At our studio, people can post their photos wherever they want. Our girls post a lot of pics up on flickr and facebook. Any pics I post to facebook tag each of the girls in the choreo, contains a link to our school, and a photo credit to the photographer. Also, this album is open to the public for advertising purposes. If any girl asked that her pics not be posted, I think that the others would respect her wishes, but so far, all the girls are excited to see their pics online.

I also have my photography website (I'm also a photographer) on which I post dance photos. The photos on that website are watermarked and have right-click protections to help curb downloading.

For video, the teach has asked that the choreographies she made not be posted (regardless of who is in them), but we're allowed to post any choreographies we make. I'd personally prefer that fellow dancers ask before they post videos of each other, but that doesn't always happen.

In any other art form, if you're trying to "make it" as a professional, you publicly display only your best works.

How many photographers go through dozens of photographs before they find the one that best illustrates their message? And surely there is that one photo that is slightly out of focus or the composition isn't right, and you'd delete it if you could. But you can't, because one of your students copied it and pasted it on Facebook.

Personally, I don't want anybody putting up video on Youtube, or photos of me, or anything using my image if I haven't okayed it. If you want to keep that photo for your personal album at home, fine, but public display is not cool. I think every dancer should get the opportunity to "opt out" of publicly displayed photos and videos.

I have students who don't want their hobby "outed" and they will usually opt out of public performances. I think out of respect for them, other students should not post video or photos of them, BUT out of respect for the group, if you don't want your photo posted, then let them take a group photo without you.

I think there should be an agreement of all parties before anything is posted. I get really excited to see myself and my troupemates on the net and I love to share that sort of thing with friends and family and other great people in the community. I think its perfectly reasonable to discuss the posting of photos and videos beforehand with everyone involved and then come to a consensus that way.

I'll be honest and say it really gets my dander up when I see a local hafla forbidding people from taking video of the dancers that happen to be friends and family. I understand some dancers may not want their dancing or pictures put "out there" but I think its pretty unreasonable to forbid video or pictures if the dancers in question have okayed it. But then again, that's just my pet peeve!

When I post performance photos on my personal FB I usually crop the image to show only me and leave out the rest. Unless we have taken photos for the purpose of sharing publicly, I tend to do the cropping. As far as videos, I post them (by request) for a very limited amount of time for the girls to show them to their friends/family, and then I take them down or make them private, unless it is a video that we really feel we want to "share with the world".

At most theatrical events (concerts, plays, etc) the public is not allowed to take video or photo, so it's not too hard holding a recital or showcase in a theater to prohibit cameras of any kind- we also ask folks to not use cell phones (and yes, we now have to include language that lets them know not to text or get that phone out because it does disturb other audience members)

We have a professional photographer and videographer at our shows that provide photo CDs and video to performers only at a price that is reasonable even for hobbyists. At the rates they are charging, we don't expect them to personalize each CD or video, so yes, we get zillions of pictures of the whole show and have to trust other performers to show tact in distributing these photos, but they are all excellent quality and our dancers do seem to have some taste & no ill intentions, so even if a photo from one of these shows is distributed without my pre-approval, I'm not concerned.

public shows at a restaurant or street fair are a completely different matter & there is no way to control that kind of thing, but for a student show or formal event, there is no reason you can't simply ban cameras in the audience. Even my children's ballet/tap classes do this for recitals- and besides limiting weird photos, it is much more enjoyable for the audience (IMO) not to have to try to peer around idiots trying to get a perfect shot of their child despite blocking everyone else's view when the rest of us want to enjoy the show! I don't want to live my life through a lense- I want to enjoy the here & now first!

I agree - and this is a real hot button for me!
My policy with my student troupe is that no one can post video without permission of *everyone* in it. I am less strict about photos, but if I had students raise concerns I would address it similarly. As for my pro troupe, I decide what gets posted and put it up. I feel that as the directress, it's my call to make and I am definitely interested in showing our collective best work.

When I am out performing solo, people taking photos and video are a real pet peeve of mine. I dance up to people with a camera and simply tell them no, politely. I go back later and explain that the flash blinds me momentarily and they usually just stop. Technology has made it far too easy to take and share pictures and video and we have a whole new can of worms with this as entertainers in public spaces. When I take pics and video, I never post without permission as a courtesy to fellow performers. If I have their contact info, I always share what I have.

I also volunteer as president of our local MECDA chapter and am in charge of a large annual festival. At this event, we announce that anyone may take pictures or video of the stage (as long as they are not blocking anyone's view) but they *do not* have permission to post photo or video anywhere or reproduce it without permission of everyone in it.


As a performer, I've had a couple of situations that I've been unhappy with in the video area. First, I participated in a workshop/show event where you had to take a workshop to be in the show. The show was videotaped and the tapes were sold to whoever wanted them (audience or performer). Even as a peformer, I had to pay full price for my copy (we were not paid to dance) . I also did not sign anything giving them the right to tape and sell my performance.

Second, I peformed with a band at a show associated with a workshop event (didn't take class) and later found several videos on youtube of my peformance - again without any permission, verbal or otherwise. I believe these were posted by the organizer.

I've heard conflicting things about the legalities of taking and using images of performances in public space. What do you all know or think about that?

Mahin
www.shes-got-hips.com