A. Dance / C. Music · Music and Dance

Dance: How Pop Culture and the Media Shape Dance

A3.2 A2.1 A2.3About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can identify where I see dance in pop culture and the media.
I can describe how the media influences which dances I know, understand and appreciate.
I can explain how camera work and editing change the way a dance looks.
I can think critically about credit, stereotypes and body image in dance media.

Words to know

pop culture
Popular culture: the music, shows, games, trends and dances that many people enjoy and share at a certain time.

media
Ways of sharing information and entertainment with many people, such as TV, movies, websites, social media, video games and ads.

viral
Spreading very quickly online as many people share it.

credit
Naming the person who created something.

editing
Choosing, cutting and joining pieces of video to make a finished video.

stereotype
An oversimplified idea about a group of people that is not true of everyone in the group.

Remember from Grade 5

In Grade 5 you saw how hip hop dance spread into music videos, ads, video games and even the Olympics. You learned that dance influences popular culture.

This year you'll look at it the other way around: how pop culture and the media influence us, our awareness (which dances we know about), our understanding (what we think dance is), and our appreciation (which dances we value).

Where do you see dance?

Think about the last week. You might have seen dance in:

short videos and dance challenges on social media,
music videos and concerts,
TV dance competitions and talent shows,
movies, including animated films,
video games (dance games and characters' victory dances, often called emotes),
ads for phones, drinks, cars or clothes,
sports: halftime shows, cheerleading, celebrations after a goal.

Now think: which dances did you not see? Maybe ballet, Bharatanatyam, Métis jigging or contemporary dance. The media shows some dances much more than others. That shapes what we think dance is.

The media can...	Example	Question to ask
Raise awareness	A dance from another country goes viral and millions learn about it.	Where does this dance come from? Who created it?
Leave things out	Dance competitions on TV may show some styles far more often than others.	Which dances am I not seeing?
Change how dance looks	Close-ups, slow motion, fast cuts and many takes make a dance look more exciting or perfect than it was live.	Would this look the same in real life, in one take?
Forget the creator	A dance spreads online, but the person who made it is not named.	Who should get credit?
Repeat stereotypes	Ads might show only one kind of body or only boys breaking and only girls doing ballet.	Who is shown? Who is missing?

Five ways pop culture and the media influence our awareness, understanding and appreciation of dance.

Credit matters

In 2019, a 14-year-old dancer named Jalaiah Harmon created a dance called the Renegade. It spread across social media and famous people performed it, often without naming her. Months later, news stories told her story, and she finally got credit and was invited to perform it on big stages.

Some dance creators have also complained that video games sold dance moves as emotes without naming or paying the people who made them famous.

Lesson for us: when you learn or share a dance online, find out who created it and give credit, just like you would cite an author in a report.

How the Renegade spread, and how its creator, Jalaiah Harmon, finally got credit. Follow the arrows, then read our lesson in the dashed box.

Camera and editing

A live audience sees the whole dance from one seat. A camera can:

zoom in on a face or feet (close-up), so you notice small details;
show the dance from above or from many angles;
slow movement down or speed it up;
cut between many takes, so mistakes disappear;
add effects, lighting and music after the dance was filmed.

This can be a wonderful art form called dance for the camera. But it also means a video may not show what the dancers can do live, in one try. Remember that when you compare yourself to dancers online.

A live audience sees the whole dance from one seat. A camera can zoom, change angles, slow things down and cut between takes, so a video can look more perfect than a live performance.

Worked example

Example: Let's analyse a dance in an ad

Imagine a sports drink commercial: Fast cuts every second. Young, athletic dancers do sharp, powerful hip hop moves in slow motion on a city rooftop. Loud music. The last shot shows the drink. How is dance being used, and how might it influence viewers?

