Perhaps you view Performing Arts Schools as places where they create the singing and dancing stars of tomorrow. Well that’s part if the story for sure, but they also deliver a wealth of other tangible benefits that stimulate mind and body.It’s becoming increasingly recognized that there are numerous educational and social paybacks to taking part in musical, dancing and singing that can benefit youngsters of either gender and all age groups.In 2007, researchers at the University of Maryland found that activities such as music and acting had a positive impact on children’s emotional development and behaviour. Whereas kids who did not participate in these types of activities had lower self-esteem and were more found to be socially-immature. Indeed ongoing research proves that performing arts activities play a key role in cognitive, motor, language and social emotional development.Dancing has always been considered a great all round exercise for improving muscle strength, balance and co-ordination and reducing obesity. But now the psychological benefits to the child’s development such as improved critical thinking skills and problem solving are increasingly being acknowledged too.Allowing children to express ‘feeling’ through the power of song and dance is a proven way of helping young people manage their emotions and not be confused or frightened by them. Children who take part are more likely to be tolerant of others and more open to diversity. They are also likely to be more self-disciplined than their non-performing peers.The performing arts provide a wealth of benefits both mental and physical to youngsters of either gender. If your child currently shows an interest in dancing or singing, then why not contact your local performing arts venue and see what classes are available for that particular age group. Many schools offer ‘taster’ sessions where youngsters can come along and see what it’s all about and often try out the activities for themselves.Acting and drama courses provide a great foundation for the potential performers of tomorrow. Drama also offers a platform for self-fulfilment and emotional stability, promoting diligence, self-confidence and calmness. As well as developing these ‘performance’ attributes, you are more likely to find that youngsters who take part in these kinds of activities perform better than average academically too.These courses have so much to offer a young budding performer in terms of artistic and academic potential, why not see for yourself what your local performing arts school has to offer.

The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, located just minutes northwest of downtown Atlanta in the Cobb Galleria area, is one of the newest performing arts venues in the Atlanta area. It opened in the fall of 2007, and quickly became the new performance home of the Atlanta Opera after they moved from the Atlanta Civic Center. The acoustics are exceptional, and there is not a bad seat in the house.The core of the Performing Arts Centre is the striking John A. Williams Theatre. The theatre seats 2,750 people on three levels: orchestra, mezzanine, and grand tier. It was specially designed to attract touring Broadway productions. The orchestra pit is large enough to hold 84 musicians, and there is plenty of room backstage to store scenery. The Gas South Broadway Series will present several touring shows at the theatre during the 2010-11 season. Their presentations range from touring productions of musicals such as Oklahoma! and A Chorus Line, to a Cirque Dreams holiday show. In addition to the Atlanta Opera, the Performing Arts Centre is also used by the Atlanta Ballet for several of their productions every year. Many top name performers from a variety of musical genres have also performed there.The outside of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center is striking and futuristic looking. It sits on a hill with a view south toward the Atlanta skyline. The soaring main entrance contains an impressive alabaster staircase and massive contemporary chandeliers made of Murano glass. The top of the building is asymmetrical and appears to be three giant gray metallic waves.In addition to the theatre, the Performing Arts Centre contains the 10,000 square foot Kessel D. Sterling, Jr. Ballroom. This facility can be rented for special events such as weddings, conventions, banquets, corporate events, and gala balls. The onsite full service catering and fine dining services can provide everything necessary to host dinner parties, receptions, and buffets. The executive chef is M.G. Farris. The Cobb Energy Centre’s kitchens also oversee all of the concessions for the theatre.The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center is an easy venue to get to in Atlanta. It is located on Cobb Galleria Parkway, close to the intersection of I-75 and I-275. There is plenty of parking available in the parking garage and surrounding lots. A number of excellent restaurants are located nearby. It is an outstanding venue in which to enjoy a performance of any kind.

