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Archive for the ‘Performing Arts’ Category

Shows in London

June 4th, 2010 | Author: meyereone

Property Developers Paralimni Cyprus

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The confluence of thoughts and ideas from across the world found a culmination in the city of London. In an empire where the sun never set, London not only gained a gradual strategic importance, but also found art and culture thriving and reigning in glory. The opening by Queen Elizabeth I of the Royal Exchange in 1566 marked the growth of the city in world importance, economically and culturally and placed the city in the limelight of cultural importance. It was the time when William Shakespeare wove magic with his wonderful plays. London shows became famous by the word of the mouth. People from all over the world traveled to see the display of genius minds. It was much later that London became the capital of the British Empire during the reign of Queen Victoria and emerged as one of the world’s foremost political, intellectual, and cultural centers.

Cut to the present world, times have changed. A technologically advanced society has given space to the evolution of art. One thing that has not changed is the magnanimous attitude of London to welcome the creation and the creator alike, not to forget about the admirer of course. When a paean to the hallowed Syd Barrett is sung in the form of Shine On You Crazy Diamond in the Earl’s Court, Wembley plays the notes of the mellifluous guitar. Co-existence, yes! That is how London has placed itself in the zenith of places where live shows are held. By shows, we not only mean gigs by famous bands or the rendition of famous plays. Some of the finest performances, be it in Ballet or Opera or Musical, have captured the imagination of thousands in London. Piccadilly and Leicester Square are household names when it comes to London shows .

Attending London shows for some may be a way of socializing. For others, it may be titillating the senses. Some people even find a panacea to all problems by simply attending a show and living in the moments. Hurt Until It Laughs or In the Mood for Dancing is just the piquant that one needs to have a memorable evening. The National Theatres around London provide some of the majestic moments in watching a play. La Dolce Vita with Viva Italia or The Asian Wedding Exhibition 2008 provides an insight into the cultural depths of Asia and Italy. Finding new friends and dating significantly ranks as one of the most popular events in London. Find your match in Speed Dating, London in the Red Hedgehog or the Clockwork Bar in London.

If you are in the mood for a sumptuous dinner, you are most welcome to visit 20s – 30s Sugar Hut Dinner Party for sexy cocktails and mingling at the low lit bar followed by a delicious Thai feast or Dinner Dana: Game of Love for a night of food, wine and love. Choose between Fashion Films or the Country Living Fair for a meet out. Catch a performance of Don Giovanni or La bohème at the Royal Opera House or The Coliseum if Opera is what your soul is looking for.

We could go on rambling about the events in London, as if we are on a tour of the galaxy. London caters to the palates of the artist to the architect, the serious traveler to the fun filled adventurer. Reading about the events of London and not seeing them for real is missing a lot. Let us help you guide through the by lanes, the labyrinths, the enigma called London.

Hi, this is Irina Moore from London for Event366 We have a catalogue of London Shows and events, customized to suit your desire. Please visit to find the latest happenings in London.

The Fine and Performing Arts & Education

May 31st, 2010 | Author: meyereone

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Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world. (Paulo Freire)

I see too many public service commercials-today-exhorting us to support the Performing and Fine Arts in public education. We, as a nation, have evidently become so low-brow, or unsophisticated, that we can no longer see the need for Art education in our schools. So now, we have our children pleading with us, on television commercials, to keep Art education alive. This is a sad state of affairs for us and our children, because art is what truly separates us from the beasts and allows us to rise above the mundane drudgery of life. As many others, I believe art should be at the center of education and not just because it’s good for us. Art stimulates a child’s cognitive and affective domains, as well as their motor skills, which leads to learning, discovery, creativity and motivation.

Academics are very important, of course, but too often they only stimulate a very small portion of the student’s mind and heart. There are three, basic domains of learning: the Cognitive (mind), Affective (emotions or feelings) and Motor-Skills (hands-on). These three domains are key to our thinking/reasoning, learning, problem solving and creating. A healthy mind (Cognitive) is capable of taking in, retaining and processing information, which can then be applied, if retained and used, to the individual’s life. Emotions and feelings (Affective) are closely connected to an individual’s learning, because they aid in retaining and applying information, as well as stimulating the desire to learn more. Seeing, hearing, speaking, the ability to write, walk and run are all part of the individual’s Motor-skills. Without these three domains, learning, needless to say, would be impossible. Reading, writing, math and the sciences stimulate the cognitive and motor skills domains quite effectively, but the affective is too often short changed.

