Once you’ve been bitten by the performing arts bug, there’s not much quite like it. The strings on a violin make a melody, the stories, and jokes that you crafted culminate with an eruption of laughter and applause, and the individual steps of each person in a dance group creates a singular, rhythmic wave of inspired imagination. An ensemble becomes a family. It’s art in motion.
If you have developed a passion for the arts, it is probably difficult to describe the magic you experience while on stage, and it keeps you going back to it time after time. The joy of show day will surely make powerful, lifetime memories, but the effects on your mental, physical, social, and emotional development will stay with you for years to come, both on and off the stage.
If you are still on the fence about whether performing arts are right for you, then these undeniable benefits will place you firmly on the side of stagecraft. Shall we list a few?
SELF-EXPRESSION
Through the performing arts, one can examine and channel their emotions through narrative, music, and movement. Some people find certain feelings more difficult to express and participating in performing arts programs provides the opportunity to express a range of emotions in a healthy, controlled environment. Learning to express themselves through art will make it easy for them to creatively express themselves in other situations, in school, in social gatherings, or future job interviews. Performing arts engage people’s imaginations and lead them to develop their own, distinct voices.
CONFIDENCE
A performing arts education provides the opportunity to practice stepping outside of your comfort zone in a safe setting. Even after weeks of rehearsal, it takes courage to go out on a limb and accept whatever response comes from being vulnerable on stage. The confidence that grows when you perform will translate to every corner of your life, from educational accomplishments to social ease.
COLLABORATION
Unlike sports or games, a theater performance has no winners or losers. The only ‘wins’ are when everyone works together to create the best show possible. Performing arts in the curriculum pushes you to think not only about your contributions to the show individually, but how your performance can enhance the show as a group. Students learn how to lead and how to follow, and that combining each person’s insights creates mutual success that is powerful.
EMPATHY
Embodying another person’s story through acting, voice, dance, and music allows one to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Especially when portraying a character different from themselves, you learn to understand the differences and embrace similarities, thereby forming bonds with people from all walks of life.
Many of us enjoy performing simply for the fun of spending time with our friends and participating in creative play. But the arts have an impact that lasts much longer than the show. Performing Arts give us a chance to develop priceless life skills, helping us scale new heights in life. And all it takes is a bit of song and dance.