Instagram Dance Lessons

During the pandemic, many dancers turned to providing online lessons to supplement their income. I recall taking a week-long series of lessons from a Georgian dancer. She was providing lessons on how to play with finger cymbols. The way she organized these lessons was different from what I previously experienced at the time. This person advertised her lessons in normal instagram posts and request participants to send her a private message to sign up. After registering, she sent me a link to a private video. This was the first video in the series. Each day she sent a new video for participants to view. Each video built on the previous until the final video at the end of the week. During the week, participants were allowed to comment on the video to ask questions. On the last day, the participant is expected to play along through a full-legnth song using the technique learned in the videos. OOnce completed, we were given certificates of completion and were allowed to download the videos.

Using Facebook as a Dance Instructor

As a dance instructor and troupe leader, I often used Facebook to manage the the troupe and any training content that my students may have needed. Facebook was an ideal platform for class communication. The majority of my students and troupe members already had Facebook. If they did not, they eventually realized that in Tallahassee, people rely on Facebook to stay in the loop about events and happenings in the city. So, they end up signing up for a Facebook account. On Facebook I would regularly post class updates and cancellations on my profile. Students and troupe members also often contacted me through Facebook messenger. It was a very convieient way to contact me. I was very active on Facebook through my computer, so they knew I'd reply right away, whereas I sometimes would forget my phone, so it would take some times before I'd see calls or messages on my phone. I also made a private Facebook group just for troupe and student access. In the froup, I created folders for class videos and troupe choreography. I also created pages for class contacts, location, and payment information. I wanted it to be a one-stop shop for all the information they needed. If they couldn't reach me immediately, they could go to the group page for information or ask other troupe members.I Facebook groups also allow members to create polls. This came in handy to receive feedback from group members about group activities or any decisions needed to be made. For example, if I receive an invitation to perform at an events, I would check how many people are availible to perform at that event. I'd then share that number with the event organizer, so they know what to expect. Facebook Groups allow members to share a variety of files including, text files (doc, docx, pdf), audio files (mp3, wma), and video files (mp4, avi, wmv). Users may also post sharable links to videos and audio via Youtube. Posting links to videos in the group gave each member and opportunity to practice at home on their own. I noticed that without access to the videos, the ladies would forget the choreography, thus slowing our progress during each rehearsal. With the videos, they were more prepared, and rehearsal went more smoothly. Using Facebook as a learning platform worked very well. It was convieient for everyone and easily accessible. It allowed to to customize the platform to meet our needs. Best of all, it was FREE! I'm currently not teaching lessons, but if I did, I'd use this approach again... As long as it's free.

Week 5 Reflection

This week, I've been reading a lot about AI. Whether we like it or not, AI is a part of our reality. Since it's release, my thoughts about AI have shifted quite a bit. In the beginning I was very much anti-AI. As an artist, I was very concerned about the ethics of its use and how it produces content. Many of those concerns still linger. Many people online on various social media platforms complain about AI bot accounts or people displaying AI generated content and claiming it is theirs. There are a plethora of issues we have yet to resolve. Though I still feel these concerns are still valid, I have recently come to accept AI and appreciate its uses when done properly and ethically. AI has helped me to overcome hurdles in several personal projects. I've used it to brainstorm ideas and have learned new skills with its help. At work, we are encouraged to use AI to make tight deadlines. It doesn't have to be the boogieman, but only if it is used properly and ethically.

Diary of a Broken Heart

As I am writing this, I am in Sioux City, Iowa. My mother and I are on a roadtrip to South Dakota, this was her Mother's Day/ Birthday wish. So, as the dutiful daughter I am, I agreed to come along with her. We are with a tour group. Our bus driver spoke of how his wife passed away from cancer 10 months ago. He's still processing his loss and teared up a bit. He has 6 children most of them are adults now, but 2 are still young, under 13 years old. His story reminded me of the husband of a dancer I knew. This dancer was a fellow troupe member when I studied under my teacher. We danced together for about 8 years. She also taught a class in our studio. She was well known and loved in the North Florida Bellydance community. So, it was a shock to everyone when she suddenly passed at the beginning of the pandemic back in 2020. It happened suddenly. She was sent on a work trip out of town. She collapsed and passed away alone in her hotel. Of course, her husband was devistateded. He said he blamed himself for not going with her. He was always there for here. Every week he brought her to the studio for rehearsals. He'd sit in their car playing video games to pass the time as he waited on practice to finish. He was there during our performances. He was our official photographer. He took some of my favorite photos, he was such a pro. So when she passed, he said he should have been there. It was in no way his fault, he couldn't have known, but the guilt still ate at him. After she passed, he packed his things and their children (3 adorable kitties) and moved back to California. He said he couldn't bare being in Tallahassee anymore. He moved to the city for his wife. She was working on her PhD and she found work in Tallahassee as a marine biologist. Without her, he had no reason to be in Tallahassee anymore. All of this, I found out on Facebook. Without it, I and our troupe likely would not have found out about what happened to her until much later. Upon her passing, his Facebook page became a diary dedicated to her memory. He'd write about his memories of her or dreams that he had of her. Facebook became a lifeline to the life they built together and writing about her helped to process his grief. Members of the dance community would reply, comforting him in any way they could. To this day, he still writes about her keeping her memory alive.

