Dance

Two dancers performing a modern dance piece.

Dance could be considered the art of movement in the body, usually with rhythm or to the rhythm of the music, using prescribed or improvised steps and gestures. A sequence of movements previously learn can be referred as "A dance," or the music to which it is performed, or an event at which it takes place. It is also considered a performing art from selected sequences of human movement. These movements include aesthetic and symbolic value. Dance can be appreciated by its performers and enjoyed by observers of a particular culture. Dance may also be regarded as a form of nonverbal communication recognizable in other animals; in bee dances and behavior patterns such as mating dances. As time has gone on many forms of dance have arisen and taken shape. Some have died off and others have stayed, leaving their mark in history, art, and culture.

Shortyawards

The Shorty Awards is an annual awards event, which recognizes people and organizations that produce real-time short-form content across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, Vine, and various other social media sites. The Shorty Awards were produced by Sawhorse Media, a New York-based technology startup. Sawhorse also created and ran Muck Rack, the leading network that connects us with journalists on social media. The awards have expanded beyond Twitter to recognize content creation on other social networking sites, including YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, and Facebook. What happens on social media can change the world, create new stars and ignite global movements. The Shorty Awards were the first awards to honor social media, and by constantly evolving along with the medium it honors The "Shortys" remains the most prominent award show of its kind. This show engages with an online audience of millions of people and culminates in a blockbuster ceremony in New York City. Winners are chosen through a combination of votes from the public and scores given by the Real-Time Academy.

New Media and Dance

San Francisco Ballet’s principal dancer, Maria Kochetkova has more than 187,000 followers on Twitter and the company estimates that 11% of their website traffic comes via the 300,000 people who follow them on social platforms. Emilia Spitz and Linda Uruchurtu, joint founders of the website The Ballet Bag and creative studio Lume Labs, have been named among the ‘100 Best Arts Tweeters’ by The Times. Boston's Huffington Theater plans to make time for a "Twittermission" where performers can do a Q&A session with the audience members. Social media plays a big role in dance, even on Pinterest. If you search "Dance" it will bring up many different dancing images. As well as for YouTube, it will bring up a lot of video clips of different styles of dancing. The Royal Opera House in London streamed a segment called "Royal Ballet Live" that shows a day in the lives of the dancers practicing. This was shown on their YouTube channel and got 200,000 views. It appears that Facebook is best for ticket promotions because people access it on their computer, and are more likely to go ahead with the transaction and buy the ticket.

Turning away from social networks, American Ballet Theatre launched a phone app, allowing its followers to keep up with news, performance times, and castings. This helps dance-lovers keep up with the latest news and information the American Ballet Theatre offers.

Matt and his partner teaching a tutorial on his choreography.

Social media has played a huge role in many dancer's careers. Many dancers and choreographers can easily get recognition because their videos and dances can be shared with a larger audience. Many dancers also use YouTube and Instagram as a platform to grow their dance careers. Matt Steffanina, a choreographer in Los Angeles has a following of over 8 million people to his YouTube channels. Matt uses the video-sharing site to showcase his and his student's talents. He also posts videos teaching viewers how to complete the dances in step by step tutorials. Many dancers use social media to draw more attention and business to their dance classes and studios. Social media is a great tool for expanding the dance community.

Social media has been a huge factor in the lives of different ethnicities when it comes to dance. Famous up-comers such as Manpreet Toor has been able to make a name for herself along by sharing her amazing art of dance. Social media has been a great platform to spread the word of one's own or others for the world to appreciate and learn from. Besides allowing the world to experience great performances done by people other than celebrities, social media lets anyone and everyone to learn the choreography and improvise their own way by using the dances posted as a template. Social media has allowed so many talented dancers to create careers out of their passion. Along with the benefits already described, social media lets dancers network and gain tremendous exposure. Dancers can post when they hold workshops for others to engage in which allows the dancer to make money and allows others to improve their dancing skills. Inspiration and insight are shared amongst one another in atmospheres on the Internet such as Instagram and Snapchat. New media has become another source or channel for people to gain knowledge and information from whether that be history, music, art, dance, etc.