What makes the performing arts so special? While loosely, one might apply the term to any sort of presentation before an audience, critics have historically used the label to separate dance, music, and theater performance from the “static” visual arts. A painter, writer, or photographer can effectively transmit their work and their messages through time and even across significant cultural or linguistic barriers-preserving a moment, a vision, or an idea in a permanent medium. We get perhaps as close as we can to time traveling by looking at a Stieglitz photograph, some lines of Dante, or a cave-painting on an ancient wall, able to see (at least almost) the same thing that the creator did at the moment of inception or execution.The performing arts, on the other hand, are time-limited. We can’t ever really know what a Shakespeare play was like for the audience, aside from a few well-preserved accounts, and are instead left confronting his plays more as a part of literary history than theater. Nor can we ever know what it might have been like to have witnessed the first performance of Swan Lake at the Bolshoi Theater in 1895. Part of the magic is how they serve as a sort of event or spectacle, a one-of-a-kind occurrence that, even in the age of HD digital recording, can still only exist in full in the memory of those who were there to see it happen.Especially over the course of the twentieth century, the performing arts have been host to a few particularly significant developments. At the peak of artistic exploration in the post-war period, dancers, playwrights, and musicians used their mediums to respond to a growing need for new forms-the idea that the changing conditions of the world demanded a different sort of art than what had come before. While this drive could be identified in the visual arts as well, it was on stage that the artist could directly confront their audiences with a new way of thinking about things. Here are three key innovators any theater-goer should know about.Antonin Artuad: A writer, critic, and playwright inspired by the existential writings of Friedrich Nietzsche and Jacques Derrida, Artuad believed that theater for the 21st century must incorporate a sense of life’s harshness in a way that Romantic and Modern forms had been unable to. Emphasizing an embrace of chaos in the face of nihilism and a cross-cultural engagement with a diverse variety of traditional forms, Artuad’s insistence on breaking free of the limits of language and into the unexplored spaces of gesture and sound had a lasting impact on generations of dramatists and performers to come.Merce Cunningham: While Artuad turned to philosophy and Eastern cultures for inspiration, this dancer and choreographer incorporated elements of chance as a way of embracing the organic chaos of the creative process, incorporating random choices into the compositional process. While some of the outcomes might not be artistically serviceable, incorporating this aleatory element opened the artist up to new & surprising possibilities. Later in life, Cunningham continued to push the limits of the performing arts medium by experimenting with film and motion capture technologies, finding new ways to document and archive these former one-of-a-kind experiences.John Cage: Cunningham’s lifelong partner, Cage applied the variable aspects of chance to his musical performances, inspired by the ancient Chinese text I Ching, a divination manual known in the West as the Book of Changes. By consulting the patterns and sequences of the manuscript, Cage sought not so much to bring an order to what he saw as the chaos of life, but rather a redirection of attention; an awareness of the natural state of existence. While Cage may be best known for his composition 4’33”-four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence from a performer sitting at a piano, the performing arts have enjoyed a lasting contribution from his work with unusual instrumentation and innovative use of new recording technology.