If we think back to our school days, then we should be able to remember that the memorization of facts and successfully spitting them back out on tests was our main concern as students. This is very much a part of the learning process, and I’m not denying that, but where does the Affective domain play a significant part in this teaching process? In much of this way of learning the affective is absent, and-therefore-much of the educational material, which has just been learned, has no real application in the individual’s life and is forgotten. I remember very little about higher level math, the periodic table and scientific jargon. Why is that? It didn’t relate to my life nor touch me in a deep way. This is not to say that I, or anyone else, shouldn’t have taken math and science classes, but what I am saying is academics are less effective than they can be, because they tend to ignore the Affective domain.

I contend that the Arts use all three domains effectively, and they can-therefore-stimulate the student to apply, as well as retain, what they’ve learned. Creativity is key in this process. The Performing and Fine Arts have a distinct advantage-educationally-in their ability to allow students to create as they learn. In painting, students are in the process of creating at the same time they’re mixing colors and learning brush techniques. The same applies to sculpting and photography students. Many middle and high school music directors are-now-using computer programs to stimulate their students to compose as they learn to play and sing. Dance and theatre programs are examples, as well, of applying skills as their students learn. This artistic, educational process employs the cognitive and motor skills domains, but it also stimulates the affective. The art student experiences the sense of joy and satisfaction that comes from successfully learning, and then being able to immediately apply this knowledge in a very personal way. The Arts can enhance a student’s ability to express their emotions in a very positive way. These students have ownership of what they have learned and are able to express this ownership through creativity. The Performing or Fine Arts student is motivated-educationally-beyond just memorizing facts and passing tests, because they’re using their newly-acquired knowledge to express what lies deep in their heart and mind.

Surprisingly, the arts and sports have much in common, educationally. The basketball or football player, as well as the long-distant runner, learn their skills while applying them. The learning of physical techniques and immediate application reinforces the athlete’s desire to learn and perform even more. In team sports, such as football, baseball and basketball, the student athlete learns to work with others to produce a product, or team. The young athlete learns that the whole, or team, is greater than the sum of its parts, or players, as do dancers, actors, singers and instrumentalists. As in performing ensembles, these young athletes experience the joy that comes from accomplishing something special with others. They learn, in a very intimate way, responsibility towards others and that the team is dependent on the very weakest athlete, as well as the strongest and most gifted. There’s really very little difference between a football player and a band member, when it comes to being responsible and understanding that it takes everyone-involved-to be successful. This is such a valuable and wonderful lesson, and it is learned primarily, through the affective domain.

Educational collaboration between artistic disciplines is a great way for young artists to learn while they create. The pairing of young instrumentalists with dancers and visual artists, or actors with singers, can open up a whole new world of artistic exploration, discovery and creativity. These collaborations can become a great vehicle for learning and motivation, as any arts teacher who has experienced this process will testify. The educational process becomes more important than the outcome, or testing results, because it is in the process of exploration, discovery and creativity where learning really occurs. The educational outcome is secondary, because it is only used, in this case, to measure curricular goals. The motivation for and enjoying of learning comes through the process of collaboration, exploration, discovery and creating.

In academia, the emphasis-today-is placed more on the outcome, or testing and grades, which, in my estimation, is a huge mistake. Academic instructors could learn much from their counterparts in the arts. The government and its politically motivated, educational policies, of course, stands in the way of any successful, corrective change to academic teaching methods. Political agendas, such as, “No child left behind” are meaningless and worthless to students and teachers, because they’re not concerned, as they so hypocritically claim, with the success of the individual learner. Instead, these agendas are merely an attempt to soothe the fevered brows of unsatisfied constituents.

I will agree with academic teachers that their process seems to be more set in stone than with the arts, and the only real way they can measure educational outcomes is through testing. There has to be a way-however-to allow a math, science, English or history student to become more involved in the process of learning. English teachers have a distinct advantage, since they could use writing essays and poems to instill a sense of ownership in their students. Their students-then-could use their essays and poems to collaborate with young composers, actors and dancers, as an example. Even though it would be difficult, science, language and math teachers could also seek these same avenues for educational exploration, discovery and creativity, which would-then-hopefully-lead to a student’s retention/application, ownership and motivation. This, of course, will be impossible, as long as we allow our government to force academic teachers to teach-solely-towards the outcome, or “standardized” testing.