Viral Dance Videos

Harlem Shake

The song was released in America by US artist Baauer and is being used as a backing track for the video-based craze. It begins with a lone dancer, usually dressed in a motorcycle helmet, gyrating to the club hit as people around them go about their business as though nothing out of the ordinary is happening. However, when the beat of the song breaks down, the video cuts to a scene of pandemonium with everyone in the room dancing manically.

In the late 90s through e-mail, blogs and bait & switch pranks. The video surpassed 17 million views.

Harlem Shake

The Running Man

The Running Man originated in the late 1980s. This dance is the most popularly known as a street dance. Janet Jackson performed this dance in the video of her very famous song "Rhythm Nation."

The Running Man Challenge

The Running Man (often stylized as the #RunningManChallenge) is a dance fad in which one does a close-armed running man-style dance to the tune of the 1995 song “My Boo” by Ghost Town DJ's. It gained popularity during the 2016 NCAA championships, after University of Maryland Terrapins basketball players Jared Nickens and Jaylen Brantley posted a video on Instagram on March 31st, 2016 of them performing the dance.

UofM players talk to Ellen about the social media dance craze

After the original video was posted by Nickens and Brantley, The duo posted several more examples between April 12th and April 19th, including ones where they did the dance in a laundry cart, a convenience store, and the parking lot of a CVS.

Through iterations of the dance challenge have reached over 4 million total viewers, Nickens and Brantley did not create the dance as many think. The dance has long been a central element of New Jersey club culture, in cities like Newark and Trenton and in neighborhoods across the state. “[Nickens and Brantley] made the challenge, but not the dance. [They] can’t say [they] made the dance,” says Jayhood, one of the scene’s top producers told The Fader.

The NFL, NBA, MLB, sports organizations U.S.-wide, and many others have uploaded their attempts at the challenge. With videos still being posted two months later, this online dance craze has lived a bit longer than its contemporaries.

JuJu on that Beat

JuJu on that Beat

Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCakk created the dance sensation of “Juju on That Beat” They created the dance in five minutes. The song was No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. The dance was initiated by a group called Fresh the Clown in August. On September 7th, a clip of a student from a Virginia high school was dancing to the song. Jeff Vaughn, senior director of A&R at Artist Partners Group (APG) combined with Atlantic records signed Hilfigerrr and McCakk after seeing the video.”Juju” produced approximately nearly $1 million dollars if you include performances, publishing income, global revenue, sales, and appearances.

The Mannequin Challenge

Like the Harlem Shake in 2016, last year everyone did this challenge. The song "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd became viral. Anytime you heard this song, you knew someone was doing the mannequin challenge. This is where a crowd of people you are with freezes in the middle of what you are doing or where you are at the moment. Most sports teams had done it and it became viral on Instagram.

The world's largest mannequin challenge to date occurred on November 13, 2016 at a music performance by Marshmello at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Marshmello is a music producer and DJ who hosted a 3-day sold-out tour. The challenge consisted of over 6,000 people in the audience who froze at the exact same moment to take part in the challenge.

The Floss

The origination of the Floss dance in the game Fortnite. https://www.tes.com/news/fortnite-classroom-floss-dance-craze-sweeping-schools

The Floss happens to be a very popular dance move that became viral in August 2016, when the "backpack kid" Russel Horning, posted a video of himself doing this strange but unique move. It can be described as a very coordinated arm flailing move where you are basically swinging your hips between both of your arms. Both children and even adults all over became obsessed with this dance move, and it has been seen in thousands of videos up to this day. This dance move is also featured in the popular video game "Fortnite," giving it extra exposure and attention.

The Shiggy Challenge

The Shiggy Challenge

The Shiggy Challenge became viral through a social media comedian on Instagram. His username on Instagram is @theshiggyshow. Shiggy first created this dance by hopping out of his car and dancing to the chorus of "In My Feelings" by Drake which was on Drake's album 'Scorpion.' In response to seeing him dance to this song many celebrities participated in the challenge. These celebrities included Ciara, Will Smith, and many others.

