The
performing arts are those forms of
art which differ from the
plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some
art object.
Types of performing arts
Performing arts include the
acrobatics,
busking,
comedy,
dance,
magic,
music,
opera,
film,
juggling,
marching arts, such as
brass bands,
theatre, and
circus arts.
Artists who participate in these arts in front of an audience are called performers, including
actors,
comedians,
dancers,
musicians, and
singers. Performing arts are also supported by workers in related fields, such as
songwriting and
stagecraft.
Performers often adapt their
appearance, such as with
costumes and
stage makeup, etc.
There is also a specialized form of
fine art in which the artists
perform their work live to an audience. This is called
Performance art. Most performance art also involves some form of plastic art, perhaps in the creation of
props. Dance was often referred to as a
plastic art during the
Modern dance era.
Music
Music as an academic discipline mainly focuses on two career paths, music
performance (focused on the
orchestra and the
concert hall) and
music education (training music teachers). Students learn to play
instruments, but also study
music theory,
musicology,
history of music and
composition. In the liberal arts tradition, music is also used to broaden skills of non-musicians by teaching skills such as concentration and listening.
Theater
Theatre or
theater (Greek "theatron",
θέατρον) is the branch of the performing arts concerned with
acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed any one or more elements of the other performing arts. In addition to the standard narrative dialogue style, theatre takes such forms as
classical Indian dance,
Chinese opera,
opera,
ballet,
Illusion,
mime,
kabuki,
mummers' plays, and
pantomime.
Dance
Dance (from
Old French dancier, perhaps from
Frankish) generally refers to
human movement either used as a form of
expression or presented in a
social,
spiritual or
performance setting.
Dance is also used to describe methods of
non-verbal communication (see
body language) between humans or
animals (bee dance, mating dance),
motion in inanimate objects (
the leaves danced in the wind), and certain
musical forms or
genres.
Choreography is the art of making dances, and the person who does this is called a choreographer.
Definitions of what constitutes dance are dependent on
social,
cultural,
aesthetic artistic and
moral constraints and range from functional movement (such as
Folk dance) to codified,
virtuoso techniques such as
ballet. In
sports,
gymnastics,
figure skating and
synchronized swimming are
dance disciplines while
Martial arts '
kata' are often compared to dances.
History of Western performing arts
Starting in the
6th century BC, the
Classical period of performing art began in
Greece, ushered in by the tragic poets such as
Sophocles. These poets wrote plays which, in some cases, incorporated dance (see
Euripides). The
Hellenistic period began the widespread use of
comedy.
However, by the
6th century AD, Western performing arts had been largely ended, as the
Dark Ages began. Between the
9th century and
14th century, performing art in the West was limited to religious historical enactments and
morality plays, organized by the
Church in celebration of holy days and other important events.
Renaissance
In the
15th century performing arts, along with the arts in general, saw a revival as the Renaissance began in
Italy and spread throughout
Europe plays, some of which incorporated dance were performed and
Domenico da Piacenza was credited with the first use of the term
ballo (in
De Arte Saltandi et Choreas Ducendi) instead of
danza (dance) for his
baletti or
balli which later came to be known as
Ballets. The first Ballet
per se is considered to be
Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx's
Ballet Comique de la Royne (
1581).
By the mid-
16th century commedia dell'arte became popular in Europe, introducing the use of
improvisation. This period also introduced the Elizabethan masque, featuring music, dance and elaborate costumes as well as professional theatrical companies in
England.
William Shakespeare's plays in the late 16th century developed from this new class of professional performance.
In
1597, the first
opera,
Dafne was performed and throughout the
17th century, opera would rapidly become the entertainment of choice for the
aristocracy in most of Europe, and eventually for large numbers of people living in cities and towns throughout Europe.
Modern era
The introduction of the
proscenium arch in Italy during the 17th century established the traditional theater form that persists to this day. Meanwhile, in England, the
Puritans forbid acting, bringing a halt to performing arts which lasted until
1660. After this period, women began to appear in both
French and English plays. The French introduced a formal dance instruction in the late 17th century.
It is also during this time that the first plays are performed in the
American Colonies.
During the
18th century the introduction of the popular
opera buffa brought opera to the masses as an accessible form of performance.
Mozart's
The Marriage of Figaro and
Don Giovanni are landmarks of the late 18th century opera.
At the turn of the 19th century
Beethoven and the
Romantic movement ushered in a new era that lead first to the spectacles of
grand opera and then to the great musical dramas of
Giuseppe Verdi and the
Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art) of the operas of
Richard Wagner leading directly to the music of the 20th century.
The
19th century was a period of growth for the performing arts for all social classes, the technical introduction of
gaslight to theaters in the
United States,
burlesque (a British import that became popular in the U.S.), minstrel dancing, and variety theater. In ballet, women make great progress in the previously male-dominated art.
Modern dance began in the late 19th century and early
20th century in response to the restrictions of traditional ballet.
