{"id":1214,"date":"2020-06-21T20:33:54","date_gmt":"2020-06-21T20:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/online-dance-business-challenges-mainly-money\/"},"modified":"2023-12-26T17:46:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-26T17:46:53","slug":"online-dance-business-challenges-mainly-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dancedispatches.com\/blog\/online-dance-business-challenges-mainly-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Untold Challenges of Migrating Dance Online: Mainly, the Money"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With theaters shut for the foreseeable future, performance artists are in a bind. Many have migrated onto digital platforms, as evident by the abundance of dance shows<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>dance classes<\/a>\u00a0that have popped up as online dance resources<\/a> <\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>in recent months. Some are offered once as a \u2018livesteam\u2019, while others live \u2018on demand\u2019 for a few days or weeks. And a good portion of dance is offered freely, only requesting donations, so patrons can determine just how much they can afford to give during this crisis. The industry has optimistically extolled the virtues of digital dance, but we must also shed light on the largely unspoken challenges of bringing dance online from a business perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo credit: Seng Kui Lim\/ Scopio<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s re-cap. Many hopeful industry articles have proliferated the benefits of bringing dance online. In addition to allowing dance enthusiasts to safely shield at home, the biggest positive outcomes are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Digital dance, particularly free dance, has the potential to give a much larger population access to dance (performances and education)<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lockdown is a prime time to grow the global dance audience, who (fingers crossed) will make trips to the theaters when they reopen and sign up for a stack of dance classes. These dance newcomers will remain loyal arts patrons for the rest of their days, and naturally, pass on their love of dance with all of their offspring and friends. The end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The dance world can embrace technology by creating new work specifically for camera (aka: screendance), and more importantly, the audience sat in front of the screen. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dance artists can continue to innovate with a variety of filming techniques and programs that react to dancers\u2019 movements or represent dancers\u2019 movements in intriguing ways \u2013 like Alexander Whitley\u2019s Celestial Motion<\/a> free Guardian VR [virtual reality] app. The possibilities are vast for tech-savvy artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re interested in the intersection of technology and dance, read our interview with Another Kind of Blue director, David Middendorp<\/a>, conducted just before his futuristic Flirt with Reality<\/a> show came to London.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Virtual dance, performed outside of traditional venues, has much lower overhead costs than dance staged in theaters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A reduced threshold for funding means dance artists (particularly those without stacks of grants and heaps of donations) can create work and chuck it online for the masses to consume. And, as a bonus, audiences will be able to see very diverse works from diverse creators with diverse casts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, there will be an abundance of exciting and creative dance! Whoo hoo.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before you start dancing with glee, let\u2019s re-frame in terms of supply and demand. An overwhelming majority of companies and studios have rushed online to provide digital products and services for free, for donations or for a small fee. The world has shrunk when you can view Bangarra Dance Theatre\u2019s Terrain<\/em><\/a> <\/em>(celebrating Aborginal culture in Australia), Alvin Ailey\u2019s Revelations<\/em><\/a> (about black experiences in the USA), the Royal Ballet\u2019s Anastasia<\/em><\/a> <\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>(by famed British choreographer Kenneth MacMillan), <\/em>Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan\u2019s Moon Water<\/em><\/a> <\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong>(based on a Chinese proverb) and pieces from <\/strong>Ballet Hispanico\u2019s The Power of the Latina Voice<\/em><\/a>, whose work by female choreographers documents Latinx experiences \u2013 without leaving your couch \u2013 or paying a cent? [All of these shows were streamed during lockdown without a pay wall, and this is just a fraction of the available online performances.]\n\n\n\n

