unification of souls

THE POWER OF PERFORMING ARTS

Aakriti Kakkar 91001

Akshat Vaid 91004
Cijil Diclause 91014
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATIONS Gourab Kundu 91020
Harshdeep Garg 91023
Samarth Gulati 91047

unification of souls FMG XVIII 1A

THE POWER OF PERFORMING ARTS
FORE School of Management
PICTURE COURTESY: FICCI, THE INDIAN ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA INDUSTRY UNRAVELLING THE POTENTIAL 2006
 preface

Unification of souls the power of performing arts,

is an earnest attempt made to understand the
various forms of performing arts throughout the
world. It also seeks to establish links between the
various genres of performing arts across the
globe. India is a culture rich country, known for its
diverse diaspora of art. Performing arts plays a
vital role in the essential unification of the diverse
cultures of the country.

Art, in any form is spirituality. It is the pristine

connection that one establishes with his inner self.
Creation in itself is art at the behest of originality.
Performing arts is an exemplary conjugation of
creativity and spirituality, something that every
individual aspires to achieve!

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 “ O great creator of beings, grant us
one more hour to perform our art

”
and perfect our lives!
- Jim Morrison

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 contents
Introduction 5

Executive Summary 6

1. History of performing arts 8

2. Forms of performing arts 12

3. Genres in performing arts 16

4. Performing Arts in India 19

5. Theatre 24

6. Circus 28

7. Dance 33

8. Other performing arts 37

Music 38
Puppetry 39
Magic 40

9. Conclusion 42

10. Bibliography 43

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 introduction
Michelangelo once said, “The true work of art is
but the shadow of divine perfection”. Artistry
links thy mortal self to your soul. It is an
expression of feelings, a collage of memoirs that
resonates through its various forms. It is your own
reflection! Amidst some much of materialism that
blatantly flaunts itself in this mundane world, art
comes as a refreshing change. It transcends
domains of petty monetary dogmas and goes on
to establish a human interface with the society.
Art is a form of giving. Artistes are messiahs of joy,
they are prophets of peace, are human beings
who have risen above the common mould!

Performing arts is a form of artistry that

encompasses dance, music, opera, drama, theatre,
circus arts, mimicry and puppetry. Artists who
participate in performing arts in front of an
audience are called performers, including actors,
comedians, dancers, musicians, and singers.

Performing arts are also supported by workers in

related fields, such as songwriting and stagecraft.
Performers often adapt their appearance, such as
with costumes and stage makeup, etc to make
their artistry more potent.

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 PICTURE COURTESY: IMAGES.GOOGLE.COM/MODERNDAY THEATRE

executive summary
Unification of souls the power of performing arts,
is a report on the present state of performing arts
throughout the world. It takes an insight into the
origin of the arts, their evolution, and their
present state. The report also discusses the
different art forms prevalent today.

Since, art is about establishing an intimate contact

with one’s soul; the essence of all art forms is
pristine and similar. The report seeks to establish
this link between all the art forms.

An artist utilizes the highest platitude of

creativity. He thinks the unthinkable, imagines the
unimaginable, he creates! In a nutshell, an artist
epitomizes “neo”. In conviction for one’s art lies
the connect to one’s soul!

Unification of souls the power of performing

arts, celebrates art and wishes that creativity lasts
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 “ One of the strongest motives that lead
men to art and science is escape from
everyday life with its painful crudity
and hopeless dreariness, from the
fetters of one's own ever-shifting
desires. A finely tempered nature
longs to escape from the personal life

”
into the world of objective perception
and thought.
- Albert Einstein
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History of performing arts