American students, every year, fall farther behind their counterparts around the world, academically and intellectually, while their parents and teachers continue to buy into the educational propaganda, which is spewed out by the American-political machine in Washington. Every year, Art education becomes less and less important in our schools, because of it’s effectiveness in producing students who can think, reason, question, learn and create. Realistically speaking, Art education may be perceived as a threat to those who run this country and desire a race of middle-class, mindless, unquestioning and unsophisticated robots.

Education is the responsibility of the parents first and foremost, and if parents aren’t capable or willing to fight for their children’s education, then I guess America is doomed. If I were a parent-today-there would be no way I could allow my child to be intellectually molested by our current, public-education system. My child would either be home-schooled, at best, or in a private education system.

The Roman Empire was one of the greatest and long lasting nations in the history of the world, and yet, as the Roman government declined, then so did its human values and arts. There is only one piece of music remaining, one mere fragment, after one thousand years of Roman culture. Rome literally disintegrated from within, because of a corrupt government and decaying society. The United States is less than two-hundred and fifty years old, and we’re already starting the lingering slide into governmental corruption, cultural ignorance and decay. Perhaps, it’s too late to save our society, but if it isn’t, then it’s time to start rebuilding what we have allowed to be torn down for the last one-hundred and fifty years. If it isn’t too late, then we must begin to rebuild our values and education system. Our values and education system may not have been perfect, in the past, but they were worthy of being fixed, properly.

Most successful, world cultures, throughout history, have been measured by the quality of their philosophers and artists far more than their forms of government and technological advances. If we disappear as a nation, in another century or so, what will we be remembered for? What will be our legacy to the world?

Art does not solve problems but makes us aware of their existence. It opens our eyes to see and our brain to imagine. (Magdalena Abakanowicz)

In my estimation, art is an integral part of being human and-therefore-is integral to human education. If we die to our affective inclinations, then we cease to be human in any real sense, and the results of this can be seen on MTV and its “Hip-Hop” generation. Money, material objects, self-absorbed egos, low-life affections and brutal power will never make us more human, if anything these extrinsic motivators will simply and affectively dehumanize us. “The one with the most toys in the end,” loses! Art education can help us to see ourselves, the world and-yes-God more clearly. We are more than flesh and blood, and our affective, as well as cognitive, attributes are exhorting us to remember this truth. The arts should be at the center of our children’s education, and our children shouldn’t have to plead with us to give them what they need and desire!

DB Williams
http://www.theoutsiderview.net/

Recommend : Christina Cahill Edna Holt Yvonne Turpin http://dinahaith.raccontimiei.it/

Posted in Performing Arts | Tags: Education, Performing | No Comments »

Directing the High School Play – Script Analysis

May 30th, 2010 | Author: meyereone

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PART TWO of this Directing the High School Play series will focus on Script Analysis. In the beginning, before the actors and the set and the blocking and the lights and sound and of course the audience, the director is alone with the play.

THE ONE WHO KNOWS

The script is chosen! What next? All forms of plays from the breeziest comedy to the absurd modern to the traditional classic benefit from some level of analysis. It can help even if you feel you’re strictly a rehearsal director. Because, in the high school play, the director has to be the ‘one in the know.’ That’s really what I mean by analysis – becoming the one who ‘knows’ the script inside out and backwards. In the professional world there are dramturgs to do research, there are motivated actors who study their characters, there are stage managers to list the props.

More often than not, all of those jobs have to be taken care of by the high school director. And even if you’re in a position to have students take care of things, or it’s part of their class work, you’ll still have to push them, be the adviser, still be the ‘one in the know.’ You have to know what it is the students are trying to achieve. If some of the work has taken place before rehearsals begin, so much the better.

For me, script analysis is always a great place to start. If I don’t have a clear vision for the production, studying the script opens a lot of creative doors. When I analyze a script I’m looking for anything that’s going to enhance the experience for all involved. Something that is going to help create a theatrical world.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE SCRIPT

Character Details: What are the character details in the script? What questions should students be able to answer about their characters? What does each character want? Do they get it? What changes happen to the characters? What do they sound like? What’s their background? Are the character details plentiful or thin?

Story Details: What are the main plot points? Is the story logical or absurd? Are there plot holes? Are there moments in the play mentioned but not dramatized?

The Structure: What does the structure say about the play? For example: repeating dialogue, out of the ordinary choice of words, change in tenses. Is the structure trying to make a point? Reflect a certain genre or time period or location? Are there words that might be mispronounced, or misunderstood?

The Conflict: What is the main conflict? How does each character react to the conflict?