While that sounds magnificent, this is actually the first in a list of cons (addressed in the same order of the pros, above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo credit: Stefan Amer\/ Scopio <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. Anyone can post their work online, but with immense competition, not every company will necessarily grow their audience.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can a new company compete for attention when put in the same digital league with the most renowned dance companies in the world, those that manage to attract and retain the most talented artists? While friends are family may venture online to watch the shows put on by their loved ones, it will be extraordinarily hard for small companies to grow their audience in an already saturated virtual market. Ordinarily they wouldn\u2019t be put in the same bracket as the big non-profit arts organizations, since they aren\u2019t located in the same area; but now they all share the same overcrowded digital dance landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is also true of dance studios that are offering classes on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram (Live and TV), Zoom and whatever else. If you\u2019re a dancer, you can probably list a famous studio and rattle off a few celebrity choreographers. And if you\u2019re training online, why wouldn\u2019t you jump at the opportunity to take their classes? The Dance Awards Live event, hosted by Travis Wall and featuring all manner of popular dance glitterati (a handful with So You Think You Can Dance backgrounds) quite nobly requests participants: \u201cPlease remember\u2026 nothing compares to the in-person and virtual training that comes from your local dance studio. They know you best! Please support them!\u201d But this plea\u2019s very existence demonstrates how easy it would be for dancers to drop their local dance studio alliances, while chasing their wildest dance dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Not everyone is interested in digital dance \u2013 and how can we support the additional artists (non-dancers) involved in productions?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may manage to gain a few extra followers, but some of the arts diehards are not going to tune into livestreams. I read a tweet by a regular operagoer almost boasting about how she hadn\u2019t tuned into any of the free videos from the Royal Opera House. It was a while ago, but the essence of her statement was that watching a performance through a screen is just a sad, specter of attending a live performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even those who eagerly tuned in at first will eventually notice the novelty of watching dance from the comfort of home fades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital dance may only remain in the \u2018new normal\u2019 for a reduced population. And, even if everyone carries on watching the shows, what is to happen to all of the physical theater spaces and studios in the meantime? And how can we continue to support the other artists that work on live productions, like costumers, lighting technicians and set designers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. As the digital publishing industry well knows, the number of eyeballs inspecting your work doesn\u2019t linearly translate into profits. It\u2019s essentially free to post things online, but where will the profits come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you bring a business online, particularly an arts-based one, you\u2019ll realize that people feel that anything offered online should be free. Hence, pirated movies, music and television shows. Hence, readers simultaneously complaining about pay walls on respected news sites (like The New York Times<\/em>) and the poor quality \u2018journalism\u2019 that comes from the free websites. Hence, professional photographers reporting their profits shrinking, since buyers head to cheaper stock photo portfolios \u2013 and stock photo companies, in turn, have cut their commissions (like Shutterstock in May 2020 [who only pay 40% of the photo cost once sellers accrue 25,000 image license sales\u2026 and reset sales counts annually] and Alamy in 2018, following their 2010 pay reductions for a huge 20% cut in less than a decade). Plus, there are plenty of free images from aspiring photographers looking for exposure (Pixabay, Unsplash, Pexels).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, as you can see, it is very <\/em>hard to pass on the actual cost of digital art to the consumers, since they\u2019ll usually be able to find a cheaper, decent alternative. (Or a pirated one, whatever.) \u2018But what about other monetization streams?\u2019<\/em> I hear you wonder. Well, I\u2019m glad you\u2019re curious, because I can tell you a lot from experience about the difficulties of thriving in a digital landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Can\u2019t you just, like, stick ads on your website and YouTube page? I hear some people make a fortune on YouTube \u2013 like that PewDiePie guy.\u2019<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right. So, in order to become successful on YouTube, you\u2019ve got to churn out content continuously. (The YouTube algorithm rewards users that post regularly by showing their content more frequently and prominently.) Luckily, if you\u2019re a dancer, this can be dance-related. If you\u2019ve got the creativity and drive to post a short piece every day, that\u2019s super. But your time will get sucked into this, rather than going into a larger more meaningful work. Plus, you not only need to post the dance, you need to market it well \u2013 get people to click on it, remember? And the kicker, you will only earn $3-5 USD per 1,000 views, as recently calculated by Influencer Marketing Hub<\/a>. How many hours will it take you to earn your first $3? And then to duplicate it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can join an ad network for websites, too. But attracting readers takes a lot of grit, which can go into Search Engine Optimization (but you can only write about semi-popular topics and Google changes their algorithms), social media marketing (too much of this will still have the same soul-draining effect as listed in YouTube above, also with constantly changing algorithms) and purchasing ads for your own channels, which is a big investment when your own profits are low. Plus, most websites are text-based, so chances are, a social media platform will be a better fit for most artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, back to YouTube, don\u2019t just listen to my speculations. Read what the YouTubers confess about their struggles in this article by The Guardian<\/em>: Why YouTubers are Feeling the Burn<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018So, YouTube is out. What about posting pictures of yourself with various loot on Instagram? Images are quicker to produce than videos. Plus, you can hawk your own products, too.