What Are Performing Arts?

Performing arts encompass all types of art that are performed and presented to an audience (live audience or otherwise). This is in contrast to visual arts (e.g., paintings), which are static (not performed).

There are many performance arts examples, including:

• Theatre: Performing plays in front of a live audience

  
  

• Musical theatre: Performing plays in front of a live audience that includes songs sung by the actors

  
  

• Music: Writing, recording and performing songs

  
  

• Acting: Portraying a story by assuming the identity of a character, either based on a real person or completely fictitious 

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• Dance: Performing rhythmic, often choreographed movements, typically set to music

  
  

Magicians are also a form of performing arts. Performing arts allow the artists to express themselves while enabling the audience to experience an emotional response. Some artistic pieces are intended to provoke a certain reaction or even to ask questions for the audience to consider.

As previously mentioned, these types of artistic expressions may sometimes take place before a live audience (e.g., musical theatre). Others involve prerecorded performances that may then be streamed or aired to an audience at their leisure, such as TV shows and movies. Some performing artists, perhaps after gaining experience in the field, may decide to devote their career to teaching their art form to others.

Article from: Grand Canyon University