Stage Presence

Posts Tagged ‘Arts’

Dance is now more mainstream than ever, gaining resurgence in popularity across America. Box office smash hit movies such as Save the Last Dance and the Step Up franchises have got people’s feet tapping.

TV networks can’t get enough of dance themed programming either; Dancing with the Stars, X-Factor and most recently Paula Abdul’s Live to Dance, as well as the new reality TV shows such as Pineapple Dance Studios and Got to Dance which have got kids forming dance troupes and groups across the country. It is great as a hobby, your true passion, or even a new fitness program to do that can motivate you to shed the pounds. You even dance in a zumba class!

Cover of Step Up (Widescreen Edition)

Fashion trends follow closely by matching casual threads to look sharp and be able to backflip and headspin with the best of them. Streetwear and dancewear blend, creating a whole new urban trend. LRG Clothing provide cool urban streetwear that is comfortable enough to ‘krunk’ in. Original, statement-print t-shirts will have you stand out from the crowd and if your troupe are all rocking the same jeans and hoodies the phenomenal dance moves won’t be the only thing to get you noticed.

Make sure your footwear supports your feet and your ankles as well; damaging your feet could put an end to any flourishing dance career. Style is important, but if your shoes do not fit correctly you won’t be able to perform to your best ability. Choose comfort, support, and style.

If you are ready to become the star you always wanted to be, consider the top performing arts schools in the country. Numerous other schools may be available to you, too. The key is to find the school that offers the type of education you want and need to get to the career you desire.

Top Schools to Consider

Finding the right school comes from research. You can find information like this on websites such as EarnMyDegree.com. The following are a few of the most recommended schools for performing arts.

1. Juilliard School, perhaps one of the most well known performing arts school, has a long history of creating professionals, but its 7 percent acceptance rate is hard to overcome.
2. DePaul University is a larger school, but offers numerous programs in acting, music, theater arts and management.
3. Berklee College of Music is a smaller school that focuses on every area of performing music, from jazz to film scoring and music therapy.
4. Georgetown University is a fantastic, large school with a wide range of programs for the performing arts degree.
5. The University of Michigan offers a wide range of programs in performing arts, including acting, music and film creation.

Those looking for a program that offers a special fit may want to consider a school that specializes in that area. Many local schools, including community colleges, also offer performing arts degrees. Some students take beginning courses there before investing in bigger programs that may be more expensive for someone who is unsure if the arts are right for them. With so many options throughout the country, and abroad, students may want to focus on numerous school options.

One of the biggest theatre questions people always wonder about is how the actors are able to change their amazing costumes in just a matter of seconds. This has been probably the best-kept secret in the theatre industry.

Actors only have a few seconds to change into their various costumes in the play. This is known in the theatre world as a quick change. These are done in a special booth so actors can feel more comfortable and have their privacy. Each actor will probably have one, maybe two, dressers who are helping them quickly change so that it happens quickly and easily.

The production crew will give an actor a corner that’s a little out of the way from where everyone is at or a special booth before the play begins. Before anything, it’s important that your dressers will know where you’re going to be so that they can be there waiting for you. Also be sure they have everything you need to make sure the quick change goes without a hitch. Check all your items yourself. Even if you’re dresser forgets something, it’s all on you.

The crew will also need to be informed on where your booth is going to be. There isn’t any time to go into your dressing room to change and you have to change close to the stage as possible. While you will have your own privacy, you will still be around set pieces and hear a lot of people walking around. Don’t get distracted.

Before the play starts, practice changing costumes as fast as possible. It can be frustrating at times, but if you keep trying you’ll get the hang of it and become a pro.  Get really creative to help make the quick change be as quick and smooth as possible. Practice makes perfect.

Many students dream about being a performer in some way when they grow up. They even wish and pray that they could attend a performing arts high school. Most performing arts high schools have been flourishing recently, providing prospective students with special courses and chances to have a career showing off their special talents.

There are a few private performing arts schools, but they will cost you quite a bit more money. With performing arts schools that are public, the tuition and fees will be lower.

In order to attend a performing art high school, see if there is one in the school district you’re in or if there’s one close enough for you to commute to on a daily basis. Once you’ve found one, check out the school’s website and contact the administration department to see if you could get additional information.

Once you’ve done that see that the requirements are to apply and to attend the performing arts school. If the school is a private performing arts school than the same process would apply. But not the tuition cost and fees.

