Exploring ways to merge the worlds of social media and contemporary dance with Toronto dance company, The Chimera Project.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA AND for the
Chimera
CONTEMPORARY DANCE Project

2. Internet and mobile-based TOOLS used for
sharing and discussing information with people
across space and time.

3. THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGY
 Goals and objectives
 What are your goals and objectives?
 To gain support for the Chimera Project and for contemporary dance, in
general
 To increase sales for shows
 Target audience
 Who are you trying to reach?
 Research what social networking site they are most active on and
participate there
 Time and resources
 How much time/resources can you devote to this?
 Assess which platforms you can realistically commit to on a regular
basis.
 Whoever takes charge of your social media needs to know your brand
inside and out. You really must maintain a consistent voice.

4. THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGY
 Online and of fline integration
 Streamline all your communication initiatives online and offline
 Include the relevant social media icons on all your promotional
materials: posters, personal email footers, website, newsletters, and
even in your face to face conversations
 Measurement and evaluation
 Set measurable goals and review your efforts
 Look at analytics to see what kind of posts or tweets are garnering
the most responses or shares
 Assess what’s working or not and reiterate

5. COMMITMENT IS CRUCIAL TO
SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS

6. CULTIVATE A COMMUNIT Y
OF DANCE LOVERS

7. Continue and extend the conversations
that you have in your of fline
community events to the online space.
• Multigenerational workshops
• Matinee shows for high school students
• Company B
• Pre- and post-show Q&A
• Artist chats

8. BUILD
RELATIONSHIPS
AND ENGAGE WITH
YOUR AUDIENCE
• Respond to questions
or mentions
• Start conversations by
asking questions about
the performance
• Say thank you

9. DISPLAY YOUR
EXPERTISE IN
CONTEMPORARY
DANCE
• Become a resource for
contemporary dance lovers
• Engage in dance-related
conversation online. On Twitter,
for instance, follow the hashtags
#dance or #contemporarydance
• Share simple dance moves on
YouTube
• Link to other artists and dance
companies that inspire you

10. MAKE YOUR
FOLLOWERS FEEL
LIKE INSIDERS
Allow them to see the other side of the stage

11. CREATE VIDEOS
• Of rehearsals
• Of the backstage
• Of interviews with choreographers and dancers
• Of show previews to generate buzz and drive up intrigue

12. TELL A STORY
• Use social media to
complement the story of
your dance. This is an
opportunity to give more
nuance to your story.
• Do something creative in
an entirely new medium!
Approach social media the
way you would in all your
creative processes.

13. OFFER INCENTIVES
This can be as simple as two free tickets to a
show, an opportunity to meet the dancers, or an
invitation to rehearsals

14. SOCIAL MEDIA IS AN
EXTENSION OF YOUR ART
 What do you want the world to know about your organization that
they can’t find out simply by attending a performance? This is an
opportunity to share an authentic experience of your brand.
 Remember that it doesn’t always have to be about you. Cultivate
a community that gathers around a passion point – that’s
contemporary dance!
 Celebrate your field, not just to your own work!

15. SOCIAL MEDIA AND for the
Chimera
CONTEMPORARY DANCE Project
Justine Abigail Yu
Communications and
Social Media Strategist
www.justineabigail.com
justine.abigail@gmail .com
@justineabigail