Do Dancers NEED Social Media to Succeed in 2024?

Last week I was at the Orange Grove Dance Intensive where I helped teach a dance for camera class and documented everything going on with pictures and videos. At the end of the week I got to give a talk on crafting your digital resume with social media and your website that went really well! It was my first time giving this type of talk and I was feeling really good about how everyone was responding to the information, but then near the end one of the participants asked me this question:

“This talk was really informative, but I don’t enjoy being on social media. As a dancer do I HAVE to be on social media?”

To be honest the question surprised me! I had put so much work into researching how to use social media better, I hadn’t taken the time to think about was it truly necessary and how could I help people who did NOT want to use it. So in this week’s video I share some of my thoughts on whether or not I think dancers HAVE to be on social media to find work in today’s culture.

image by Setia Kurniawanto

Spoiler alert, I don’t think you do! Which is weird coming from the guy who’s trying to make content all about how to use social media and tech better 😅. First and foremost I think it takes BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS to succeed as a dancer. However, I do think social media is an incredibly valuable tool that can help you build more of those relationships that doesn’t have to take up all of your time if you know how to use it correctly.

I share my experience with social media, some ways I’ve been able to draw healthy boundaries when it comes to sharing content, and what I think is MOST important when it comes to getting work in the dance field. I’d love to hear your thoughts about this important topic!