Toosie Slide (Drake)

One of the most popular artists in the world today, Drake, released a song called Toosie Slide in 2020. Quickly after, a dance was created to the lyrics of the song. In the youtube music video, Drake dances to his song, and people across the world did it themselves. The lyrics for the song go "It go right foot up, left foot slide, left foot up, right foot slide. Basically I'm saying either way about we slide a." The dance goes exactly by the lyrics from the chorus. This challenge is so popular that it is trending on TikTok, which is an app known for creating videos about new trends such as dances, music, etc. This challenge has brought joy during this tough time(pandemic) that he took it upon himself to make a group of African kids go viral for their moves to this challenge. He noticed it on youtube, TikTok and Instagram it got so much recognition that he posted it on his own Instagram page.

The Savage Challenge

On March 10th, 2020 Keara Wilson posted a TikTok video of her dancing to Meghan Thee Stallion's song "Savage" on her account @keke.janajah. Wilson said that it "didn’t take [her] very long" to create the dance and post the TikTok on her account. The dance quickly gained a lot of views and next thing Keara Wilson knew, her choreography was being done by tons of other people on the app. After the challenge became popular among Wilson's fellow creators, Meghan Thee Stallion was introduced to the dance and ended up learning and preforming it on her own TikTok account. From there, Wilson's dance was used in the Savage lyrics video which was posted on Meghan Thee Stallion's YouTube account on April 6th, 2020.

Modern Dancers & Dance Group

Many dancers and dance groups have risen popularity because of television networks that have garnered them attention from millions of viewers and many of these dancers continue to inspire the next generation of dancers with their creativity of their craft.

The Jabbawockeez

Jabbawockeez

The Jabbawockeez are a world-famous dance crew who first gained fame in their national television appearance on America’s Got Talent in 2006, before winning the MTV Hip Hop reality series, Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) in March 2008. The most notable group to come out of the MTV reality series, the Jabbawockeez were the first group to win and have become synonymous with the show and universally recognized as America’s true best dance crew. The Jabbawockeez dress in their signature plain white masks and gloves to look identical to one another in hopes to shift the focus of the audience from the individual members to the actions of the entire group. Known for their creativity, one-of-a-kind choreography, athleticism and intricate synchronization, each member brings a different technique and perspective to form the original style that makes the Jabbawockeez so distinct. The name Jabbawockeez is derived from Lewis Carroll’s poem Jabberwocky, in which the titular character is a dragon that roamed the “tulgey wood” in the children’s story Through the Looking-Glass. The Jabbawockeez have accomplished more than any dance crew before, effectively transforming the way people view dance and paving the way for new methods of musical expression.

Kinjaz

The Kinjaz are a collective group of artists that continue to explore the creative nature and expand on their talents. Although the group specializes in various artistic talents, they are best known for the dance crew that has made several television appearances on dance competition shows such as Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC) Season 8 and NBC World of Dance sporting their signature masks and ninja-like aesthetic. Their rise to fame did not come from their victories on the program however, they have gained popularity and fame through their unique choreography that focuses on cleanliness, sharp movements, and synchronicity that landed them gigs choreographing for big Korean names such as BTS, EXO, iKon, and NCT Dream. With over 30 members in total, the Kinjaz brand has grown to open dance studios in cities like Santa Fe, Beijing, and Chengdu and has had global success with them as thousands continue to take courses from well-known choreographers within those studios.

Online Dance Programs

Thanks to the development of new technologies and the Internet, people can learn how to dance within their own homes rather than going to a studio.

Steezy Studio

Steezy Studio is an online dance platform that can be accessed on your phone, tablet, and computer. They offer dance tutorials in various hip-hop and street styles and at different levels from absolute beginner to advanced. Tutorials are taught by well-known hip-hop and urban dance choreographers such as Bailey Sok, Nicole Kirkland, and CJ Salvador. Some of the features of their tutorials include viewing sections, switching views (from front and behind), looping movements, controlling the speed of the video, and viewing yourself. They have a monthly plan of $20.00/month or an annual plan of $99.99/year.