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PICTURE COURTESY: FICCI, THE INDIAN ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA INDUSTRY UNRAVELLING THE POTENTIAL 2006
 History of performing arts -
The origin of performance arts predates to the
6th century BC. This period is referred to as the
Classical Period of Performing Arts. It began in
Greece ushered in by the tragic poets such
as Sophocles. These poets wrote plays which, in
some cases, incorporated dance.
If one has to take a closer look at the various
stages of change in performing arts, the
following periods will surmise as the catalysts
of transformation.
The 6th century AD, saw the Western
performing arts being largely ended. This would
lead to the beginning of the Dark Ages.
Between the 9th century and 14th century,
performing art in the West was limited to
religious historical enactments and morality
plays, organized by the Church in celebration of
holy days and other important events.
A typical play being staged during the medieval era: a pictorial rendition
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PICTURE COURTESY: WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/ROMANCE
Renaissance
In the 15th century performing arts, along with
the arts in general, saw a revival as the
Renaissance began in Italy and spread
throughout Europe plays, some of which
incorporated dance later going on to incept
ballets.
By the mid-16th century the use of
improvisation in plays had started in Europe.
This period also introduced the Elizabethan
masque, featuring music, dance and elaborate
costumes as well as professional theatrical
companies in England. William Shakespeare's
plays in the late 16th century developed from
this new class of professional performance.
In 1597, the first opera, ‘Dafne’ was performed
and throughout the 17th century, opera would
rapidly become the entertainment of choice for
the aristocracy in most of Europe, and
eventually for large numbers of people living in
cities and towns throughout Europe.
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PICTURE COURTESY: IMAGES.GOOGLE.COM/BLACK CROOK THEATRE
A present day advertisement of a ‘musical’: a form of performing art
Modern era
The introduction of the proscenium arch in Italy
during the 17th century established the
traditional theater form that persists to this
day. After this period, women began to appear
in both French and English plays. The French
introduced a formal dance instruction in the
late 17th century.
It is also during this time that the first plays
were performed in the American Colonies.
During the 18th century the introduction of the
popular opera ‘buffa’ brought opera to the
masses as an accessible form of
performance. Mozart's The Marriage of
Figaro and Don Giovanni are landmarks of the
late 18th century opera.
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At the turn of the 19th century Beethoven and
the Romantic movement ushered in a new era
that lead first to the spectacles of grand
opera and then to the great musical dramas
of Giuseppe Verdi and the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’
(total work of art) of the operas of Richard
Wagner leading directly to the music of the
20th century.
The present day ‘performing arts’ is diverse in
its variants. One of the most famous
performing arts today is ‘Broadway theatre’. It
is very popular in the west with a very loyal
audience base. Theatres these days involve
quite a lot of musicals.
Performance arts vis-à-vis stage shows and
concerts have also gained a lot of popularity.
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 “ The theatre, which is in no thing, but
makes use of everything: gestures,
sounds, words, screams, light, and
darkness. It rediscovers itself at
precisely the point where the mind
requires a language to express its
manifestations. To break through

”
language in order to touch life is to
create or recreate the theatre.
- Antonin Artaud
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Forms of performing arts

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PICTURE COURTESY: IMAGES.GOOGLE.COM/SALSA


P
erforming arts is a form of artistry that
encompasses dance, music, opera,
drama, theatre, circus arts, mimicry and
puppetry.
Let us now look into some of the performing
arts in detail:
Music
Music as a performing art mainly focuses on
two career paths, music performance (focused
on the orchestra and the concert hall)
and music education (training and education in
and about music). Students learn to
play instruments, but also study music
theory, musicology, history of
music and composition. In the arts tradition,
music is also used to broaden skills of non-
musicians by teaching skills such as
concentration and listening.
Puppetry, a traditional form of performing art being displayed
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Forms of performing arts -
Drama
Drama is the acting out stories in front of an
audience using combinations of speech,
gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle. In
addition to the standard narrative dialogue
style of plays, theatre takes such forms as
Musicals, opera, ballet, mime, classical Indian
dance, mummers' plays, stand up acts,
Improvisational theatre, Non-conventional
or Arthouse theatre.
Dance
Dance generally refers to the human movement
either used as a form of expression or
presented in a social, spiritual or performance
setting. Dance is also used to describe methods
of non-verbal communication between humans
or animals, motion in inanimate objects, and
certain musical forms or genres.
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13

A modern day theatre where Drama, a performing art is staged
Choreography is the art of making dances, and
the person who does this is called a
choreographer. Definitions of what constitutes
dance are dependent on social, cultural,
aesthetic artistic and moral constraints and
range from functional movement (such as Folk
dance) to codified, virtuoso techniques such
as ballet.
Artists who participate in performing arts in
front of an audience are called performers,
including actors, comedians, dancers,
musicians, and singers. Performing arts are also
supported by workers in related fields, such
as songwriting and stagecraft. Performers
often adapt their appearance, such as
with costumes and stage makeup, etc to make
their artistry more potent.
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There is also a specialized form of fine art in
which the artists perform their work live to an
audience. This is called Performance art. Most
performance art also involves some form of
plastic art, perhaps in the creation of props.
Stage shows, musical concerts, theatre are
essentially performance arts. These arts draw
their origins from performing arts.
The term "play-maker" refers to the fact that
the emphasis in plays is on the performers.
Troupes or companies of actors develop a
repertory of plays for performance. These
companies are still guild-like in their
organization, with a group of owner-actors,
journeymen and hirelings. The plays that are
performed were based on simple plots or
previous works, and a writer "makes" a play
more as a technical than a truly creative
process.
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 “ The theatre is the best way of
showing the gap between what is
said and what is seen to be done, and
that is why, ragged and gap-toothed
as it is, it has still a far healthier
potential than some poorer,
abandoned arts.

