On March 29, the New York Times published an article about two things most people would never put together in the same sentence: ballerinas and Twitter. The piece, entitled "Ballet Stars Now Tweet as Well as Flutter," highlights a few tech-savvy dancers including New York City Ballet principal Ashley Bouder, who is photographed scrolling through her iPhone during a rehearsal break, while wearing her tutu no less. But professional dancers are not the only ones using Twitter to make their mark in cyberspace. The entire dance community has jumped on the micro-blogging bandwagon—tweeps (cyber lingo for people who use Twitter) now include students, parents and even dance teachers.

What to Tweet?

For those who don't use Twitter, the whole concept may seem slightly silly—after all, how can one possibly make a worthwhile statement in 140 characters or less? While it can certainly be a challenge to craft clear, articulate thoughts on Twitter, the platform is not for posting Pulitzer Prize winning works of literary genius. So what is it for, you ask? Twitter combines two things: social networking and micro-blogging. In short, it allows users to connect with multiple people, either a close circle of friends or the entire Internet community, and to share short messages containing thoughts or tidbits of information. In Twitter-land, these messages are called tweets.

When Twitter launched in 2006, most users tweeted personal status updates (often referred to as "pointless babble"), similar to ones you'd see on Facebook. But as the site's popularity grew, the direction shifted—no longer was it just average Joe Schmoe updating about his amazing turkey sandwich he had for lunch. Major news outlets like the New York Times were using Twitter to share important, late-breaking news, and tech-savvy politicians like then Senator Barack Obama (he joined in April of 2007) were using it for political leverage.

It wasn't long before members of the arts community got involved, using Twitter to promote their projects, spread awareness and raise money. Next, the dance community caught on to the trend. Dancers began using Twitter not only to shed light on the art form, but also as a vehicle to promote and market their organization, business or themselves as individuals. Now, it seems like anyone who's anyone is on Twitter, from American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Marcelo Gomes to "So You Think You Can Dance" judge Mary Murphy, and everyone in between. In addition, many prominent dance organizations, including theaters, companies and publications, have started tweeting as well. While dance students have been tweeting for years, the studio owners, dance teachers and educators are finally starting to trickle in.

According to online marketing expert Chad Lawson, owner of Real Deal Dance Marketing, Twitter is all about maintaining relationships, creating new ones and getting people interested in your work. "It's like going to a party, being yourself, relaxed, cool, whatever, and have people get interested in you," he says. "Eventually, they'll ask, 'What do you do?'" Lawson contends that it's different from walking into a party and simply handing someone your business card—on Twitter, it's all about the social interaction.

Kristie Wyler, artistic director of Metro Dance in Plymouth, MI, is an avid tweeter. With nearly 800 followers and over 1,000 tweets, Wyler is one of the most popular teachers on the site. She uses Twitter not only to spread awareness about general dance related issues, but also to stay connected with her students and students' parents. For Wyler, who goes under the handle MetroDance (http://www.twitter.com/MetroDance), Twitter is a great way to keep her studio connected to the broader dance community. It's also a way for the dance community to feel connected to her.

If you're thinking about starting a Twitter account, it's important to consider a few things. Who is your target audience? Is your Twitter going to be a 'personal' account or a 'business' account? Will you be using your Twitter page to market your business and/or yourself? What do you hope to gain out of using Twitter? Then there's the most difficult question of all: what should your handle (aka nickname) be?

Twitter logo

Remember, Twitter is all about establishing relationships. If you're a freelance dance instructor, it's a no-brainer—your account should definitely be a 'personal' account (with an easily identifiable handle) that you use to make new connections in the dance industry. Your account should be used not only as a way to market yourself as an instructor and to inform the dance community about upcoming classes, workshops and seminars, but also as a platform to share your thoughts, experiences and insights so the dance community feels more connected to you as a person. Also, don't forget that the relationships you establish on Twitter will flourish best with a little give and take, just like any other relationship. So don't do all the talking—if you respond to other users' tweets, then you're bound to retain loyal followers while also adding new ones.

On the other hand, if you're the artistic director of a studio, you will have a more difficult decision to make: a personal account vs. a business account. According to Lawson, you want to be as personal as possible. "If you have a huge company like Coke, then you can have a 'business' account that just keeps people up to date with products, services, updates, coupons, etc., " he explains. "In our case, dance studio owners, you want to just be yourself, or a 'bigger' version of yourself."

He continues to explain that people like to send their children to study dance at close-knit, family oriented studios, and it's impossible to convey that sense of warmth through a business Twitter account. "Just close your eyes, think of Coke and notice how your body reacts," he advises. "Close your eyes, think of your favorite dance teacher and notice how your body reacts. You'll immediately notice the difference and that's what we're talking about here." Twitter should never be "all business"—keep reminding yourself it's about relationships, not selling.

A word of advice to all teachers and studio owners—think before you tweet! Remember that you're a role model to young children and all thoughts on Twitter are public (unless you have a private account). Even if you delete a comment, there's still a chance it could be floating around in cyberspace. So when it comes to personal thoughts, censor what you say, as tweets could come back to bite you in the you-know-where. Lawson advises dance teachers not to follow their students on Twitter to maintain the teacher/student relationship.

So now that you know everything there is to know about Twitter, what are you waiting for? If you're not a teacher who tweets, it's time to jump on the micro-blogging bandwagon and connect with the online dance community!

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