The Benefits Of Drama And Performing Arts

Performing arts has had an important role in our lives since the ancient times. The ancient Greeks established drama as a crucial part of their lives that entertained citizens from far and wide. To this day, we still go out to see plays, and study drama in schools. Not only does drama have entertainment value, but it can also teach us a few skills to better ourselves.

1. Builds self-confidence

Kids, teenagers and even adults have been taking drama classes to build their self-esteem and self-confidence levels for a long time. Performing arts has a way about it that helps make our inhibitions disappear. It could come in the form of positive encouragement from our peers and teachers, which is a great way to help build self-confidence over time. The act of performing allows us to step outside of our comfort zones. The more we do that, the more we grow and can utilize the skills we learned through performance in other aspects of our lives.

2. Teamwork and cooperation

Performing arts can teach us the value of teamwork and how to be a team player. If you’re in a play, for example, you rely on the other performers and they rely on you to successfully carry on with their respective roles. In doing that, you are working together for a common goal. These cooperation skills can be learned not only from the performance itself but by rehearsing and discussing as well. The more communication, the better. The successful execution of the final performance is the result of the collective teamwork and definitely the icing on the cake.

3. An outlet for self-expression

The exaggeration of drama allows people to use a wide range of emotions to express what their character is feeling. Once you’ve tapped into an emotion that speaks to your character, it becomes yours as well. This can teach us to accept and then deal with these emotions when we may be experiencing them ourselves, which is very important for personal growth.

4. Teaches art appreciation

Many young people don’t really appreciate art these days, but by taking drama courses, it can help to expand their minds. They can then see the hard work put into a performance and that it’s actually fun! For many, art appreciation is an essential part of education, because it teaches the value of history, creativity, and self-expression. Perhaps you can take some time to read books like Patricia Christie’s Pocket-Book Shakespeare. This book is a collection of poetry and short stories based on Shakespeare's famous plays. The author’s passion for spreading Shakespeare’s works is quite refreshing and can encourage art appreciation. Find this and other great dramas in our online library, www.ennymedia.com. You may just find yourself wanting more.