”
-David Hare

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Genres in performing arts

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PICTURE COURTESY: FICCI, THE INDIAN ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA INDUSTRY UNRAVELLING THE POTENTIAL 2006
 Genres in performing arts
Performing arts are an expression of emotions and feelings. Herein a constellation of thoughts
can be put across to an audience using the available modes of communications. Be it by
puppetry, mimicry or simple rendition of plays. A performing art pertains to one or more
genres. These can be romance, satire, comedy, tragicomedy, tragedy, lyric, drama, etc.

Drama
It is the specific mode of fiction
represented in performance. The
enactment of drama in theatre,
performed by actors on
a stage before an audience,
presupposes collaborative modes of
production and a collective form of
reception. Drama is often combined
with music and dance: the drama
in opera is sung throughout; musicals
include spoken dialogue and songs;
and some forms of drama have
regular musical accompaniment.
Tragicomedy
is fictional work that blends aspects
of the genres of tragedy and comedy.
In English literature,
from Shakespeare's time to the
nineteenth century, tragicomedy
referred to a serious play with a
happy ending or a serious play with
an unhappy ending, which however
may be filled with jokes throughout.
Satire
It is usually meant to be funny,
though its purpose is not primarily
humour but to attack on something
of which one strongly disapproves,
using the weapon of wit. A very
common, almost defining feature of
satire is its strong vein of irony
or sarcasm, but parody, burlesque,
exaggeration, juxtaposition,
comparison, analogy, and double
entendre are all frequently used.

Lyric Poetry
Tragedy usually refers nowadays to a short
poem that expresses personal feelings.
It need not be (but can be) set to
is a form of art based on human music.
suffering that offers its audience
pleasure. While most cultures have
developed forms that provoke this
Comedy
paradoxical response, tragedy refers is any humorous discourse generally
to a specific tradition of drama that intended to amuse, A later view
has played a unique and important characterizes it as a struggle between
role historically in the self-definition
a relatively powerless youth and the
of Western civilization. That tradition
has been multiple and discontinuous, societal conventions that pose
yet the term has often been used to obstacles to his hopes; in this sense,
invoke a powerful effect of cultural the youth is understood to be
identity and historical continuity. constrained by his lack of social
Romance authority, and is left with little choice
but to take recourse to ruses which
in the modern era refers to the
engender very dramatic irony which
relationship and romantic
provokes laughter. Much comedy
love between two people; these
contains variations on the elements
novels must have an "emotionally
of surprise, incongruity, conflict,
satisfying and optimistic ending. The
repetitiveness, and the effect
Romantic movement: larger-than-life
of opposite expectations.
heroes and heroines, drama and
adventure, marvels that may become
fantastic, themes of honor and
loyalty, or fairy-tale-like stories and
story settings.

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 “ The Opera is obviously the first draft
of a fine spectacle; it suggests the idea
of one.

- Jean de la Bruyère

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Performing arts in India

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PICTURE COURTESY: INDIATIMES.COM/SONU NIGAAM CONCERT/PERFORMING ARTS