The rich repertoire of Kerala’s performing art forms is one of the most coherent evidence of its affluent culture and tradition. These performing art forms of Kerala include dance, music and martial art forms which have been significant feature of ceremonies, celebrations, rituals and also entertainment in Kerala. These art forms reflect the traditional life, customs and cultural heritage of the region.The elaborate performing art scene of Kerala is rewarded recently by UNESCO as one of its theatre forms- Koodiyattom, is designated as one of the “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”. Such an exclusive recognition shows the captivating fervour and thrill with which these art forms have managed to inspire and bedazzle generations.Some of the famous performing art forms of Kerala include:Kathakali – A theatrical form of dance, Kathakali is mainly performed during religious events and festivals. Known for its elaborate costumes and performances, Kathakali is a spectacular art of story-telling, based on the religious texts. This is a form of dance drama earlier performed only in the temples and palaces of Kings. From the detailing of costumes to the finesse of emotions expressed in this dance form is essential to emote the role of Gods. Costumes and make-up for Kathakali are elaborate and takes hours to finally complete and thus enhances the total impact of the play to a greater degree.Koodiyattom: A form of Sanskrit theatre, Koodiyattom is performed in Sanskrit language in Hindu temples. This 2000 year old form of dance is recently recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity for its magnificent cultural expression. Shrouded with hidden meanings of its metaphors and delicate impressions, Koodiyattom has been one of the hallmarks representing Sanskrit literature.Music of Kerala – Kerala has diverse styles of folk and tribal music and Carnatic music mainly dominates the region’s musical history. People of Kerala takes music very seriously and music is much more than a hobby it is rather considered as a method of worshipping. Its sanctity is still preserved in the form of rich tradition of music of Kerala. With the developments in music various forms emerged that includes classical music, popular music and Chenda Melam which is a religious form of music which comprises of 150 musicians and the ensemble can last up to four hours.Kalarippayattu – An ancient form of martial art, Kalarippayattu is one of the oldest in the world. This Dravidian art form of fighting is practised with a system of kicks, strikes, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and also healing methods. The forms of Kalarippayattu differ slightly as per their geographic presence. There is Northern, Southern and Central style of Kalarippayattu. While it’s northern form pays emphasis on the usage of weapons, its southern form is all about bare hands techniques to combat with opponent and the central form mixes best of both techniques including hand and weapons.These rich performing art forms of Kerala have contributed immensely in creating culture of Kerala a vibrant entity celebrated through generations.

Performing arts activities like ballet and other forms of dance can be a very rewarding hobby. For many, dance classes are a way to keep in shape while doing something they truly love. Fortunately, there are some who are so artistically inclined that they are lucky enough to be able to make a career out of their favorite past time. If you think the dance is something you would like to pursue in a professional manner, here are some great tips to help you find a terrific school to cultivate your talents and land you the job of your dream.Choose an Academic TrackIf you are considering taking up dance as a course of study there are two different tracks you can follow to reach your ultimate goal.

Bachelor of the Arts:
If your sure you would like to study the performing arts but aren’t sure where you would like that to take you, a Bachelor of the Arts would be the best track for you. Bachelor of the arts degrees offer you a wide variety of liberal arts study that can prepare you for graduate performing art studies or other courses of study should you change your mind.

Bachelor of Fine Arts:
If you are positive about your career intentions you may want to consider a BFA. A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is more focused on the performing arts and will prepare you for a career directly related to performance.
Research SchoolsThere are different schools that specialize is specific areas of study. Larger Universities will often offer a program in the arts but not have a school that specializes in your interest area. If your sure that you want to study something like dance, you should consider looking for conservatories or performing arts schools to pursue your professional dreams.As part of your school research it is also important to visit the schools you may want to attend. When you visit these schools make it a point to check out the facilities that are of particular interest to you. For example, dancers should make it a point to look at studios, rehearsal space, and performance theaters.Determine RequirementsEach school has different requirements so before you apply you need to check and double check those of the programs you are interested. Make a note of all deadlines, application fees, and portfolios or audition requirements. If your are applying to a performing arts school it is highly likely that you will need a portfolio or audition to be sure to have one prepared well in advance.Get Feed BackSure your parents think you are terrific at what you do, and the audience may give you a standing ovation with ever performance but before you apply to schools it may be beneficial to get some professional feedback. This is particularly helpful when putting together your audition. Ask you teachers and instructors for some critical feedback. If you have the time, money, or ambition, it is also extremely beneficial for your to get criticism from the true professionals. This means you may have to travel to the bigger cities (if you don’t leave there already) and set up appointments with performers from well known dance companies or with instructors as Conservatories or Performing arts Universities.

