all the challenges and tags and celebrity live stories are, I think this silly, judgement-free world is one I could get really used to.