Music and Dance:
Two classical types of music, Karnataka
(southern Indian) and Hindustani (northern
Indian) have been influenced
by bhakti (devotional) traditions that had been
introduced after the fifth century. The
Hindustani style was also influenced by Muslims
who invaded India from the north. The Muslims
Influenced the Hindustani instruments, styles
and schools of performance.
Dance has an important role in India as a part of
worship, a pastime and as a part of Sanskrit
dramas. Classical dance can be found in many
different forms; Manipuri, Kathak, Bharata
Natyam and Kathakali. The kathak style started
in northern India and with over a hundred ankle
bells on, its emphasis is on rhythmic footwork.
Manipuri, which began in Manipur, uses
graceful turning and swaying in its dances.
Faces made up to look like masks, along with
the use of mime are the characteristics of
Kathakali dance. Bharata natyam (based on
Dancers staging an Indian Dance form
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Performing arts in India -
the Natya Shastra) is probably the most
noteworthy dance form. This is the style that
comes to mind when Indian dance is mentioned.
It has graceful hand gestures, exacting
movements and facial expressions, each one
having its own meaning.
Theater and Films:
Theater (drama) has been around in India for
over a thousand years. The Sanskrit drama
blossomed during the Gupta Era (AD 320-550)
and the plays from that era are generally
secular. One of the dramas that survived
was Sakuntala, by Kalidasa, which is about
courtesans, kings and the court. Theater is
popular in Calcutta, but is struggling since the
arrival of television and movies.
More films come out of India than any other
country and written with a formula that is
expanded on with music and dancing. The
themes fluctuate from social to historical and
religious and the plots are rarely realistic.
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Music, an integral part of Indian culture; musicians play traditional musical instruments
Music
Love, humor, pathos, anger, heroism, terror,
disgust, wonder and serenity are the nava rasas
or nine basic emotions which are fundamental
to all Indian aesthetics. Indian musicians create
a variety of feelings. The melodious sounds of a
musical rendition can evoke the innermost
emotions and moods of the audience,
connoisseurs and non-connoisseurs alike.
Indian Musical tradition has two dominant
strains: the Carnatic or South Indian music and
the Hindustani or North Indian music. Both have
some features in common as their heritage is
essentially the same. However their ragas and
their articulation are usually distinctive. All
Indian musicians belong to a particular
gharana or school. Each gharana has its own
traditions and manner of rendition and these
styles are fiercely guarded and maintained.
Some of the well-known gharanas are those of
Delhi, Agra, Gwalior and Jaipur. Today, there is
a lot of interaction and concourse between
music from the north and that from the south.
Both styles are influencing each other and this
can only lead to an enrichment of the great
musical tradition of India.
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Dance
Using the body as a medium of communication,
the expression of dance is perhaps the most
intricate and developed, yet easily understood
art form. Dance in India has seeped into several
other realms like poetry, sculpture,
architecture, literature, music and theatre. All
forms of Indian classical dances owe allegiance
to Natya Shastra. It is said that Brahma, the
Creator, created Natya, taking literature from
the Rig Veda, song from the Sama Veda,
abhinaya or expression from the Yajur Veda
and rasa from the Atharvana Veda. It also
contains deliberations on the different kind of
postures, the mudras or hand formations and
their meanings, the kind of emotions and their
categorisation, not to mention the kind of
attire, the stage, the ornaments and even the
audience. All dance forms are thus structured
around the nine rasas or emotions, happiness,
anger, fear, disgust, sorrow, courage, serenity,
compassion, and wonder. All dance forms
follow the same hand gestures or hasta
mudras for each of these rasas. The dances
differ where the local genius has adapted it to
local demands and needs.
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 Dancers staging an Indian Dance form
Theatre
India has a longest and richest tradition in
theatre. Origin of Indian theatre is closely
related to the ancient rituals and seasonal
festivities of the country. The traditional
account in Natya Shastra gives a divine origin to
Indian Theatre.
According to legend, when the world passed
from the Golden Age to Silver Age, and people
became addicted to sensual pleasures, and
jealousy, anger, desire and greed filled their
hearts. God Indra, with the rest of the gods,
approached Brahma, the Creator of the
Universe, and begged for a mode of recreation
accessible to all classes of society. Brahma
acceded to this request and decided to
compose a fifth Veda on Natya. From the four
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Vedas he extracted the four elements of
speech, song, mime and sentiment and thus
created Natyaveda, the holy book of
dramaturgy. He asked Indra to pass the book to
those of the Gods who are skillful, learned, free
from stage fright and given to hard work. As
Indra pleaded the gods' inability to enact the
play, Brahma looked to Bharata and revealed
the fifth Veda to him by God Brahma himself.
Thus, when the dramatic art was well
comprehended, the first drama was enacted on
the auspicious occasion of Indra's Banner Day.
The Natya Shastra legend indicates an intimate
relation between the idea of dancing and
dramatic representation. Dance has an
important role in the birth of Indian theatre. As
dance is a function of life, even from the
primitive to the most cultured community,
drama finds a semi-religious origin from the art
of dancing
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 “ The theatre, for all its artifices, depicts
life in a sense more truly than history,
because the medium has a kindred
movement to that of real life, though
an artificial setting and form.

”
- George Santayana

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Theatre

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PICTURE COURTESY: FICCI, THE INDIAN ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA INDUSTRY UNRAVELLING THE POTENTIAL 2006

