Innovation of Dance

Dance is interesting, since it's an art form and also at the same time a mode of communication. Art is used to express emotions, which the movement is able to communicates to the audience to hopefully allow them to feel something during and after watching the piece. Dance is also constantly and frequently in the media, using platforms such as film, movies, commercials and early videos of performances to help share the art form. Using Rogers's Diffusion of Innovations (or Ideas), we can visualize the explosion of dance in our culture as well as the media. 

The exploratory era on the timeline would consist of dance pioneers such as Doris Humphrey, Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. These individuals helped to shake up the world of dance and pioneer the weird and different dance styles that led to new genres, such as modern, contemporary, and most recently hip hop. Another exploratory element of dance in media would be social dances, including phenomenon such as the whip, nae nae, crank that, Charleston, and the floss. Society tends to catch on to these dances and use them at many social gatherings, such as formal events, weddings, school dances, and even just walking down the street fooling around. 

Exposure also played a key role in expanding the dance world, with many dancers flocking to television shows such as Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance in hopes of catching the attention of the public through media to make it big. Examples of this include tWitch and Travis Wall who are now headlining choreographers. 

The uptake or ascent era consisting of early adopters and early majority of the idea would involve creators like Matt Steffanina uploading tutorials to YouTube and Instagram, giving wannabe dancers the chance to bust a move just like the professionals they've seen on TV. Other shows such as World of Dance, America's Best Dance Crew, and Dance Moms have also catapulted numerous dancers to fame such as Maddie Ziegler, The LAB, and many more. 

I would say that the tipping point for dance in media hasn't happened yet, but it could be the emergence of dance in other social medias, such as Insatgram, Tik Tok, and YouTube. All of these platforms provide the tutorial aspect so anyone can learn how to dance simply by following the videos posted.

Another peak for the dance explosion in today's media would be online classes, some of which are streamed and then posted to different platforms or membership sites. These membership sites include Steezy Studios and CLI Studios, making it easier than ever to learn routines from top notch choreographers at your own pace. Steezy specializes in hip hop, while CLI is more contemporary and technique based each attracting their own flock of dance fanatics.

This wave of media caught on because dance is a great form of exercise and therapy at once, with people expressing themselves by moving their body in a particular way. Once dance went mainstream, people began to explore these ideas more and share their ideas, expanding the world of dance to many more people than it had previously. So many people really liked dance because it meant something different to each of them, and they also had individual reasons for performing. The only downside that I can see for dance in the media is that the toxic aspect of the internet can really dampen the safe creative atmosphere that dance fosters, deviating it from its roots and original purpose of sharing experiences with others.