Purpose: to sell the drink. The ad wants us to feel the drink is cool and energetic.
Elements: strong, sudden energy; sharp movement; slow motion makes jumps look higher.
Camera and editing: fast cuts and slow motion make the dancing look superhuman. We never see a whole phrase.
Who is shown / missing: only young, athletic dancers. People of different ages, sizes and abilities are missing.
Influence: viewers may connect hip hop with being cool and may feel they need a certain body to dance.

The ad uses dance energy and editing to make a product seem exciting. It can raise awareness of hip hop, but it also shows a narrow idea of who dances.

Worked example

Example: Let's respond to a viral dance challenge

A dance challenge is going around online. Let's think about it like a dance critic.

Awareness: Who made it? Where does the style come from? (Search for the original creator.)
Understanding: Challenges are often less than a minute long and often focus on upper-body moves that fit a phone screen. Is that all dance can be?
Appreciation: What do I enjoy about it? (Maybe it's catchy, and I like doing it with friends.)
Critical thinking: Are people giving credit? Are any moves taken from a culture without understanding them?
My response: I like how this challenge brings people together. I'd add the creator's name when I post it, and I'm curious to see a longer piece by the creator.

A thoughtful response enjoys the dance and asks about credit, context and what the media leaves out.

Just for fun

That "perfect" dance video online might be take number 27. The other 26 have a special name: bloopers.

Hands-on activity

Dance media detective

You need: a notebook and pencil, and a grown-up to help you choose online videos safely (or use TV, movies and ads you already watch).

For three days, write down every time you see dance in media: where, what style, how long, and why it was there (to sell, entertain, celebrate...).
Make a tally chart of the styles you saw. Which style appeared most? Which styles never appeared?
Choose one example. Note how the camera and editing changed the dance (close-ups, cuts, slow motion).
Try to find out who created the dance or choreographed the video.
Write a short response: What did the media teach you about dance? What did it leave out? How will you watch dance differently now?

Your turn

What is pop culture?

Name four places you might see dance in the media.

Who created the Renegade dance, and what happened at first?

Name two ways a camera or editing can change how a dance looks.

How can the media limit our understanding of dance?

What should you do when you share a dance online?

More practice: warm-up

What does viral mean?

What is editing?

Why do companies put dance in ads?

Name a dance style you rarely see in the media.

What is a stereotype?

More practice: on your own

An ad shows only girls doing ballet and only boys breaking. What stereotype might it repeat, and why is it a problem?

Why might you feel discouraged after watching a perfect dance video online? What should you remember?

How did social media raise awareness of a dance style? Give an example (it can be general).

Describe one positive and one negative influence of video-game emotes on dance.

Write a strength and area for growth for yourself as a dance audience member online.

Challenge

Design a 30-second video of your own dance that shows dance honestly. What camera and editing choices would you make, and why?

"If a dance isn't on social media, it isn't important." Respond to this statement with at least two reasons and an example.

Compare watching a dance live and in an edited video. Give two advantages of each.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Pop culture and the media influence our ___ of dance.

Jalaiah Harmon is known for creating ___.

Which camera or editing choice can hide mistakes?

When you share a dance online, you should ___.

An ad that shows only one kind of body dancing may ___.

Which question helps you think critically about dance in the media?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Students identify and describe ways in which pop culture and the media influence our awareness, understanding and appreciation of dance (A3.2), construct personal interpretations (A2.1) and reflect on themselves as audience members (A2.3).

How to help at home:

Watch dance media with your child and pause to ask: "Who made this? Who's missing? How did the camera change it?"
Supervise online searches and follow your family's rules for social media; many platforms have age limits (often 13+). The activity can be done with TV, movies and ads.
Point out dance in real life too: community festivals, recitals, cultural celebrations.

Body image: media dance often shows one body type and edited "perfect" moves. Remind your child that all bodies can dance and that real dancers practise and make mistakes.

Common difficulties:

Only listing examples. Push for influence: "How did that change what you think about dance?"
Assuming viral = good or bad. Encourage balanced answers with a positive and a negative.
Not knowing the creator. Explain that "I couldn't find it" is an honest answer, and that searching is part of giving credit.