\u2019<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve read headlines about Instagram \u2018influencers\u2019 making off with thousand-dollar contracts for single posts in certain clothing and posing with other products: accessories, beauty products, smoothies, etc. First, you need a huge audience; and building an audience takes time. (Good looks and a professional photographer don\u2019t hurt, either; and average looks don\u2019t help.) I\u2019ve already blathered on about how hard long it takes to attract a significant following, and I ask you to remember that this precious time is removed from the time you\u2019d otherwise be training or creating art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We aren\u2019t making bank, but we are on <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a>, if you\u2019d like to come visit. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And once you\u2019ve cracked the code to attract and retain an enormous following, you can think about making and selling your own products. It\u2019ll take many meetings and lots of legal reading; but Kylie Jenner, of the Kardashian clan, did it (probably with loads of very expensive help). Regardless, she launched Kylie Cosmetics \u2013 valued at $1.6 billion in November 2019 \u2013 but Forbes<\/em><\/a> speculates she fudged the company\u2019s tax returns to make her company look more profitable than it was. This article in the New York Post uses this finding to explain why this marks the end of the Instagram influencer business model<\/a>. If it wasn\u2019t working for Jenner, who has fame and an incredible amount of resources, how can this sort of business possibly remain viable for others?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Or what about incorporating affiliate links? Amazon has definitely been making a profit during lockdown.\u2019<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, you can earn money from sharing Amazon links when you join their Associates program. You still need a large audience, and then you actually need to get people to purchase things. And, like the stock photo companies, Amazon has recently been criticized for slashing their commission rates. For example, the 8% commission for furniture sales shrunk to 3%, according to CNBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you haven\u2019t come to the conclusion, yet, the bottom line is that making money online is not easy. Sure, you might post a viral video, but you\u2019ll need a consistent audience for consistent income. And, while videos of influencers and marketers selling digital courses on how to follow in their \u2018successful\u2019 footsteps abound, it will take time to learn about the strategies and implement them, all while producing content and trying to make fulfilling work \u2013 while not earning a cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ouch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t have an elegant solution for monetizing online dance shows and classes. There isn\u2019t one. Not in a world where some people live according to one of Jack Sparrow\u2019s roguish, pirate-y quotes: \u2018Take what you can, give nothing back!\u2019 Not in a world where people steal from Little Free Libraries<\/a> and try to sell the books for a profit. Not in a world where people find it hard to assign performing art a monetary value, especially online \u2013 and especially-especially when their own financial situations aren\u2019t secure. (Oftentimes, it is artists supporting their own community!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In acknowledging the extraordinary difficulty for artists to survive their online migration, we are stuck lobbying government officials who can allocate a budget to struggling non-profits and arts companies. It has felt incredibly frustrating, living in an echo chamber where everyone is shouting that \u2018the house is on fire \u2013 do something quick!\u2019 But there\u2019s been very little reassurance for artists from the government. For us, regular people, we can sign petitions, stay connected and educate occasional theater attendees about the plight of the performing arts industry<\/a>. While we’re aware of the dire situation, others may be oblivious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I fervently hope digital audiences remember the joy and relief that dance and theater shows have brought during these difficult times. The arts community graciously gifted the fruits of their labor to the people. Now, the big question is, how will the audience repay them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Difficultie<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Bringing<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Business<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The challenges for the online dance industry aren\u2019t easy to swallow. Had you considered them before? And how do you aim to make a living with your art? Let us know in the comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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