A Drummer's National Competition

I engage in very niche side activities. In Tallahassee I know only a handful of people who are interested in Middle Eastern Dance or Ballroom. Even fewer who are committed to them long term as I have. Most people take one or two lessons on a whim or out of curiosity. Others quit due to personal or family conflicts. My teacher used to say it has to call to you. It has something that the dancer needs in their life. Going on 16 years, I guess I could be an example of this. I couldn't imagine giving up on dance. It's become an important part of my life. It's a key avenue of self-expression. It keeps me healthy pshysically, mentally, and emotionally. It's just unfortunate that it's a bit of a challege finding like-minded people to share in the joy of this art form in Tallahassee. The majority of people I meet live in other cities. Social media is a major life-line for these connections. Facebook and Instagram allows us to maintain connections and support each other through successes and challenges in our artistic careers. Recently, I made an acquaintance with a doumbek drummer. The doumbek is a goblet drummer that is often featured in Middle Eastern music. Dancers and drummers often connect to perform together during live events. It is every dancer's dream to perform to live music. Improving and interacting with a musician provides another layer of energy and playfulness to an act. Plus live drum solos allow the dancer to showcase her skills. With all of this, connecting with the right drummer is key. The drummer messaged me one day telling me about a contest he entered. Winner gets $50,000, will be featured in a major magazine and will perform at a festival in New York City. I thought he was trolling me, but upon researching, the competition is recognized by major outlets. I'm still skeptical about but contest, but as a supporter of the arts and fellow Middle Eastern Arts performer, I voted for him. He's been notifying friends and acquaintances about his progress in the contest and posts direct links to his contestant profile on Facebook. He's now in the top 10 and results for the next round will bw released on June 19th.

Birthday Wishes and No More FOMO

Yesterday, June 10th was my birthday. On Facebook, I received several messages of well wishes from friends and acquaintances. It really made my day. I normally opt not to do much celebrating. I usually choose to take the day off to relax and reflect on the last year. However, because I will be going out of town for vacation on Friday, I chose to work as normal. An acquaintance of mine who is a friend on Facebook, just so happens to also work in my company. He approached me at work to wish me a happy birthday. I thanked him and he asked if anyone else in the office knew it was my birthday. He thought it was a bit odd there was no mention of it from anyone else. I told him that I didn't tell anyone and wanted to keep it on the down-low. No one else in the office follows me on social media, so without me telling them, they were unaware it was my birthday. They are also unaware of my activities and adventures outside of the office. Until that moment, he only knew me as "Aya", not "Eboni". I know he thinks it's odd and confusing because I go by two different names depending on the situation. But, through the years, I've learned that it is for the best- regardless of how odd it seems. You see, I have learned that people like to create their own stories for other people. When a person sees a photo, they imagine what it's like to be in the scene pictured. It doesn't matter if what they're think is true or not. In their mind, it's real, and it contributes to the formation of para-social relationships. As a performer, my lifestyle is quite different from the people around me. I follow a very strick diet, I spend several hours each day in the gym either working out or rehearsing choreographies. I have two wardrobes, my every day wardobe and my dance wardrobe, I spend a lot of time researching music and the culture behind the styles of dance I do. All of this to prepare for the performances and photos people see on social media, but no one ever sees the amount of effort it takes, just final result- and that is what people judge. As soon as they see my social media, I become a completely different person in their eyes. I've experienced this many times and it seems to be the case regardless of how long I've known the person. I've had friends who I've known for over a decade change after I began growing and improving as performer. I've also traveled out of the country and and have shared photos of my adventures. For some, that was the final straw and they felt like we could no longer relate with each other. Because of this phenomenon, I've decided it is best to not share my social media with people I see on a day-to-day basis. Though social media was intended to aid people in staying connected, it can interfere with the formation of authentic relationships. So many rely heavily on it. For a long while, people would only contact me via Facebook messenger- even if they had my phone number and knew where I live. For some of my friends, it took threatening to shut down my Facebook and Instagram account to get the message across that it was a problem. So when developing new intimate relationships, though it is tempting to add that person on Facebook or Insta, I think it's better to do it the "old school" way. Just get their number and chat via phone or text message- or even better, meet in person. That way each person can get a more accurate idea of who they are.

Week 4 Reflections

This week, I've been thinking a lot about how to build a community and brand on social media. As a performer, I have a very solid identity on social media, thus I have an established audience, However, I have a personal project I am working on and have been thinking a lot about. For this project to be a success, I would have to do some crowdsourcing to get started. I'd need testers and reviews to get an idea of how the public views the product and to identify and areas of improvment. To do this, I will need volunteers to test and review the product. To get volunteers, I need to build trust and engagement on my social media. As of now, my audience very clearly prefers my dance videos and photos. Content other than that gets largely ignored, and that is something I want to improve. In the articles I've been reading about crowdsourcing, and engagement, there's an emphasis on storytelling and I think that may be the missing link. I'm used to telling stories through dance. But I also need to tell stories verbally. I think the question now is what story do I want to tell and how do I want to connect with my audience from here?

