Social media is incredibly influential, having become an obsession that embodies a generation. As we ponder how many likes we get on our photos, strategically attract followers and essentially rely on social media to supply us with endless inspiration, it seems that this digital platform has forever changed how we share information and portray our inner passions with others.
Allowing us to share our accomplishments and experiences with the world, social media comes with indisputable benefits. These advantages don’t only ring true for general social media use, for over recent years this has quietly transformed the performing arts industry specifically; no coincidence when considering its aesthetic, creative basis. Gone are the days when dancers would queue around the block for an audition, now it seems that creatives rely on finding success with the help of this digital landscape. Your favourite artists, TV personalities and actors all use social media to shape their brand, so we follow suit! Why send recordings of self-written songs to countless record labels or attend dance classes when you can find everything you need online?
This change isn’t all good, or all bad… social media and the performing arts have combined and this brings both advantages and disadvantages to a fascinating industry. My name’s Royston and I’m a singer, dancer, choreographer and the owner of talent agency ‘RnD Creatives’; to shed some light, I’ve outlined just how this has changed the world of entertainment:
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It keeps us up to date with our favourite celebs
From Beyoncé to Rita Ora, MNEK and Stefflon Don, social media allows us to keep up to date with our favourite artists. Before the rise of social media, we relied on stumbling across adverts for upcoming concerts or chance encounters whereas now, thanks to notification alerts, we needn’t miss a thing.
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Aspiring artists can show off their work
Social media is a great space for creatives to show off their work. I personally use Instagram to share videos of dance rehearsals with my followers, as I coach MNEK for his upcoming tour. I also share snapshots from my travels and exciting projects! Without social media, we’d all struggle to get our work noticed!
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Professionalism has dwindled
As a talent agent, I’ve noticed that our reliance on social media has let professionalism dwindle a little… sometimes, creatives think that being ‘Insta-famous’ is the only key to success, meaning they put less effort into perfecting their show reels and accept work just because it’s a job that’ll boost their following, rather than considering the professionalism behind it.
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Is it just a popularity game?
Sometimes I feel that social media lowers the standards of great dancers, and those who might be incredibly talented but don’t live on social media can more easily go unnoticed. There was an authenticity to being spotted dancing in the street or a club, rather than ‘going viral’. What should matter more is your work ethic and the variety of styles you can perform, not your social media reach.
Royston
Royston is a singer, dancer, choreographer to the stars and the owner of talent agency ‘RnD Creatives‘