Broadway Dance Center

Broadway Dance Center is a renowned studio in New York City that offers classes and training programs in ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop/street styles, contemporary and theater. For the COVID-19 pandemic, the studio had to close its doors, but continue their business through online classes. They offer online classes in every genre of dance through the Zoom conference service. Sessions are 60 minutes long and priced at $12/class. The teachers are from New York; however, they sometimes feature an out-of-state choreographer.

Dance Plug

Dance Plug lets anyone from around the world take a dance class. Not only do they offer dance tutorials, but they also offer an audition plan where you can find job listings for dance auditions and castings. They currently have over 600 classes in ballet, tap, theater, jazz, hip hop, house, contemporary, lyrical, Bollywood, jazz-funk, and strength and conditioning. These tutorials also feature viewing angles, slow motion, section markers, captions, Apple TV/Chrome Cast, and Bookmarks. Dance Plug offers four different types of membership plans: The Enthusiast, The Apprentice, The Professional, and The Master. The Enthusiast is a monthly plan with a rate of $29.00/mont, The Apprentice is their three-month pre-paid plan priced at $80.00, The Professional is a six-month pre-paid plan priced at $154.00, and The Master is a pre-paid annual plan priced at $298.

TMilly TV

TMilly TV is a Los Angeles-based online dance platform that has tutorials from well-known LA choreographers. Classes are available in beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels and in various styles of dance like hip hop, contemporary, heels, jazz-funk, and fundamentals. They have three different price plans: a monthly plan of $9.99/month, a prepaid 6-month plan of $49.99, and an annual plan of $99.99/year. Some teachers of the tutorials include Jojo Gomez, Brian Friedman, Cat Rendic, and Erica Klein. You can even learn their tutorials via your phone, tablet, computer, and Apple TV.

Dance Youtube Channels

As the Youtube Community becomes bigger, dancers flock to Youtube for more audience.

1 Million Dance Studio

1Million Dance Studio

1Million Dance Studio is a dance studio operating in Seoul, South Korea. They launched the channel in 2015. Now they maintain over 20 million subscribers and acquired more than 5 billion views. Besides the Youtube channel, they also run a website. Famous instructors include Koosung Jung, Lia Kim, and Yoojung Lee. The studio also feature K-Pop celebrities in videos sometimes. They were known for doing collaboration videos with Jay Park, a famous South Korean rapper and singer.

Collegiate Dance Programs

NYU Tisch Dance And New Media Program

The Tisch School of the Arts offers graduate students an MFA Concentration in Dance and New Media. This specific concentration offers students "an intensive exploration of existing and emerging technologies." The program provides both technical and artistic training in the creation, performance, and documentation of dance. Some areas included in the research are cinematic dance practices, multimedia performance, streaming media, interactive computing, motion tracking, innovation in dance documentation, and the development of other hardware and software tools for dance. The growing media community at NYU collaborates with scholars and practitioners working in media departments such as ITP (Interactive Telecommunications Program), Film, Integrated Digital Media, Animation, Gaming, and the Music Programs at Steinhart. This collaboration between Tish Dance and New Media is a department-wide effort geared towards helping students use new media to reach a global audience and use media for new creations. This is done through live streaming and multi-cam recordings of all their concerts, courses in digital production and new media, and industry partnerships and collaborations. The students partaking in the program learn the workflows of digital media. Later on, they can apply this in their professional careers as dancers, choreographers, and entrepreneurial dance company founders. All Students have access to performances and interactive projects to use in their portfolios. Some examples of courses students can take for this concentration are Dance for the Camera / Dance and New Media / Dance Science / Digital Portfolio Development / Multi-Camera Digital Production. Mentored independent studies are also available, as well as media internships and fellowships with leading dance organizations such as Gibney Dance, New York City Ballet, 92Y Harkness Dance Center, Lois Greenfield Studio, Merce Cunningham Trust, and the Dance Films Association. NYU partners with leading technology companies and other universities throughout the world. The main idea of the Tish Dance and New Media Program is to teach students the collaborative process in media production. The program was founded in 2011 by Paul Galindo and William Moulton (Faculty members). It became an official concentration in 2014.