One of the perks of growing up in the digital age, is having access to people all around the world via social media. There are no shortage of platforms to connect with people, share ideas and to inspire other dancers from around the world!  While we encourage you to think for yourself, and don’t want to tell you what you absolutely do or not do, these are some things to consider before you hit post! Read below for some helpful advice to help you shine, be authentic, and stay safe and confident in how you interact on social media.

Do:

Think before you post!

Once you hit post on that thought or image, it goes into the internet ether and stays there!  It is essentially publishing to a record of you. So take a breath and a moment to consider if what you’re sharing is showing you in your best light!

Share moments you are proud of!

This is your beautiful life and you are living it, so share moments and events that are special to you!  People like to see other people sharing what they love.

Take videos of yourself dancing!

This seems like a given, but consider tracking your progress through video!  If you record when you first learn a dance, when you continue to rehearse it, and then of course, when it hits the stage performance ready, you’ll be able to see and admire your arch of improvement!  It’s also really helpful to have video while your rehearsing to critique yourself and make corrections to your alignment, spacing, timing, etc.! (whether you post the videos or not is completely up to you!)

Shine your best self forward!

This doesn’t mean being fake or artificial, as you want to be as true to yourself as you can be when you post.  This means if you’re having a bad day and think you may be able to connect with others on your feelings, don’t be afraid to share.  However, you do want to think of how you’ll feel about your post the next day when your mood may have passed.  When in doubt, wait ten minutes before you post, especially if you’re feeling extra emotional.  (Express those feelings through your dance in class or at home!)

Spread the love!

Share other dancers, creators, musicians, art, people who inspire you!  You never know who may connect with your share and be inspired, in turn.  Plus, that person may be touched that they have an impact on you! Just be sure to credit whoever they are with tags or links to their work/pages.

Try not to:

Compare yourself to others

Let’s be honest, this is really hard when we’re constantly seeing everyone else and what they're doing!  But remember that the more time you spend looking at other’s lives, the less time you have to build your own. Focus on your own goals and dreams and this will help you not to always compare yourself to everyone else.  You do you! There are a lot of beautiful dancers out there, showing off the amazing things they can do with their bodies- whether its a hyperextended leg hold or eight pirouettes, watching them is nothing short of inspiring!  But keep in mind that not everyone’s body is made to do the same things, safely. What’s easy for someone else may be an injury for you! So try not to attempt skills or tricks that are out of your league just because you have seen another dancer do it.

Overshare

While everyone has their own interpretation of what “oversharing” is, we just want to encourage you to think before you post.  No one needs to know everything you ate that day or see a selfie from you everyday.

Post anything you wouldn't want your parents/teachers/heros to see

This goes along with putting your best foot forward.  Only post things that you feel confident with your parents and dance teachers seeing. They will most likely see what you post, or at least hear about it.

Post to criticize or tear people down

We are here to lift each other up!  Posting anything that doesn’t come from a loving, kind place is just bad form.  Remember the golden rule- treat others how you want to be treated.  This applies as much to social media as it does to the “real world!”