To TikTok? Or Not?

Until a few months ago, when I heard "Tik Tok," I thought of the 2009 song by Kesha, which I never really liked but definitely heard at one too many middle school dances. In the past year, the app TikTok has taken the world by storm. Teens and adults alike are making and posting short videos - the gamut of topics ranges from comedy to dance to virtual challenges to makeup videos. The use of the app further boomed during quarantine, when people suddenly found themselves with an abundance of time to make videos, and not much else to do.

Being the curmudgeon I am, I avoided downloading TikTok. I try to keep my social media use to a minimum (I still have never created a Twitter). I much prefer reading to watching videos and do not really enjoy YouTube all that much (except for NPR Tiny Desk Concerts and the occasional music video). I thought I had successfully avoided the app and all the trends that come along with it.

Since the online transition, I have been teaching my usual Friday dance class on Zoom, which normally takes place in a high school classroom. Faced with our limited space and the difficulty of learning dance through online teaching, I asked my students what they wanted to do. And the answer? Learn TikTok dances.

Out of an abundance of love, I downloaded the app for my students. In the weeks since, I have spent more time scrolling through videos and learning dances than I would like to admit. The app is surprisingly addictive.

On the one hand, my cynical self gets frustrated with the trendy dances made up of the same sets of steps rearranged to various pop songs. On the other hand, I do believe dance in all forms is important and valuable.

The true testimony comes from my students, who say they have been so frustrated with the stay-at-home orders that they have been dancing more than ever. And their medium for learning dances is TikTok. How could I be cynical about that?

Of course, I may always prefer books in print, dance classes in the studio, live performances over virtual ones. However, if I am to champion equity and accessibility in dance as I do, it would be remiss of me to overlook TikTok and other online methods of sharing dance.

In the rapid transition online that occurred in March, I truly appreciated the professors and mentors who willingly and openly embraced technology (and all its faults and internet failures). I realized that I do not want to be in a position where I do not understand technology because I did not made the effort to try. As an aspiring college professor myself, I especially never want my students to suffer because I have spent needless hours protesting a technological advance of any kind.

Needless to say, I'm prepared to teach any kind of dance online, whether it be a TikTok dance or a ballet class. And I owe that one to my students who pushed me to try something new.