Theatre is defined as involving the art of acting
a part on stage that is the dramatic
impersonation of another character than
oneself. Theatre, in the early ages (534 B.C.),
started in Greece, migrated to Rome, and saw a
decline during the Middle Ages.
Greek theatre took place in large (the largest
ultimately held twenty thousand people)
hillside ampitheatres. The players included a
chorus and their leader, and the "lines" were
more chanted than spoken. The chorus
performed in the "orchestra", not on a raised
stage. The use of masks to represent characters
and high-soled boots worn to add height to the
players limited the movement of the actors.
Indeed, the concept of "actors" themselves was
not originally a part of Greek theatre, but was
developed as a consequence of certain
playwrights of particular genius.
Greek theatre was primarily ruled by two
genres namely, tragedy and comedy. As has
been true throughout the history of theatre,
the comedies, dependent on topical humor and
satire for much of their content, have not
survived the ages as well as tragedy -- which
deals with more universal themes. Tragedy was
at its height in Greek society when that society
was at its height, while comedy -- an outlet for
the frustrations of society
The decline of Greek government and society
coincided with the rise of the Roman Republic
and subsequent empire. The Romans borrowed
extensively from Greek theatre. Although
The ampitheatre- hillside location for staging theatre
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Theatre -
Roman theatre may not be held in the same
high esteem as that of the Greeks, we have
inherited much from the influence of the
Roman Theatre, including the word "play"
itself, which derives from a literal translation of
the Latin word ludus, which means recreation
or play. Roman theatre took two forms: Fabula
Palliata and Fabula Togata. Fabula Palliata was
primarily translations of Greek plays into Latin.
Performed drama in Rome consisted primarily
of Fabula Togata, as well as the spectacles of
the gladiators and chariot races made familiar
by modern Hollywood treatment of the Roman
Empire. Plays of a more serious literary nature
continued to be written, but these were not
intended to be performed so much as read or
recited. Although we have few works by Roman
playwrights surviving to us in forms that would
lend themselves to revival, the influence of the
Roman world on the form of the stage is one
which had more lasting effect. The semi-circular
orchestra of the Greek theatre came to be
eclipsed by the raised stage and the more
vigorous style of acting employed by the
performers. However, the greatest impact
Rome may have had on the theatre was to
lower it in the esteem of the Church -- an impact
that was to retard the growth of the dramatic
arts for several centuries. The theatres bent
toward low comedy and its mass appeal --
coupled with its association with the
entertainment of the arena (which involved the
martyrdom of early Christians) -- almost
certainly contributed to its disfavor by officials
of the early Christian Church.
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PICTURE COURTESY: FLICKR.COM
A modern day theatre drama being performed
Medieval theatre saw the Church itself
contributing to the preservation of theatre. It is
ironic that the Church, which caused theatres to
be outlawed as the Roman Empire declined and
then fell, was one of the primary means of
keeping theatre alive through the Middle Ages.
This resulted from the Church's need to
establish itself in the community -- a community
still steeped in pagan ritual and superstition
which manifested itself in seasonal festivals.
The Church ultimately linked its own religious
holidays with these seasonal festivals and
began to use dramatic form to illustrate the
stories underlying these holidays so as to
reinforce their religious connotation and to
better communicate the stories to an illiterate
congregation.
Ushered in the Renaissance in the 15th century,
which led to the rebirth of the theatre and its
domination by a playwright of genius. It is
during this period that theatre re-emerges from
the Church and becomes secular theatre --
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although it remains largely under the control of
the state, be that sovereign King or Republic.
During the 15th and 16th Centuries, European
Society was influenced by the Renaissance -- a
"rebirth" or rediscovery of the classical worlds
of Rome and Greece -- and by a movement
toward nationalism. The impact of these
changes on the theatre went beyond mere
secularization of an art form that had been
dominated for centuries by the Church.
The Renaissance, while having a major impact
on the other arts, had less influence on theatre
in England than in Italy, where classic Roman
plays were revived for performance. Of greater
impact was the Protestant Reformation and the
movement toward nationalism which
accompanied the Reformation. The emphasis
was on dialogue as opposed to blocking or
action, and the plays still had a moralistic tone.
The themes of religious virtue were replaced by
those of loyalty to government or to a stable
society.
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Elizabethan Theatre and Shakespeare
It was in this world that William Shakespeare
(1564-1616) wrote and acted in his plays in the
late 16th and early 17th Centuries. Elizabethan
and Jacobean theatre produced a number of
notable playwrights, including Christopher
Marlowe and Ben Jonson; but Shakespeare
towers above them. At this time, the plays
written and performed in England were still
presented in open-air theatres such as that
displayed at the top of this page.
Although Hamlet exhorts the actors in the play
of that name to be natural in their
performance, this would not be "natural"
acting in the way that term is understood
today. Shakespeare and his contemporaries did
encourage a more natural style of speaking, as
opposed to the declamatory demagogueing
then practiced by some, but was not likely an
advocate of the type of realism and natural
character portrayal that we see in today's
theatres.
Bulgarian National Theatre – still from the enactment of Romeo and Juliet
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Theatre -
Modern Theatre
It was at the time that women first began to
appear on stage, instead of female roles being
played by boys and young men. Although
theatres were again licensed and controlled by
the state, with the dawn of the 18th Century
approaching, it would not be long before the
echoes of the Republican period in England and
the influence of similar movements abroad
would force a broadening of theatre's appeal.
Theatre in the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries saw
the increasing commercialization of the art,
accompanied by technological innovations, the
introduction of serious critical review,
expansion of the subject matters portrayed to
include ordinary people, and an emphasis on
more natural forms of acting. Theatre, which
had been dominated by the Church for
centuries, and then by the tastes of monarchs
for more than 200 years, became accessible to
merchants, industrialists, the bourgeois and
then the masses.
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 “ Imagination is more important than
knowledge. Knowledge is limited.
Imagination encircles the world.