Costumers on Instagram

Today on Reddit in r/bellydance, someone from Canada asked where they could buy decent yet affordable costumes. They were obviously quite new and wanted to buy a costume for an upcoming performance. Buying costumes can be a bit of a challenge if you don't know where to look. Many beginner dancers settle for cheap costumes found in party supply stores or in seconhand shops. Those costumes are not meant to be danced in. They don't provide support and don't fit right, nor do they last very long (from personal experience). A few people, including myself, chimed in suggesting to eith visit the online store, bellydance.com or to message costumers on Instagram. There are so many costumers on Instagram these days. Many of them utilize Instagram as a profile and webiste to receive orders from customers. These days, I have three costumers I order from. Whenever I want to place an order, I go through their profile and select a cosstume I want made. Then I send the a message. I send them the picture of the costume, my measurements, any changes I'd like made and delivery info. Once the order is placed, they let me know how they'd like me to send the payment. I quite like this method instead of a separate website. This way, I can follow the designer and stay updated on new design offerings. Many designers also follow their customers and will interact on their posts as well. Sometimes, they'll share customer videos if the video features their products. Both parties gain from the interactions. The costumer gets direct feedback about their designs and see clients wearing them. The buyer gets bragging rights and exposure if they are dancing in the video. Another benefit of using Instagram is that it is free. Websites can be costly to maintain. Though some may argue it is not "professional", Facebook and Instgram can effectively satisfy the core needs of the designers for free. Making costumes is very expensive. When serving a narrow niche such as bellydancers, it may neccessary to find ways to cut expenses wherever possible. Neverthless, Instagram became the chosen platform for many Bellydance costumers.

Night in the Global Village

Back in 2020, the world stopped. Most people, with the exception of those work worked in areas of critical services, were confined to their homes. No in-person dinning, no concerts and events, and travel was limited. One day, I received a message from a fellow dancer who decided to host online dance events to help dancers within the community to connect during a time when events were canceled indefinitely. She called this event "A Night in the Global Village". She hosted these events once a month on Zoom. They were free to anyone who wanted to watch or perform. To perform, the dancer contacted the organizer on Facebook to let her know what day they wanted to perform. They also send a personal bio or introduction, then on the day of the show, the performance would be live streamed on Zoom, Facebook, and Youtube. The dance also has the option to pre-record their performance, then send the video file to the organizer. My favorite thing about these events is seeing the comments from the other dancers and viewers. The audience cheering and sending heart emojis to each of the performers creates a very warm and uplifting experience, especially during a difficult time like the pandemic. Four years later, the event is still going on each month. Over time, it has gained recognition from many internationally recognized dancers within the community. I also know an elder dancer who danced in every single event since it began. She's an older woman who has battled cancer. Due to chemo, she has limited mobility, but still strives to dance with every opportunity she gets. A Night in the Global Village has become a valuable and respected fixture in the community. It provides a way to connect and an opptunity to perform for dancers who may not have many opportunities to showcase their skills in a safe and welcoming environment.

Week 3 Reflection

When most people think about social media, they think of mindless scrolling through pictures and ads. True, this is one aspect of it, but it can be so much more than that. Social media can be just as much about building and interacting with community, expressing your personal beliefs or learning a new skill. It is what you make of it. I know of people who use Facebook or Instagram as blogs. One person documents his thoughts and dreams as he copes with losing his wife. Another documents her struggles with Autism. Another uses it to display and promote an animation project currently in progress. There are so many possibilities that many overlook. The main point of social media is to form and maintain connections between people. What you do and how you do it is entirely up to you. With these various approaches to incorporating social media in our lives, not everyone will show up in the available communities the same way. Some people are producers and some are not. Some are active participants in communities, some are observers. There is no real right or wrong way to show, and I think it is a mistake to assume everyone will participate in the same way. This week, in our class discussion board, there was a question inquiring if silent lurkers are a 'problem' in communities. I think not. Lurkers are observers. People who are taking interest and learning about the topic in question and observing the interactions of the community. This is a natural occurance, and when they are ready and have something to contrubute, they will- but not with force. In recent years, it has been more common to call out lurkers. I recall many Youtubers saying "Hey, I see you quiet viewers! Comment and subscribe!" I feel this is equivalent to calling out the quiet person in a group and saying "Hey! why aren't you talking?" If you are shy or an introvert, you will understand the sentiment. How much of a positive difference does asking that make? Very little. It is more effetive to be aware of the different types of viewers and invite everyone to interact in whatever way they feel comfortable. Some may comment, some will like or subscribe, and some with do all of the above- and likewise, some will do none. But, it is up to the person and all is welcome.