The Health & Safety of a Young Performer

 

Health Benefits of:

 

Dance

Evidence suggests that control and mastery of the bodies movements, through the discipline of dance, gives children the opportunity to express themselves emotionally and leads to the physical well-being, and improved self concept. Movement is clearly related to physical and intellectual development. Spontaneity of emotion such as jumping for joy, shaking with fear or excitement, literally happens to young children. They express feelings fully and freely.

As they become adults these actions may become minimised, reduced or suppressed. The positive experience given to children to express themselves physically without inhibition or awkwardness are more likely to induce them to ‘feel good’ about themselves, eat more healthily and achieve their full potential in other areas of their lives.

 

Acting

Three benefits of acting:

Self Confidence

According to The Book of Lists, the fear of public speaking ranks number one in the minds of the majority of people. Far above the fear of heights, confined spaces, disease, and even death comes the fear of standing in front of a crowd. We have been told to picture the crowd in their underwear, but truthfully there are no real tricks to public speaking. It is simply a matter of self confidence. Acting class is a wonderful way to build self confidence. The class is a “safe haven” for public speaking. Through acting exercises, students become quite used to speaking in front of each other. As they become more comfortable, their confidence increases correspondingly. Character development allows students to feel more confident about public speaking, as it is not they but their characters who are speaking. Additionally acting focuses on vocal projection, articulation, and timing—things that trip up the anxious public speaker. Armed with the confidence gained in class, students take to the stage with ease. That confidence in themselves and in their ability to speak in public will help them throughout the course of their lives—oral reports, job interviews, first dates, phone skills—the list is endless.

Empathy & Communication

Actors are always embodying new characters. Through character development, the actors have to get in touch with their characters’ thoughts and feelings. They have to figure out what is motivating their characters to do the things they do. Getting in touch with their characters’ thoughts and feelings often helps actors to be more aware of their own thoughts and feelings. A flow is created between using real-life situations to help with their acting and acting experiences to help them deal with real-life situations. Understanding what motivates different characters helps people better understand those around them. This awareness allows actors to empathise with others and communicate effectively. President Ronald Regan was nicknamed “The Great Communicator”. All politics aside, it is clear that the skills he developed as a Hollywood actor helped him to understand the mindset of the American public, so that he could effectively communicate his own beliefs and policies. The ability to empathize and communicate effectively will help students in their personal and professional relationships long after the curtain closes.

Team Leader & Team supporter

Another important benefit gained through acting is the ability to work well within a group. Through acting, students learn to take direction, lead, support, and trust others. Teamwork and cooperation are critical to acting. Then again, can’t almost all activities claim teamwork as a benefit of participation? Team sports require participants to get along and work together as a unit, so what makes acting so unique? The difference is that in sports and other activities, usually the group is homogeneous-all girls, all boys, one age group, one skill level. In putting on a theatrical performance, participants work with a diverse group-different ages, genders, and skill levels. Participants learn how to interact with a wider scope of people. Younger students learn from older students. Experienced performers encourage the novices. Through the experience they learn about group dynamics, finding their leadership and supporting roles to each other both on and off stage. Each one understanding that the show does not exist without them all.

 

Singing

Singing works deeply into our physiology: deepening breath and heart rate, altering brain wave patterns and strengthening the immune system. It also releases endorphins, the body’s pleasure hormones, into the brain and body. Singing also exercises all the muscles in the head and neck. It can also help to build a person’s confidence and self-esteem, and can increase their capacity for self expression. Recent research also indicates that a wide range of music experiences have a powerful effect on influencing language development, as well as increasing concentration, memory, visual and listening skills, spatial orientation and physical coordination.

Music makes your kids smarter!

Besides being fun, a musical education offers children benefits that are more fulfilling than any other educational experience. Studying music may be one of the most academically beneficial things a child can undertake. Making music is also fun and rewarding. Although musical aptitude will vary from one person to another, music educators tell us that early exposure to music, particularly during the learning and growing preschool years, can be an important influence on a child’s development. Early exposure to music also encourages the power of concentration, coordination and self-discipline, enhancing creativity and creating a positive attitude to schoolwork generally. Learning music from an early age will not necessarily turn students in to modern day Mozarts, but it may give them a head start in other areas of their school work.

 

Safety

In giving children this wonderful opportunity it is important to make sure that what they do now will have no negative effect on their bodies or minds in the future. To this end and through extensive research and study by Miss Trudy, her school is well versed in the anatomy and physiology of dance and practices safe teaching. Corrective techniques have been taught to individual children who have needed help with great success.

http://www.roydonacademy.com/

Miss Trudy
Unit 13/15 – Leighcliff Building
Maple Ave, Leigh on-Sea,
Essex. SS9 1PR.

Tel: 07780952928
E-mail: [email protected]

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