Dancing with Phones: The Good, The Bad, and the Journey

I've talked about this a lot on social media, so I chose to delve deeper into the topic in a blog post: phones in dance class. At first glance, you might think I'm just a bit of a Moaning Myrtle or seem a bit old-fashioned. However, make sure to read all the way to the end before deciding if I'm just out of touch!

Back when I was training, we didn't have our phones in the studio at all, it was class etiquette to leave them in the changing rooms. (So perhaps this is where my phone bias was born). We maybe filmed routines, but that would be in our break time and not in class time. It was considered rude to bring your phone into the studio. Your time in the studio, was your time to escape from the world. Yet now, we can't seem to escape our phones. Social media, especially during the times of COVID and endless lockdowns, ramped up our fascination with filming dances on phones. With the rise of TikTok, or Musical.ly as it was originally called, a new generation of dancers was born.

At Charlie Cooper Dance, we film one run-through at the end of class for recapping purposes for the following week. Our monthly schedule allows for a filming session on week four of the month where dancers can film in small groups or solos should they wish. Sometimes I can't help but think, 'Am I missing a trick by not having more filming in class?' I see other dance schools posting snippets of classes, funny moments, and badass routines every single week. I can't help but feel awkward and even guilty for the few times I have done this. Why guilty, you might ask? I guess I feel that if I am filming content for socials and advertising, am I really being fully present for the dancers in front of me? On the flip side of that, by having phones in class, how present are the dancers being? Do they scroll on their phones when they have a quick drink of water? Are they fully engaged in the room? I have been on a job before where a dancer received an unwanted message during rehearsal. The dancer read the message on a water break, it then became very hard for that dancer to focus, and almost caused an injury to themselves doing a lift. In this case, the presence of the phone, took away the presence from the person.

Let's move on to the good things about having phones in class from the perspective of a dancer taking part. You get to track your dance journey! This is so important for a lot of people. You begin to see confidence grow and their aura seems to glow that little bit more. That nervous posture disappears and the chest begins to lift. Dancers feel a real sense of pride when they look back and see how far they have come. Dancers are then able to share their journey on social media, sometimes this leads to finding fellow dancers in the same position. This then leads to adopting new followers and forming new friendships. Let's not forget how empowering it feels watching your videos back and seeing how amazing you are! What I love about filming week at CCD is seeing the dancers offering to film each other, you can see new friendships forming. Filming week allows for the dancers to really own the space and be celebrated in that space. Some dancers really look forward to filming week, the confidence and pride hits different. You hear the roar in the room at the end of the routine, and that roar is then caught on camera for the dancer to always be able to reflect on. Nothing beats having a room full of people who are supporting you and encouraging you. Surrounded by people who genuinely want to see you win.

To summarize my rambling thoughts, I believe that there is space for phones in a dance class, as long as it is partnered with presence from all parties. Not allowing the pressure of filming, take away from us truly being in the moment. Not pinning the whole class success on whether you nail the routine perfectly on camera. Your success isn't measured by one singular moment. Dance is about the journey.

Week Four - An opportunity to film at Charlie Cooper Dance