- Albert Einstein

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Circus

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PICTURE COURTESY: KOOZA- A form of Circus, picture: AAKRITI KAKKAR


From circus day in Pompey's Rome complete
with lions, pachyderms and performances
interspersed with chariot racing until modern
day Cirque de Soleil, circuses remain the most
enduring and endearing form of family
entertainment in the world.
Early Roman circuses, in keeping with the
morals of the day, featured wild and exciting
athletes who fought to the death for their
freedom; animal duels, daring equestrians and
spectacular chariot races that provided
entertainment for the gregarious Roman
population.
As the dark ages settled into Europe, circus was
forgotten. Groups of touring performers
presenting at marketplaces trained animals,
acrobatic feats and riders kept the circus fire
kindling in the hearts of people.
Out of the ashes the smoldering fire again
ignited next in Britain, when a British
cavalryman, Sergeant-Major Philip Astley, a
With a stream of uplifting songs with timeless influences where forms and styles intertwine seamlessly, the music of KOOZA is inspired by the sounds,
western pop culture, from 1970s funk to full orchestral arrangements. It also draws heavily on traditional Indian music.
of
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THE POWER OF PERFORMING ARTS
PICTURE COURTESY: KOOZA- A form of Circus, picture: AAKRITI KAKKAR
Circus -
much honored and talented officer of the
British Cavalry was smitten with the excitement
of performing fancy riding. After wandering
about the countryside showing in the typical
fashion of the day, Astley stopped near London
and roped off a field for his fancy riding
exhibition. Astley perfected the circus ring to
enhance his ability to stand on the back of a
cantering horse. Interrupting equestrian feats
with clown antics, a creation of Philip Astley,
became the formation of our modern circus.
Later Astley covered part of the ring with a
shed, then added seats. Astley soon learned the
intricacies of elaborate advertising, and with
increased popularity enlarged and improved his
now famous Amphitheater Riding School. Later,
adding tumbling, rope-dancing and juggling we
see the basic ingredients of the circus. A
competitor of Philip Astley, Charles Hughes was
not only famous for his English Royal Circus, but
also his ability to train first-class trick riders.
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PICTURE COURTESY: KOOZA- a form of Circus, picture: AAKRITI KAKKAR
The music of KOOZA beautifully demonstrates the spirit of the live show with its themes of human connection and fun in a worl d of duality.
After the War of 1812, the old style, permanent
equestrian type shows were generally replaced
by rolling shows that pitched their tents on
village greens. They were direct ancestors of
the tented circuses we love today. These were
basically all American in design and theory and
were started by Old Bet, an African elephant. In
1815 Hackaliah Bailey purchased Old Bet from a
sea captain for $1,000. Hackaliah had such
success in presenting Old Bet to the local
townspeople and farmers, he arranged to
purchase additional exotic animals from other
ship captains. Traveling at night to avoid free
spectators, Hackaliah exhibited in barns or
other buildings. "Uncle Nate" Howes acquired
temporary possession of Old Bet and exhibited
her in the first record of a round canvas top.
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The world and American grew and changed as
did the circus. From wagons, to trucks to trains,
the circus continues to reward innovation and
creativity. With an independent and capitalistic
approach to business, the circus represents
what is good and right with American spirit
even today. For two thousand years the fire of
the circus has burned deep in the hearts of
performers as well as audiences and will
continue to illuminate the world of
entertainment as it continues its' evolution
within the human spirit.
Young performers work in harmony and unison
to bring a new approach to the art of
contortionism. What sets this number apart is
the artists' innovations in movements and
position, their speed, and the way they work as
a team to create tableaux of sculptural beauty.
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 “ When power leads man towards
arrogance, poetry reminds him of his
limitations. When power narrows the
area of man's concern, poetry reminds
him of the richness and diversity of
existence. When power corrupts,
poetry cleanses.

”
- John F. Kennedy

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7
a

Dance

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PICTURE COURTESY: IMAGES.GOOGLE.COM/DANCE


