Ejercicio Grupo B - 1 · Inglés PAU Canarias Junio (Ciencias) 2023

GRUPO B

Viral TikTok challenges putting aspiring dancers ‘at risk of injury’

Leading dance organisations have warned that aspiring dancers are risking injury by copying advanced moves and taking part in viral challenges on TikTok.

The Royal Academy of Dance says young people should be careful when attempting to recreate moves by professional dancers, or taking part in challenges on social media. In an interview with The Stage, the artistic director of The Royal Academy of Dance, Gerard Charles, says that while the platform can inspire amateur dancers, supervision from a trained teacher is key to avoiding injury. “Watching dance on TikTok can provide great inspiration, but without an experienced and qualified teacher who understands physical development and age-appropriate movement, it is all too easy for copying what is seen on social media to lead to injuries,” he commented.

Louise Molton, the director of education at the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, encouraged aspiring dancers to consider formal training. “Repetition of routines without targeted feedback does not support technical and artistic development and can lead to injury and poor practice,” she said. “Learning without a teacher, who can provide correction in the early stages of any physical activity, could be dangerous and lead to permanent injury or damage later in life,” she added.

Last week, the American actor Kyra Sedgwick was pictured with an ice pack on her wrist after attempting the “Footloose Drop”, a current TikTok dance trend. Her husband, Kevin Bacon, who starred in the film of the same name whose remake came out in 2011, shared the picture of Sedgwick, 57, on Instagram, with the caption: “The outcome of learning a TikTok dance #Footloose”, after the couple successfully performed the move.

In 2020, during the first Covid lockdown, an avalanche of TikTok users reportedly became injured after attempting a complicated set of moves to “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. According to the New York Post, at least one aspiring dancer was taken to hospital after copying the viral dance, which includes splits, twerking and a leaping high kick.

Despite all of this, TikTok has won praise for its inclusivity. The platform has also received acknowledgment for encouraging young people to discover new interests. Danielle Drayton, the creative director at Blue Fish Entertainments Dance Company, said breaking moves down into short tutorials can be more engaging for social media users than a formal lesson. “With inspiring companies breaking down a dance move in 15 to 30 seconds, dance can seem less tedious online than in a class,” she explained. In any case, TikTok advises anyone starting a new fitness programme or exercise routine to seek advice or guidance from a qualified professional.

Adapted from The Guardian, February 2023

1. Say whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text. COPY the evidence from the text. No marks will be given without the evidence. (1.5 points)

a)

Actor Kevin Bacon and his wife failed to do the trending TikTok dance “Footloose Drop”.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

During the pandemic a large number of people got hurt dancing to a song on Tik Tok.

TRUE

FALSE

c)

TikTok is valued as a social media platform that celebrates diversity and tries to get everyone involved.

TRUE

FALSE