Children have an almost non- stop desire to be creative. They live in a mental space that is constantly curious, expressive, physical, at play, and engaged. The importance of nurturing this creativity is well documented and has amazing benefits. A child who is exposed to and involved in the performing arts often develops a greater capacity for learning. Through the arts, children are encouraged to depend on themselves creatively, so they learn how to solve problems better, while developing the ability to rely on themselves to bring new ideas into the world. They learn to listen to their own compass; speak from their souls.This is not to say that all children should become professional performers. It simply means when children participate in the performing arts they become better equipped to look at the world from many different vantage points. The arts also innately provide a spiritual component. When a child engages in performing arts activities they are stripped of pretenses and they speak from the heart.Then, there are the academic benefits. The following is from Americans for the Arts:
Young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are:4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools
4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poemAdd to these the benefits to brain development and you have a recipe for children who grow up to give the world amazing gifts.The following is a list I have put together to give you a little nudge in the direction of engaging your child in the performing arts:10 Tips to Nurture Your Creative Child:
Encourage play acting and dress up; this stimulates a child’s imagination.
Create a special “acting out” area in your home. Build a mini-stage, hang curtains from ceiling hooks, throw some dress-up clothes in a costume chest and voila; instant theatre for your little thespians.
Encourage your child(ren) to compose or make up their own songs and rhymes.
Put on some beautiful instrumental music; classical or jazz, grab crayons or paints, some craft paper and have your child “draw what they hear”. This allows them to become lost in the music and makeup their own story. Then ask them what they heard. This will help them develop their story telling ability.
Encourage repetition. Kids love to find a song or something they find funny and do it again and again and again. Embrace this quality.
Read every day to your children. A comprehensive use of language skills and word play are critical for all children, including the budding artist, and one gets this from reading consistently.
When reading rhymes, poetry, Dr. Seuss, A.A. Milne, etc. to your child, emphasize the rhythms. Rhyming books, stories, poetry are inherently musical which helps to develop a child’s “ear” for language.
Our voices are capable of a myriad of sounds. When reading to your children use different vocal qualities and dialects. Don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be perfect! Kid’s just love it when you act out and use different voices for different characters.
Take your time when you read to your children. When you immerse yourself in a story, they will follow suit.
Stop at a cliff hanger when reading narrative so they can’t wait to hear the next installment.I sure hope this helps to inspire and encourage you to get your child involved in the performing arts. My own experience with the arts has enriched my life beyond measure and I believe that is because my mother started me with an appreciation of books, classical music, and the performing arts at a very young age. Thanks Mom!

After preparing countless articles within the performing arts category, it has become apparent to me that so few article authors, even those with an abundance of expertise, experience, and knowledge in the real world consider the vastness of this subject. Consider if you will all the venues of performing arts, all the history, the plays, the names, and the geniuses who made it all possible and what it is today?If you just stop for a moment to ponder this you begin to see what I am saying don’t you? It is mind blowing isn’t it? Okay so, let’s talk because I have some advice for the online article author who wishes to make a dent in this subject matter in the online venue of article writing. Now then, let me give you some sub-topics to consider incase you’d like to bolster the number of performing arts articles you currently have;TV
Sets
Plays
Dance
Miming
Theater
Big Screen
Special Diets
Choreography
Location Scouting
Exercise & Stretching
Back Ground Strategies
Coaching, Instruction, Practice
Future Technologies in Performing ArtsYou see, what I’m trying to say is there are schools, wardrobe personnel, and all sorts of things that go into the performing arts behind the scenes. It’s not just the actors, the playwright’s, the choreographers, or the great theaters that make all this happen. If more people understood what is all entailed when putting on a great play whether it is on TV or live, then perhaps more patrons would support the performing arts.This would be a wonderful thing because it would add more customers, more notoriety, and therefore support the actors, and all the people who make it happen. This could provide more employment for our economy, and promote creativity in our schools. If you are an online article author, I would hope that you support the performing arts, not just because writing is a form of art in itself, but it’s also important to support the other creative geniuses in similar venues. These days, we all have to stick together.Whereas, it is true that we do need to teach more math and science in our schools, we shouldn’t lose sight of the need to teach creativity, as a good number of creative geniuses do enjoy life to the fullest in these human endeavors of the performing arts. If you have experience, observations, or even the need to write a review or two, I really wish you would. As an article author I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Contemporary Ghanaian performing arts have been influenced by foreign culture, technology, and education. It is a synergy of the indigenous performing arts with the Western cultural forms of performing arts. There are three main forms of performing arts practiced by the Ghanaians today. These are music, dance, and drama.MusicGhanaian contemporary music has been influenced by foreign music styles and concepts though there is not a total eradication of the indigenous music styles. Some contemporary Ghanaian musicians blend the indigenous and foreign music styles in composing their songs. The foreign music styles that have influenced Ghanaian music today include jazz, pop music, Blues, Rock and Roll, Reggae, Ragga, R&B, Indian and Arabic songs. Contemporary Ghanaian music includes highlife which has more of the indigenous music elements, the hip-life which fuses slow lyric choruses with Ragga or rap music. Currently, there is the hip-pop music that is an exact rendition of the Western style of music though the lyrics and language are mostly Ghanaian in nature. There is also the church or choral music, brass band music, regimental or military music as well as the classical music.Several foreign musical instruments are used hand in hand with the indigenous musical instruments. These include guitars, pianos, trumpets like the saxophone, foreign drums, cymbals etc. Unlike indigenous Ghanaian music, contemporary Ghanaian music is recorded in high technological recording studios where other artificial elements are added to the originally composed music to bring it to foreign standards. They are then copied on Compact Disks, DVD’S, VCD’S, EVD’S etc.