Even though it could cost more to attend a performing art high school, they do offer students with scholarship and financial aid. If you contact the school they could provide you with any information or answers to your questions.

Be sure to fill out the application and get together any other information that’s required in the application process. Most will require a birth certificate, your transcripts from your previous school, a resume and immunization records.

Be prepared to create an audition tape or to audition in person. Majority of the performing art schools will have two rounds for students to audition. Even if both your auditions go well, it doesn’t mean you’ve gotten in.

Now sit back and wait to receive a letter of denial or acceptance from the performing arts school.

As parents it’s important to encourage kids to do the things that will make them better people and live happier, more productive lives. If a child is interested in the world of medicine, for example, it makes sense to encourage that child to visit a local hospital, or talk to a doctor about the field. Any parent would want to encourage that sort of good behavior and forward thinking.

When it comes to performing arts such as acting or working in the theater world, it’s just as important to fully encourage a child to pursue their interest and help spurn their creativity. There is so much to enjoy about the theater experience, from learning to create sets, engage an audience with a great acting performance, and hone public speaking—all which can help to build a child’s confidence and give them a positive sense of self.

With that, the most important part of the theatre experience is the life lessons it can teach. The world of drama and acting is all about support and having the backing of your scene partner and producer. It’s also about adapting to situations around you and throwing yourself into it full force. These are things that can carry a child through the rest of their life.

So if your child is interested in the fine art of theater, encourage them by allowing them to see shows and read plays. This will further their appreciation. Let them build sets at home and allow them to be creative enough to envision the design from start to finish. Having them make kids costumes is another great way to foster their creativity, as it another facet of the theater process.

While the theater may not be right for every child, for those that show an early interest do whatever you can to encourage them to dream big and believe in themselves whether they stand behind the scenes or under the bright lights.

Improv is one of the hardest types of performing arts out there. You have to be able to think on the fly, say random stuff and keep the audience amused. Nothing is more disheartening than looking out into the audience and seeing a bunch of uninterested audience members. Maybe they are yawning, sleeping, checking out sports betting sites on their phones, texting or emailing friends but they are certainly not paying attention to your comedy act.

Here are some hints on how to handle audience members that don’t pay attention to you.

Speak Louder

Sometimes randomly saying words louder can catch those people’s attention. It’s not a matter of them not wanting to pay attention to it, it’s that in the world of modern technology people get easily distracted. By speaking louder you can pull these people back into the show and what you are doing up on stage.

Ignore Them

If you are up there performing you should be performing for the love of it. Don’t pay attention to the one audience member who is using his cell phone. No one likes a diva on stage and focusing on one bad audience member while there are 100s of good ones could come off as a diva attitude. A diva attitude can really come across badly on stage and make others not want to watch you either. So just simply move on and focus on the good audience members that are out there.

Audience members may be everything when it comes to a live stage production but remember if you are a truly gifted and passionate performer and putting your all into a performance, the audience is likely to be captivated by your stage presence and love for the art of improv.

There are many forms of recreation that we love and enjoy that can have the ability to relieve stress and provide individuals with countless hours of entertainment.  Recreation can be defined as an activity done during persons free or leisure time.  They are usually done for a person’s pleasure, enjoyment or amusement.  Just about any activity can be deemed recreational if it is used on a person’s free time and they have fun with it.  The following is a list of activities that may be considered recreational:

• Dance-There are several forms of dance which can be done both professionally or leisurely and can be a form of expressing ones culture, spiritual nature, or can be a form of connecting on an emotional level. This involves body movements usually in a rhythmic pattern. There are several types of dance some of which include ballet, waltz, Tango, square dances, Hip hop, and Ballroom.
• Sports-This is usually competitive game where a person or group of persons challenges each other to see which holds the better physical or skillful talents.  There are types of sports such as volley ball, soccer, swimming, running, baseball, tennis, football, softball, and many more.  For the purpose of leisurely fun, the same rules usually apply as with professional sports but he rules may be a bit more laid back.
• Performing arts-With performing arts a person uses themselves or others are used as the medium in the art.  There are several types of performing arts which include; Drama, dance, circus acts, the spoken word, opera, magic, and music.  It also can be broken up in different eras which include The Modern, Post-War Performance and the Renaissance periods.  The performing arts period began in Greece in the 6^th century BC. It was led by s poets such as Sophocles.