Themes: Are they obvious? Subtle? More than one? Defining the themes will help you shape your vision for the play. How will the themes factor into the blocking patterns? Can you create pictures that demonstrate the themes? Is there a recurring symbol?

Images: What pictures come to mind when you read the play? What visuals can you create? Plays are more than just the words, they are about the images you can plant in the minds of the audience, the physical action of the characters. Is there a dominant colour or texture?

The Nitty Gritty: A list of props, sets, costumes specifically mentioned in the script. What do you absolutely need for the show?

Research: If there’s a specific time period, a specific historical event, specific pop culture references, all of these things need to be researched. It will reflect acting choices, design choices, directing choices.

The Biggies: What is the big problem trying to be solved? What is the biggest action of the story? What is the biggest action of each character? What is the climax? The highest point? The lowest point?

A SMALL DISCUSSION OF BEATS

Depending on what kind of director you are, script analysis may include defining the ‘beats’ in each scene. Some directors are very specific about outlining the beats, others not so much.

In my very limited high school theatre experience as a teenager I never heard of ‘the beat.’ No director ever had that discussion with me. In fact, I’ll go so far to say that in my limited university theatre experience I didn’t hear about ‘beats’ until my directing course. Even though I gradually became aware of them, as a director I’ve always focused on other elements.

Is it necessary to mark beats? Do students need to know about them? This depends on your own experiences as a director and the background of the students. If they’ve never heard of marking beats and you start down that path it won’t end well. It’s easy to get confused. Because everyone’s interpretation of a script can be different, beats can differ. I feel similarly about iambic pentameter – it’s something that can absolutely help but can also be a hindrance to the process.

Of course you can introduce students to something new, it can be a part of knowing your students’ theatrical background and your goals for the production. Maybe you discuss the beats for one scene. If they’ve never done it before, they certainly shouldn’t do it on their own.

A beat is: A single moment in the dramatic action of a scene. That means the actor has to take into account not only the physical action (character crosses the stage to pick up the phone) but the character action (what is the character doing to get what they want in the scene) and the emotional action (what emotions are in play) See, it can get complicated! A beat has a beginning, middle and end – it can be very short with just a couple of lines of dialogue or can take the whole scene.

How do I know when the beat’s over? The beat’s over when there’s a change in the action (e.g. the characters turn to a new subject, someone enters or exits, a problem is solved, a new problem begins, a change in emotion).

How many beats do scenes have? There’s no set answer. Anytime there’s a change, there’s a new beat.

Why are they important? It’s important for directors and actors to be on the same page when it comes to the rhythm and pace of a scene, and of the play as a whole. Marking beats helps to define the climax, and to know the action for each act, each scene, each moment.

How do I mark beats in the script? Slashes, brackets, stars – whatever works for you. Just be consistent.

PART THREE in this series on Directing the High School Play will focus on vision. How do you use a vision to your best advantage in the High School production?

Lindsay Price is the resident playwright for Theatrefolk, an independent publisher of playscripts for schools and student performers. http://www.theatrefolk.com

Friends Link : Beth Gillespie Angela Terrell Tina Sweeney http://barbaravasquez.temeculacountryliving.com/

Posted in Performing Arts | Tags: Analysis, Directing, School, Script | No Comments »

How to Become a Better Dancer

May 28th, 2010 | Author: meyereone

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Dancing is 90% confidence 10% technical form. Dancing is a matter of how you express yourself on the dance floor, and how you don’t need approval from others. It’s powerful. Girls love a guy that can dance and sometimes may be even intimidated by it. If you like to go clubbing and want to hit the dance clubs, there’s a lot of preparation that needs to take place.

If you are not comfortable dancing with other people, start by practicing by yourself in your room. Turn on some music and just let loose. The whole idea is to get yourself comfortable with yourself where you can start to feel confident. Just dance to what’s natural to you. Then find out what the newest songs are with a dance step to it. Go to youtube and look for other people who have recorded videos of themselves and other people dancing to those songs. Find someone that you want to emulate and make sure you emulate them 100%. Practice for days or even weeks until you got it down. After you do so, put your own twist and flavor into it. Don’t go to another song or another popular dance style until you have mastered it.

I believe that anyone can dance if you put your hear and soul into it. Record yourself dancing and play back later to see what you liked or didn’t like. The things you don’t like you can change and work on. Some popular dance steps are 2 step, The jerk, C-Walk, Krumping, Cupid Shuffle, etc. So once again here are the steps broken down to become an awesome dancer.