Contemporary Ghanaian music is played at theatres, church services, parties, concerts, dance halls, and parks. They are played during religious services to enhance praises and worship. They are also played during social functions like marriage feasts, sporting activities and the like to entertain those in attendance. During workshops, talks, and seminars, music is played to relieve stress and boredom during intermissions of the program. They are played to boost the morale of competitors in various forms of competitions. Others are played to educate us on morality, patriotism and nationalism. There are various music contest and competitions held in Ghana to promote music. These include TV3 Mentor, X-Factor, etc.Popular contemporary Ghanaian music stars include Dr. Ephraim Amu who composed various Coral songs for the Ghanaian community. Others include Agya Koo Nimo, Cindy Thompson, Yaw Sarpong, Daddy Lumba, Kojo Antwi, Nana Acheampong, Obrafo, Sarkodie etc.DanceContemporary Ghanaian dance, like music, has been influenced by foreign dance styles. Some of these foreign dance styles include cracking, electric boogie etc. Dance is performed to entertain people and to express their sentiments towards one another. Contemporary Ghanaian dance forms include quickstep, mambo, waltz, foxtrot, salsa, boogie, cha-cha-cha, robot movement, twist, break and now, Azonto. These dance styles are performed at various functions such as church, weddings, funerals, parties, durbars, and festivals etc. Several dance competitions are held today in Ghana to promote dancing such as the Malta Guinness Street Dance contest. Dancing is now a very lucrative enterprise in contemporary Ghana.DramaContemporary Ghanaian drama is performed on a stage in a theatre. Unlike the indigenous Ghanaian drama where the audience sometimes interact with the audience while the performance is in season, contemporary Ghanaian drama is performed uninterrupted by the actors and actresses who play the various roles in the story depicted in the performance. The audience, however, participates by clapping, booing and shouting in a bid to express their sentiments towards the performance. Contemporary Ghanaian drama includes plays, comedies, operas, and cantatas.Popular contemporary Ghanaian drama groups include the Abibigroma drama group, the National Dance Ensemble, Osofo Dadzie drama group, Adabraka drama Troupe and the Tsadidi drama group. Popular drama themes in contemporary Ghana include the ‘The Black African Slave Trade, by the National Dance Ensemble, ‘Ananse and the gun man’ by Joe deGraft, ‘The dilemma of a ghost’ by Ama Ataa Aidoo and the celebrated ‘Marriage of Anansewaa’ by Efua Sunderland.Contemporary Ghanaian drama is staged in churches and mosques to illustrate some Christian themes to educate members about the Christian and Muslim doctrines and the relevance of leading a good moral life in line with the principles and regulations of God. During social gatherings, parties, and festivals, drama is performed to entertain those in attendance. Others are staged to educate the general public on social issues such as healthy living, personal hygiene, laws and norms of the land, patriotism and the like.