The Relevance of Ashton Irwin's "Skinny Skinny" Music Video

Australian performer and member of 5 Seconds of Summer, Ashton Irwin,

in his debut music video "Skinny Skinny"

Anyone that knows me is aware of my passion for dance education. I started dancing shortly after I learned how to walk, and my lifelong training led me to study dance at the collegiate level. I now hold a BA in dance and an MA in dance education and I am a professional dance teacher.

But enough about that, because- believe it or not- dance is not my only interest (shocking, I know). One of those interests happens to be music, and more specifically, continuing to fixate on the same artists I've worshiped since I was in high school (we called it "fangirling" back in my day). Some of my best memories from my teen years involve baking cupcakes for Niall Horan's birthday and screaming my lungs out when I finally got to see One Direction in concert. And I may or may not have shed a tear or two (thousand) over Justin Bieber, but that's another story for another day. Although my music taste has evolved over the years (thankfully, for the better), there is one band that I've loved since I was about 16: 5 Seconds of Summer. Commonly referred to as 5SOS, this Australian band first gained notoriety when they went on tour with One Direction. Their first big single, "She Looks So Perfect", put them on the map and they've released four albums and many successful songs since; I swear not a day goes by where I don't hear "Youngblood" on the radio. This band's sound has changed since they first opened for 1D, but one thing has always remained the same: they never fail to do whatever the hell they want to do. If they want to sing about pizza, they sing about pizza. If they want to dye their hair blue, they go for it. If they want to make a trippy music video that looks like an 80's video game from the comfort of their homes, they even include the dog, too! I admire how unapologetic they are and how they have challenged themselves as artists in the process. Alright... as, uh, "cute" as this is, Becca, what does this have to do with anything? Is this related to dance education? Funny you should ask, because (you guessed it) it is. When writing about my field and my career, I never expected my next article to be about my most listened artist on Spotify, but I am writing because I am so excited about the contributions one of this band's members have made to dance education. Today I logged on to Twitter to discover that Ashton Irwin, the drummer of the group, is releasing a solo album. The band is far from breaking up, but Irwin has been keeping himself busy while social distancing during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In preparation for his upcoming album, Ashton released his debut single, "Skinny Skinny", along with its music video. In the video, we see Irwin barefoot and shirtless, wearing just an old pair of jeans. He is surrounded by mirrors, and we see a struggle between himself, his body, and his self-perception throughout the video. Eventually, we see him shatter the mirror as an act of defiance and self-acceptance. His band's past videos have pushed the envelope before, even using freeform movement to tell their stories, but this really breaks away from their previous work. Many of their songs are about the typical highs and lows of relationships, as well as a few ballads of heartbreaks and life changes. Musicians are some of the most interesting movers to watch, but we typically see all four of the members behind their respective instruments. In his most recent Instagram post, Ashton shares a video of himself working on his piece. He writes... It’s so mesmerizing to watch this back now that the Skinny Skinny official video exists. This video is in my kitchen a few months back, you can see the white board behind me with the track listing, I had completed my solo record and wanted to push myself into new creative lanes, so, when I asked [dancer Jessica Richens] to come over and check out this song I had worked on. I told her I wanted to create a contemporary dance inspired by Sergei Polunin. Although I hadn’t danced since I was about 12 years old, I felt it in me still. The desire to show you “Skinny Skinny” through dance felt absolutely necessary. Here’s me fumbling through the dance in the beginning stages of its choreography. Love you Jess, thank you for believing in me! As a dance educator, this post was the most pleasant surprise I have seen in quite a while. First off, male performers sharing their love for dance is still an act of bravery even in 2020. Just last year, Good Morning America host Lara Spencer infamously made a sexist comment about Prince George's ballet lessons, pushing the dance community to launch the #BoysDanceToo Campaign. Dance in the United States is still predominantly female activity, and we have a long way to go to overcome this stereotype. So for Ashton Irwin to come up with a video where he not only dances, but chooses a very expressive and emotional style of movement, is both brave and positive for our dance community. The other piece of this video that moves me is that Irwin is hardly what society would view as a "dancer", and not just because of his gender identity; although he mentions in his post he participated in dance as a child, this is the first time he has done anything like this in his career. I know too many people that are stuck in this mindset that they are not, and cannot be, "a dancer". I've met girls in college that were too nervous to take a dance class because they'd feel out of place. I've worked with high schoolers that felt too awkward to try out a jazz square. I've taught kids that chose to sit off to the side instead of joining into the creative movement fun with their friends. I've performed alongside theater majors that were intimidated by the number of turns I could do. I even know dance majors (and have been that dance major) that get anxious about improvising or expressing themselves through movement. By going out of his way to create and perform this dance, he is saying that in fact, anybody can dance and express themselves through movement if they are brave enough to do so. Ashton Irwin is the last person I expected to release a dance video, yet he is the perfect person to do so. As a dance educator, I believe that everybody can- and should- experience the joy of movement that dance brings. Regardless of gender identity, physical ability, and previous experience, my goal as a teacher is to make everyone feel welcome in my classroom and get to experience dance in the way that Ashton has. You don't need years of training, a flexible or athletic body, or any other characteristic that is too often tied to the term "dancer" to set your soul free through movement. Ashton, I applaud you for stepping out of your comfort zone and setting a positive example for your fans. Bearing your soul is scary enough for us "seasoned dancers", but you went ahead and did it anyways. I am honored that your choose the art form I have dedicated my life to for your first music video as a solo artist. Teachers, these are the role models we need to be looking for. Of course, it is natural and important for us to tell the triumphant stories of Misty Copeland and Mikhail Baryshnikov, but we should also keep in mind where our students are on their dance journeys and what they can relate to. Not everyone is going to be a professional dancer, and not everyone wants or needs to be one. Dance education is about so much more than just straightforward pre-professional training; we are training artists, creators, performers, critics, fans, and above all, people. Dance can have such a positive impact on people of all ages and in all settings, as it clearly has for this punk rock drummer. These are the stories we cannot forget, and encourage our students to imitate.

Be sure to watch his video and stream his album "Superbloom" on Spotify!