Dance is a great way to bring entertainment into your life and also a great way to and entertain others. There are professional dancer and those who due if for the enjoyment it brings. There are also a host of heath benefits when you partake in this type of physical activity and the following are just a few:

1. Great for bones and Joints. Dance helps in preventing and treating osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a concern to women who are in the post menopausal stage because estrogen levels decrease. It also aids in the prevention of arthritis because it keeps joints lubricated.
2. Keeps you in shape. Dance allows you to burn a huge amount of calories depending on the duration and intensity you perform it. On average it is estimated that a person burns 5-10 calories per minute. There are several different forms such as the mambo and swing burn more calories than the waltz because the waltz is a relatively slow performing dance and the other two calls for more movement. .
3. Improvements to the blood. Research indicates that dancing aids with the controlling of lipids which is responsible for raising our HDL and lowers the LDL levels. Dancing is also said to possible aid in controlling blood sugar for diabetics.

The following are some classic forms of dance and the amount of calories they burn per hour based on a person’s weight.

The Latin, Mambo, Salsa, Disco, Square, and Ballroom:

100 Lbs burns 246, 125 lbs burns 330, 150 lb burns 396, 175 burns 462, 200 lb burns 596.

Ballet, Twist, Fast:

100 lbs burns 288, 125 lbs burns 360, 150 lbs burns 432, 175 lbs burns 504, 200 lbs burns 576.

Waltz, Foxtrot, Slow:

100 lbs burns 144, 125 lbs burns 180, 150 lbs burns 216, 175 lbs burns 252, 200 lbs burns 288.

Places where performances can be held are performing arts studios, theaters, and dance halls. Someone wanting information on dance can easily find it at their local library.

For those who feel that they need some physical activity in their life in order to get fit and healthy and are a little unmotivated by getting started on an exercise regimen may want to consider dance as their form of exercise. With dance, you not only reap health benefits but you can also have fun by meeting new and interesting people. Take note of the many benefits associated with dancing:

* Improvements to Your Cardiovascular Health.-In the Medical Essay of June 1991 researches state that a consistent exercise program can lead to a slower heart rate, improvement to cholesterol, and it can reduce blood pressure. It is recommended by fitness experts to get in at least 30-40 minutes of exercise three times a week. With dance you may need additional strength training and cardio, but the dancing that you perform is indeed exercise and you will have fun doing it
* Calorie Burn-The amount of calories you burn are largely dependant on the time, intensity, and the particular dance being performed. Doing a Waltz is not going to burn the same amount of calories as a salsa dance because a salsa is very up-beat and intense where a waltz is a very slow moving dance. Performing one that is really intense can allow a person to burn up to 500 calories or more an hour. Swimming is one of the best exercises for calorie burning because it yields a full body workout and dancing can actually burn more calories than swimming.
* One of the best components of dance is that your social skill may increase. Many people may find through dancing that they may get to meet and socialize with new people. This can serve as a huge boost to a person’s self esteem and give them a positive self image by not only the socialization but also getting fit.

Resolving the issue of which form of exercise to choose for your much needed exercise program can seem as burdensome as performing the actual workout itself. Well, it does not have to be, you can take on a form of exercise that will get you fit, gain you friends, and at the same time you can experience the most fun you have had in a long time. Try dance as you form of exercise and you can experience the following benefits:

* Awesome Calorie Burning.-You can burn as many calories through dance as you would by swimming, riding a bike or walking. Depending of the intensity by which you perform the dance, you can burn as many as 200-400 calories in an half an hour of sustained dancing.
* Improvements to Bone Strength.-You can strengthen your weight bearing bones by performing dances that allow you to perform side-by-side movements. Additionally, you can help prevent the slow loss of bone mass known as osteoporosis.
* Aids with Rehabilitation. For those recovering from knee or heart surgery, careful movements may benefit your immensely. It is recommended over jogging and aerobic dance for rehabilitation purposes but you should consult with your doctor first before beginning any physical activities in post surgery cases.
* Improves to sociability.-Solitary fitness programs do not contain the social component the dance has. Dance gives a person or groups of persons the opportunity to strengthen in the areas of a positive self esteem image by developing strong social ties.

Tips for Those Starting a Dance Program:

* Remember to warm-up before you begin dancing and stretch for a few minutes prior to your dance. You can start off by practicing a few steps on your own prior to get your muscles flexible for the dance you are to perform.
*  Begin at a slow pace then gradually build your way up.
* Take your time and remember to take breaks and keep yourself hydrated.