One particular dancer has proven that inspirations don’t need to come from professionals or stick thin male and females. A man named Erik Cavanaugh wants to prove that dancers come in many different shaped and sizes and that other people’s shapes and sizes should not determine how we can dance. Cavanaugh is a dancer who posts videos of his dancing skills on YouTube. Many people have posted about how Cavanaugh is an inspiration to them and how they love his personality. Comments like these help Cavanaugh and other dancers strive to try and prove that they don’t need to be stick thin to be amazing and one-day hope to change how we perceive dancer (Charlton C., 2016). Cavanaugh started posting videos on YouTube simply for exposure and to hopefully inspire someone out in the world. He believes that to get work in this industry, how well-known you are matters which is one of the reasons for his posting videos on YouTube. Cavanaugh can see both the positives and negatives in social media and dancers. Positive because it gives dancers the opportunity to see working, professional dancers in action, giving them something to aspire to become. However, he also believes that it can send the wrong the message to practice “unhealthy practices”. These unhealthy practices Cavanaugh is referring to include; overstretching your leg past where your leg shouldn’t be allowed to reach. It can also damage someone self-esteem because Cavanaugh states that “everyone’s a critic and no one holds back” (Healey, A., 2016). This man will prove that with these constant positive comments, one day he will have an amazing career.
Quote Source: Cavanaugh, E., 2016. The Power of Social Media [Interview] (29 July 2016).
In What Ways Does Social Media Have an Effect on a Dancers' Career 