Theperforming arts are those forms ofart in which individual people perform separately or together. The artist's ownbody,face, and presence is needed for the performance.
Performing arts differ from theplastic arts, which use materials such asclay,metal orpaint which can be moulded or transformed. A plastic art produces some physicalart object. The term 'performing arts' first appeared in the English language in the year 1711.
Performers often adapt their appearance, such as withcostumes andstage makeup, etc.
There is also a specialized form offine art in which the artistsperform their work live to an audience. This is calledperformance art. Most performance art also involves some form of plastic art, perhaps in the creation ofprops. Dance was often referred to as aplastic art during theModern dance era.
Music focuses on three career paths, music performance, music education, and musicology (theory, history, etc.). Students learn to playmusical instrument, but also studymusic theory, musicology, history of music and musical composition. In the arts tradition, music is also used to broaden skills of non-musicians by teaching skills such as concentration and listening.
Kudiyattam, an example of performance art. ArtistGuru Mani Madhava Chakyar
Drama (Greek 'to do', 'seeing place') is the branch of the performing arts concerned withacting out stories in front of an audience. It uses 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 of plays, theatre takes such forms asmusicals,opera,ballet,illusion,mime,Indian dance,kabuki,mummers' plays,stand-up comedy,pantomime, and non-conventional or arthouse theatre.
Starting in the 6th century BC, the first recorded performing art began inAncient Greece, ushered in by the tragic poets such asAeschylus andSophocles. These poets wrote plays which, in some cases, incorporated dance (seeEuripides).Aristophanes is noted for hissatyrical comedies (5th century BC).
By the 6th century AD, the Western performing arts died out as theDark Ages began. Between the 9th century and 14th century, performing art in the West was limited to religious historical enactments andmorality plays, organized by theChurch in celebration of holy days and other important events.