Dance is the expression of human emotions
through the movements on a human body. It is
non-verbal, yet so figuratively refreshing. what
constitutes dance are dependent on social,
cultural, aesthetic,
artistic and moral constraints and range from
functional movement (such as folk dance)
to virtuoso techniques such as ballet. Dance is
participatory, social or performed for
an audience. It can also be ceremonial,
competitive or erotic. Dance movements may
be without significance in themselves, such as
in ballet or European folk dance, or have a
gestural vocabulary/symbolic system as in many
Asian dances. Dance can embody or express
ideas, emotions or tell a story.
Every dance, no matter what style, has
something in common. It not only involves
flexibility and body movement, but also physics.
If the proper physics is not taken into
consideration, injuries may occur.
The spectacle in ballet being displayed by some exquisite dancing
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PICTURE COURTESY: KOOZA- A form of Circus, picture: AAKRITI KAKKAR
Dance -
Latin dance typically includes dances originating
in Latin America and the Caribbean islands such
as cha cha
cha, rumba, samba, salsa, mambo, danza, mere
ngue, tumba, bachata, cumbia, and bolero.
Some dance instructors also
include tango and Argentine tango in this list,
although these differ from the rest in their
style. Dancing has evolved many styles. Break
dancing and Krumping are related to the hip
hop culture. African dance is interpretive.
Ballet, Ballroom, Waltz, and Tango are classical
styles of dance while Square and the Electric
Slide are forms of step dances.
Gymnastics, figure skating and synchronized
swimming are sports dance disciplines,
while martial arts kata are often compared to
dances. Motion in inanimate objects may also
be described as dances (the leaves danced in
the wind), and certain musical forms or genres.
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PICTURE COURTESY: IMAGES.GOOGLE.COM/DANCE
A typical dance step in ballet: a form of dance
Ballroom dancing
The second is a more formal usage, to describe
a category of International style ballroom
dances, also called Latin American
dances or International Latin. It consists of the
following five dances: rumba, samba, paso
doble, cha-cha-cha, jive.
The last two dances are not of Latin-American
origin, and dance teaching organisations have
used various terms. The ISTD (Imperial Society
of Teachers of Dancing) uses the phraseLatin
American Dance; the IDTA (International Dance
Teachers' Association) uses the term Latin; a
good compromise is Latin and American.
Comparison with English modern
(orInternational standard) ballroom dance is
not simple, but basically rests on the music, and
the fact that most latin dances are not
progressive (travelling) dances (the exception
being the samba), whereas all ballroom dances
progress round the ballroom anti-clockwise.
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Music for latin dance teaching is usually in 4/4
time, though in fact most Cuban music is
written in 2/4 time. This difficulty can be
overcome by teaching steps in groups of
four beats. Thus a typical Cuban dance of three
steps to four beats covers two bars of 2/4 music
or one bar of 4/4 music. Couples in the basic
position stand face-to-face, and the hold is
semi-open, as contrasted with the close hold of
ballroom dance. Music may be Latin American
or contemporary popular music; it is generally
strict-tempo: a consistent and (for teaching or
competition) a preset number of beats per
minute.
In Dance sport competitions, with their formal
classification of dance programs, the
International Latin class is subdivided
into Professional Latin and Amateur
Latin categories, as may be seen in competition
listings. Because these are carried out
separately for professionals and for amateurs.
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 “ I have no pleasure in any man who
despises music. It is no invention of
ours: it is a gift of God. I place it
next to theology. Satan hates
music: he knows how it drives the
evil spirit out of us.

”
- Martin Luther

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a

Other performing arts

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PICTURE COURTESY: IMAGES.GOOGLE.COM/DANCE