Konstantin Stanislavski's
"System" revolutionized acting in the early 20th century, and continues to have a major influence on actors of stage and screen to the current day. Both
impressionism and modern realism were introduced to the stage during this period.
With the invention of the
motion picture in the late 19th century by
Thomas Edison, and the growth of the
motion picture industry in
Hollywood in the early 20th century, film became a dominant performance medium throughout the 20th and
21st centuries.
The Darktown Follies and the later cultural growth of the
Harlem Renaissance spanned the
1910s to the early
1940s.
Rhythm and blues, a cultural phenomenon of black America became a distinctive genera in the early 20th century.
In the
1930s Jean Rosenthal introduced what would be come modern
stage lighting, changing the nature of the stage as the
Broadway musical became a phenomenon in the United States.
George Gershwin and
Rodgers & Hammerstein radically re-shaped the medium as the
Great depression came to an end and
World War II erupted.
Post-War performance
Post-World War II performing arts were highlighted by the resurgence of both ballet and opera in Europe and the United States.
Alvin Ailey's revolutionary American Dance Theater was created in the
1950s, signaling the radical changes that were to come to performing arts in the 1950s and
1960s as new cultural themes bombarded the public consciousness in the United States and abroad.
Postmodernism in performing arts dominated the
1960s to large extent.
Rock and roll evolved from
rhythm and blues during the 1950s, and became the staple musical form of popular entertainment.
In
1968,
Hair introduced the
rock opera.
See also
References
ART is a three-letter acronym that can mean:
Medicine
- Antiretroviral therapy. It is used in the treatment of HIV infection.
- assisted reproductive technology
Other
- Adaptive resonance theory
..... Click the link for more information. Plastic arts are those visual arts that involve the use of materials that can be moulded or modulated in some way, often in three dimensions. Examples are clay, paint and plaster.
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work of art (or artwork or work) is a creation, such as a song, book, film, print, sculpture or a painting, that has been made in order to be a thing of beauty in itself or a symbolic statement of meaning, rather than having a practical function.
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Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking) is one of the performing arts, and is also practiced as a sport. Acrobatics involves difficult feats of balance, agility and coordination.
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Busking is the practice of doing live performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. Those engaging in this practice are called buskers. Busking is a British term used in many areas of the English-speaking world.
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In common, present day usage the word comedy almost always refers to the creation or presentation of humor with the intention of provoking laughter. Most comedy contains variations on the elements of surprise, incongruity, conflict, repetitiveness, and the effect of opposite expectations,
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worldwide view of the subject.
Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page.
Dance (from French
danser, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to movement used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a
..... Click the link for more information. Magic is a performing art that entertains an audience by creating illusions of impossible[1] or supernatural[2] feats, using purely natural means. These feats are called magic tricks, effects or illusions.
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Opera is a form of musical and dramatic work in which singers convey the drama.[1] Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition.[2] An opera performance incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and
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Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects.
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Juggling is a form of object manipulation. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, where the juggler throws objects through the air. Jugglers often refer to the objects they juggle as props
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The Marching Arts include mainly marching bands and drum corps. They also include color guard and its many variations.
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A brass band is a musical group generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles which include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands
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Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) (from French "théâtre", from Greek "theatron", θέατρον, meaning "place of seeing") is the branch of the performing arts defined as simply as what "occurs when one or more
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"Circus arts" refers to a body of performing arts featured in, derived from, or inspired by circus productions. Three similar terms are often confused here: circus arts, circus acts, and circus skills. The difference lies in the level of specificity.
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actor, actress, or player (see terminology) is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity.
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A comedian, or comic, is a performer who entertains an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting the fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy.
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worldwide view of the subject.
Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page.
Dance (from French
danser, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to movement used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a
..... Click the link for more information. musician is a person who plays or composes music. Musicians can be classified by their role in creating or performing music:
- A musician or instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.
..... Click the link for more information. A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. Often the singer is accompanied by musicians and instruments. While many people sing for pleasure, vocal skill is usually a combination of innate talent and professional training.
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A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. That is to say, a songwriter is a lyricist, a composer, or both.
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Stagecraft is a generic term referring to the technical aspects of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes, but is not limited to, constructing and rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costumes, makeup, and recording and mixing of
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physical appearance of humans is believed by anthropologists to be an important factor in the development of personality and social relations in particular physical attractiveness.
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costume can refer to fat people running around fattly wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to
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Cosmetics ( pronunciation: cosmetic (help info ) ) are substances used to enhance or protect the appearance or odor of the human body.
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Fine art refers to arts that are concerned with a limited number of visual and performing art forms, including painting, sculpture, dance, theatre, architecture and printmaking.
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Performance art is art in which the actions of an individual or a group at a particular place and in a particular time constitute the work. It can happen anywhere, at any time, or for any length of time.
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theatrical property is any object held or used on stage by an actor for use in furthering the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger "props" may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table.
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Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dances has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.
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