Tag – You’re It! Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

By 6 commentsUncategorized

Earlier this week, @AerialHorizon started a fabulous thread on the Instagrams about a more and more frequently visited topic – crediting aerial inspiration. Combine the proliferation of aerial fabulousness with the popularity of Instagram and you get BOOM-level potential for drama, shenanigans, and bad manners; of course, you also get the opportunity to build community, creatively riff on a theme, and share the circus love. Which will you choose?

Sequences, Moves, & Choreography

If you’ve followed my wee bloggie for a while, you’ll know that I’m a realist – don’t put it on social media if you’re going to be upset by seeing 10 bazillion people doing it two days later with zero credit to you. If you’d like to protect your choreography, specifically request that people respect it, don’t show the wrap (leave out crucial info – that way, at least they have to work for it), or, better yet, don’t put large chunks of it online. SHOULD it be that way? No, but it IS that way, so it’s up to you how much energy you want to spend on it.

If you’re on the other end of the equation, cruising Instagram for inspiration, don’t be le poo. Here are some goodies to keep in mind:

  • If the person posting has asked you to respect their work, tag them if you use it, etc, do it.
  • Tag ’em even if they didn’t ask and show ’em some love!
  • When you think about tagging them, do you get a funny feeling in the pit of your stomach? That’s not salmonella poisoning (I hope). That may be you wrestling with whether someone would be OK with you playing with what they posted. When in doubt? ASK THEM. Most artists are exceedingly generous with their work, but some may want to hold on to a particular sequence, or consider it proprietary work. It never hurts to ask!
  • Are you posting footage from a class? Tag your teacher and/or studio! 

Is it Inspiration or Flat-Out Stealing?

The waters get considerably more murky when you begin diving into other artists’ signature look, costuming, branding, etc.

Art isn’t created in a bubble. ALL artists are influenced and inspired by the work of their peers, contemporaries, and predecessors. For example, the great Bob Fosse was heavily influenced by Fred Astaire (think bowler hats & canes) and Jerome Robbins. Picasso got considerable inspiration from Paul Cézanne and Henri Rousseau.

When you’re working on something that was influenced by another artist, tag them! Most will be delighted that their work awakened something in you! If they’re less than delighted, respect that, and back off.

As you click, like, and scroll your way through social media, you’ll want to approach the work of others with appreciation, not appropriation. If you’re just looking to piggyback on someone else’s great concept or look, shame on you. If you’re excited by what you’re seeing, and it inspires you to create something influenced by their work, read on.

  • While there are a looooot of circus automatons out there, quite a few artists have spent YEARS cultivating a unique look, act, or brand, and may not take kindly to you incorporating identifiable aspects of their work. Proceed with caution. When in doubt? Check in with them and ask!
  • Are you a peer in the same market? Will your endeavor be perceived as copycat competition? IS it? It behooves everyone to be as different as possible, so consider taking the time to make your work so unique that people can only see an echo of the work of others.
  • Are you a student? Lot’s of studios explore choreography in the style of notable artists, and this is GREAT for experimenting and playing. Have fun, and tag your inspiration!

The Tagging Take-Away

I don’t think you ever lose anything by tagging, so when in doubt, shout it out! People often get grumpy when you don’t, so this is an “ounce of prevention/pound of cure” kind of thing. The worst thing that happens is that you build some community. Love and pull-ups, Laura

6 comments on “Tag – You’re It! Giving Credit Where Credit is Due”

  1. Brennan

    I’ve been creeping you blog for a while and this is a great topic that no one has brought up. Have you had someone “borrow” something of yours? What was your response?

    • Lewitwer

      We’ve had several individuals and companies try to lift ideas in a super obvious way. I’m a pretty candid person, so my first response is to contact them directly, and mention my concern in a frank and upfront way. Thus far, things have been resolved in a pretty civil way (though we protect a lot of our stuff by keeping it off social media and sending direct to clients). I don’t post original choreography, but I have had someone lift an entire blog post of mine, paste it as a status update, and not credit me. Of course, we had so many acquaintances in common, they were called out right away. 😉

  2. Jamie

    One unfortunate flip side of this coin: I’ve witnessed individuals who have a bigger audience (more followers) post themselves executing a sequence or replicating a shot from a less “well known” artist, and then ask for the credit. I’ve even seen them rant about the lack of recognition they were given for “their” work. So yes— while we should be working hard to give credit where credit is due, sadly, (and kind of gross-ly) there will always be people who will try to manipulate the good nature of those trying to do right by the interweb circus.

  3. Lacey

    Thanks for this post, Laura. I love reading your blog. I came across this post while doing some research into this very topic, as I’ve been creating videos for fun during the pandemic. I’m very anxious about accidentally not giving credit when it’s due, so I’m wondering your thoughts about how far this extends? For example, I’m sure the routines I create are original, including the music, but almost every actual skill in the routine I have learned from someone. Not even the sequences, just the individual moves. I don’t know who originally created the moves, for example many I learned in class and some I originally saw on Instagram or Pinterest. It’s murky to me because instinctually I don’t feel that any one person owns individual skills, but maybe I’m wrong. You can imagine for a full routine it’d involve crediting many people to cover each skill. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely want to credit where it’s due, and I’m not trying to get out of that. I am just seeking to understand the extent of it.

    • Lewitwer

      Such a great question (with no easy answers, but I’ll try)!

      I think everyone has to kind of come to their own level of comfort with this since it’s not possible or practical to credit every blessed thing and influence. Here are the general guidelines I try to follow:

      – Would I feel weird not crediting this person if they were in the room? This is my favorite litmus test for whether to try to credit.
      – Is this a “signature” move or exercise? (in which case I often won’t go near it at all)
      – Have I gotten this move or exercise from multiple sources, or is it standard (ex: Rebecca split or quadruped shoulder circles)? If so, I don’t worry about crediting.
      – Is this a sequence I was taught recently, or that I snagged from social media? I try to credit.
      – Is this a true “author unknown” situation? I usually don’t worry too much about it.
      – How unique is the exercise or variation? If I know something is a game changer, I try to credit, but small things like hand placement or leg position I don’t worry about.

      I hope that helps! My personal philosophy (which I know not everyone subscribes to) is that once you’ve posted a move or a sequence on social media, you KNOW people are going to use it, so you can’t get TOO indignant when they do – and maybe they’ll credit you, maybe they won’t. LOL – it was so much easier before social media! I hope some of that is at least a little bit helpful. 🙂

      • Lacey

        Your “guidelines” are really helpful and clarifying for me. Thank you so much for your thoughtful response!

Comments are closed.

Have you signed up for a class yet? What are you waiting for?

Seriously - these classes are not going to take themselves! Jump right in. Whether you "have zero upper body strength" or have been around the aerial block a few times, I'd love to see you in sessions!

Schedule Now