PICTURE COURTESY: IMAGES.GOOGLE.COM/STAGE PERFORMANCES
A singer performs on stage for a music concert
To many people in many cultures music is an
important part of their way of life
Music is an art form whose medium is sound.
Common elements of music are pitch (which
governs melody and harmony, rhythm (and its
associated concepts tempo, meter,
and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic
qualities of timbre and texture.
Music can be divided into genres and subgenres,
although the dividing lines and relationships
between music genres are often subtle,
sometimes open to individual interpretation,
and occasionally controversial. The
creation, performance, significance, and even
the definition of music vary according to culture
and social context.
Performance is the physical expression of
music. Often, a musical work is performed once
its structure and instrumentation are
satisfactory to its creators; however, as it gets
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music
performed, it can evolve and change. A
performance can either be rehearsed
or improvised Musicians will sometimes add
improvisation to a well-rehearsed idea to create
a unique performance.
Many cultures include strong traditions
of solo and performance, such as in Indian
classical music, and in the Western Art music
tradition. Other cultures, such as in Bali, include
strong traditions of group performance. All
cultures include a mixture of both, and
performance may range from improvised solo
playing for one's enjoyment to highly planned
and organised performance rituals such as the
modern classical concert, religious
processions, music festivals or music
competitions. Chamber music, which is music
for a small ensemble with only a few of each
type of instrument, is often seen as more
intimate than symphonic works.
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Puppetry is a unique form of performing art
where inanimate objects: puppets. These are
brought to life by blending a story into the art.
It is a very ancient art form, thought to have
originated about 30,000 years ago. Puppets
have been used since the earliest times to
animate and communicate the ideas and needs
of human societies. Most puppetry
involves storytelling. The impact of puppetry
depends on the process of transformation of
puppets, which has much in common with
magic and with play. Thus puppetry can create
complex and magical theatre with relatively
small resources.
Some historians claim that they pre-date actors
in theatre. There is evidence that they were
used in Egypt as early as 2000 BC when string-
The art of Japanese Puppetry on display
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PICTURE COURTESY: WWW.ASIANINTERSTAGE.COM SUMMER2008JAPAN
puppetry
operated figures of wood were manipulated to
perform the action of kneading bread. Wire
controlled, articulated puppets made of clay
and ivory have also been found in Egyptian
tombs. Hieroglyphs also describe 'walking
statues' being used in Ancient Egyptian religious
dramas. The oldest written record of puppetry
can be found in the written records of
Xenophon dating from around 422 B.C.
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance
which involves the manipulation of puppets.
Puppetry takes many forms but they all share
the process of animating inanimate performing
objects. Puppetry is used in almost all human
societies both as an entertainment – in
performance – and ceremonially in rituals and
celebrations such as carnivals.
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 PICTURE COURTESY: WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/MAGIC
The art of Magic: an illusion: an illustration
Magic is a "pseudo-science" in which postulated
a direct cause-effect relationship between the
magical act and the desired outcome. Practices
classified as magic include divination, astrology,
incantations, alchemy, sorcery, spirit mediation,
and necromancy.
The purpose of magic is to acquire knowledge,
power, love, or wealth; to heal or ward off
illness or danger; to cause harm to an enemy; to
reveal information; to induce spiritual
transformation; to trick; or to entertain. The
effectiveness of magic is often determined by
the condition and performance of the magician,
who is thought to have access to unseen forces
and special knowledge of the appropriate
words and actions to manipulate those forces.
Modern popular magic has appeared in the
realm of entertainment, generally as a plot
device in stories and movies, as tricks aimed at
children, and as mysterious sleight-of-hand
illusions in magic shows that delight the
audience’s sense perceptions and challenge
their reasoning ability.
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magic
Asian religious traditions such as Hinduism,
Buddhism, and Taoism teach that material life is
illusory. This mode of rationality focuses on
understanding the principles and spiritual
forces that lie behind physical experience.
Consequently, adepts in these traditions who
have achieved a level of understanding of these
cosmic forces often appear to have the ability
to manipulate physical reality in ways that seem
magical. The point of demonstrations by street
magicians and snake charmers in India is to
show the illusory quality of material reality in
order to draw attention to the universal,
timeless, and cosmic. Purposeful deception in
magic is thus used to illustrate the
deceptiveness of human apprehensions of
reality. The mystical component of magic is also
clear in Tantra and other esoteric and
nonconformist sects of Hinduism or Buddhism,
which use mystical words, symbols, and
diagrams in their rituals. Whether these
practices are magic or religion depends upon
one’s point of view.
40
 “ I have often seen an actor laugh off
the stage, but I don't remember ever
having seen one weep.

- Denis Diderot

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9 Conclusion

After foraying into so many kinds and genres of

performing arts, it becomes quite evident that there is
something in art that rises way above the realms of the
common mould. Art is unique, it is worship.

One also startles at the fact that geographically across

so many cultures, art has so much in common. A
Broadway theatre in Los Angeles, celebrates joy,
hysteria, love, passion and an array of other emotions. A
small play at a little known village of Lajpur in India
stages an act reflecting the joys of the parents when he
gets to see their child for the first time. Is there any
match between the too? Superficially there might be
none. Yet, both of them have an instant connect with
the hearts of the audiences. Perhaps therein lays the
victory of art. It is a mode to unify beings, to diffuse the
petty borders of indifference, to be a mascot of the
soul.

Art celebrates humanity. Rejoices at the human

triumph, mourns at its grievances, smiles at humour,
and reflects at spirituality. It is holistic yet so real.

Where else can one express all his emotions with such
clarity? Music, drama, theatre, circus, puppetry, magic
are all here to stay and perform the exemplary task of
the “unification of souls”!
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PERFORMING ARTS
ARTS
10 Bibliography
Mightier Than the Sword: Arts and Culture in the U.S.-Muslim
World Relationship June 2008
Cynthia P. Schneider
Kristina Nelson

britannica.com
History of magic theories

tctwebstage.com
Shakespeare.htm
Ancient.htm

Wikipedia.org

circusweb.com
circuswebFrames.html

cirquedusoleil.com
kooza
asianinterstage.com summer2006

flickr.com

Culture Kultura.com
Russian Influences on American Performing Arts Film

Indiaheritage.org
Indian Classical Dances, History Of Classical Dances, Performing
Classical Dance, India

Asianinfo.org
Performing arts in India

Cultureandtourism.org\

news.uns.purdue.edu

scribd.com

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