My Taste on Social Media

I think it's given that I am not your average ballerina. I'm asian, I'm 5'10, and I have a muscular built. I want people (not just dancers) to know that a girl like me can pursue a career in the ballet world with an atypical ballerina look. It's 2017, the perception is changing (slowly, but surely)... I mean look at Misty Copeland, the first African-American ballerina to rank principal dancer at one of the top ballet companies in the world. I'm not going to say that it's easy, if even, we have it a lot harder. My height has restricted me countless of times and sometimes has defeated me. But that isn't going to stop me from pursuing my dreams. In fact, it motivates me even more to prove that a 5'10 asian female can dominate the performing stage.

With that said, social media has successfully given me the chance to showcase myself in a way that attracts more viewers than ever before. I've been able to network with new creatives from Texas to New York to Singapore and to even Germany, all whilst sharing my story as a dancer. It has also allowed me to connect with my followers in real life too. I've had the pleasure of bumping (literally) into some of you out on the streets in San Francisco, New York, Oregon, and also Europe. Most recently, I got to meet one of my many sweet followers at the Exploratorium in SF. Running into this sincere girl named Katelyn truly made my entire week. We were able to exchange a very brief conversation with each other which of course ended with a little photo op for the IG (haha just kidding). She had messaged me on Instagram later that night and wrote a very genuine paragraph she was afraid to say to me in person. What touched my heart was that she told me that I am an inspiration to her especially when she felt like giving up dance. This ladies and gentlemen, is a huge reason as to why I do what I do. Please don't let the number on my Instagram account deceive you, I am not #instafamous whatsoever. I'm just an ordinary girl who happens to be privileged with the amount of followers that I have who support my passion for dance. I am honored that I get to be able to use the power of social media to its' advantage to showcase my insanely crazy, yet beautiful world with you all.

As a girl who is apart of the Millennials, I think it is safe to say that social media is a big part of my life. If you clicked on my link from my Instagram bio to get to this website, you too are apart of the generation of Instagram likes and Twitter retweets addicts'. Social media crazies are hungry for approval, thirsty for recognition, and needy for validation. The real question is... can we truly satisfy are needs by receiving numerous likes or retweets on our phone, tablet, or computer screen?

As a social media influencer, many of you would probably think my answer is "yes" by my frequent posts, constant engagement with followers, and life updates on my Instagram story. Fortunately, I could care less about how many likes I receive on my posts. I am not posting for approval, recognition, or validation. (But I mean... if I were to be sponsored by a major company (dance or fashion), I wouldn't oblige.) Anyways that is besides the point, what I am trying to say is that, you shouldn't be posting on Instagram to feed your ego. Your Instagram is for you. Quite frankly, I've always feared and still fear of posting so many photos of myself because I don't ever want to come across as self-centered nor do I want to seem like I am fishing for compliments. But I've realized that I shouldn't care so much about what others think of me. I will always be judged whether on Instagram, in the dance world, or on the streets. The reason I use this specific social media platform is because I want to express my feelings through pictures, show you all this pristine art form called ballet, and to inspire young dancers to strive for their dreams. This is my way of showcasing to you what an atypical ballerina with a big dream can achieve.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you to those who have followed my journey from the beginning. I am excited to share the rest of my path wherever that may lead me.

Until next hump day...

...here is your candy coated post for the week <3

Candy TongAugust 16, 2017