In most theatrical settings, the use of a cellphone is seen as a grave faux pas, even more so if there are live actors on the stage.

Yet with “Zoom,” an interactive dance performance by the ZviDance Company that also involves music, video projections and real-time Internet interactions, the use of cellphones is not only tolerated but strongly encouraged.

“During the performance, we want the audience to take pictures of the performance and email them to us,” said Zvi Gotheiner, artistic director for ZviDance. “Some will be selected to be used during the performance. There will be some manipulation, but you will recognize it. We’ll have texting conversations, as well. The role of the audience member is not to be passive.”

The show is Feb. 1-2 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts in Cincinnati.

“Zoom” is the result of Gotheiner’s interest in social media. During the research phase, Gotheiner spent hours on Facebook and interviewed people of all ages.

“I’m fascinated by the way technology is so integral to the way we socialize,” he said. “Younger people take it for granted as the normal way of doing things. As long as you can turn on your computer, you’re never alone anymore. On Facebook, I have about 1,700 friends, and I probably don’t know two-thirds of them. It’s a fascinating trend, and I thought it deserved exploration.”

As to whether the prevailing use of social media has a positive or detrimental effect on society as a whole, Gotheiner demurred.

“I just wanted to take a back seat and observe,” he said. “I decided not to take sides. I’ll leave it to the audience.”

In translating his observations to performance, Gotheiner focused on visual representations of social media — he said “Zoom” often simulates the rapid clicking of Facebook pages — and online behavior.

“We experimented, wondering if we could actually see networking: What would it look like as an image in the air?” he said. “I also noticed that you don’t see many depressed people on Facebook. People tend to post about happy times, and there’s a lot of exaggerated behavior, showing a theatrical attitude. We played with that exhibitionism, as well. ‘Zoom’ can feel like a party, but it has some somber places, too. It moves easily, like Facebook.”

According to its literature, the ZviDance Company refuses to be bound by aesthetic dogma, though Gotheiner said industry and bureaucratic strictures can actually be a source for inspiration.

“It can be hard to resist at times,” he said. “The system reinforces it, in terms of how you get money and are categorized as an artist. But I love to play between aesthetics, referring to them without identifying with any one of them.”

Gotheiner recalled a time when a videographer came in during rehearsal and asked to do portraits of the dancers. Gotheiner described the incident as completely impulsive, without a clear idea of what was expected to be accomplished, yet it was eventually incorporated into the show.

“That session informed the piece, structurally, from then on,” he said. “And that was one moment of many moments. I love that kind of process where it’s not dictated intellectually from the beginning as a blueprint that needs to be punched out. I don’t know if it’s new or not. It’s too early to tell.”