1. Pick a popular song you want to learn dance steps to

2. Find some Youtube popular videos of that song where someone is dancing to it. A high rated video would generally show that the population as a whole would say that person dances that dance step well.

3. Break down their dance step and practice in your room until you replicate it 100%

4. After you replicated it 100%, it’s time to add in your style to it. Keep practicing now with your style. You will dance it enough that you will know it so well that others will see your exuberance of confidence when you dance.

5. Pick another song once you’ve mastered it and repeat the process.

You want to be able to have a few dance moves in your arsenal for different songs. The thing about music is that almost all dance is transferable from one song to another. You can mix it all up, take parts here and there and transform it into an awesome dance.

In the end it’s all the practicing that you do beforehand that will give you the confidence you have when you dance. When someone practices a lot their confidence builds up, so when they get to the dance floor they don’t have to think. They just dance.

Anthony is an expert in the finance field including investments & mortgages. Check out one of this latest sites about Large Stuffed Animals. Come and visit it http://www.largestuffedanimal.org.

Recommend : Yvonne Turpin Edna Holt http://thegraphicsleague.com/antwanfranckowiak/ http://noradiego.prodesignblog.com/ http://berthakearns.writtenby.eu/

Posted in Performing Arts | Tags: Become, Better, Dancer | No Comments »

Theater of the Absurd and It’s Development

May 25th, 2010 | Author: meyereone

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Theater of the Absurd term was used for the plays written mainly in France from the mid-1940s to the 1950s. These works generally express the obvious absurdity of human existence by employing illogical situations, minimal plots, and unconventional dialogue.

The mood of absurdity was found in Ubu roi (Ubu the King) (1896; translated 1951), by French playwright Alfred Jarry. Because of its mocking of theatrical conventions and use of nonsense language, it is often considered as an early example of Theater of Absurd.

In 1940s, French thinkers such as Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre used the term absurd to show that human condition is essentially absurd and meaningless. British scholar Martin Esslin, in a 1961, used the phrase “theater of the absurd” keeping in mind several contemporary dramatists such as Irish-born playwright Samuel Beckett and French playwrights Eugène Ionesco, Jean Genet, and Arthur Adamov. They showed strong reaction against the traditional Western theatrical conventions, and rejected assumptions about logic, language, characterization, and plot.

Beckett’s En attendant Godot (1953; translated as Waiting for Godot, 1954) depicts two tramps waiting for a character named Godot. But they are not sure who Godot is, and whether he will show up to meet them, and whether he actually exists. Still, they spend day after day waiting for him and trying to realize the world in which they live. Beckett often reduced plot, character, and dialogue to a minimum with a view to highlight fundamental questions of human existence.

Ionesco’s La cantatrice chauve (1950; The Bald Soprano, 1956) has a circular structure which ends in the same manner it begins. The play portrays characters who are unable for true communication and seem to have no obvious purpose in their lives.

At first, the absurdist plays shocked audiences. But later on, their techniques became common. The influence of the theater of the absurd is seen on the contemporary playwrights such as American dramatists Edward Albee and Sam Shepard, British dramatists Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard.

Rakesh Patel is an aspiring poet, freelance writer, self-published author and teacher. Read his blog http://englishliterature99.wordpress.com

Posted in Performing Arts | Tags: Absurd, Development, Theater | No Comments »

The Listener’s Bible NIV

May 22nd, 2010 | Author: meyereone

The Listener’s Bible NIV A great listen – Samantha Fox –
Max’s voice is wonderful and he captures the spirit of the word he is speaking with such impact.
Yes, I highly recommend this version!
A must-have for those who can’t read it themselves.. – M. Foos –
We love it. Only issue I have is that, at times, the narrator sounds incredibly cheesy & it distracts from the point.
: All 66 books of the Bible, read dramatically and powerfully by Max McLean, celebrated stage presenter of the Bible. This 66-CD set comes with a leatherette carrying case which is perfect for your travels near and far. The recordings are all digitally mastered and come with a lifetime replacement guarantee. Bestselling author Chuck Swindoll says that these recordings of the Bible are, quite simply, “the best.”
The Listener’s Bible NIV

My Links : Jeanne Stack http://puroforma.com/alishamcchristian/ http://social.aleph2004.net/deborahivey/

Posted in Performing Arts | Tags: Listeners | No Comments »

Magic Tricks Revealed – The Vanishing Ace of Diamonds

May 20th, 2010 | Author: meyereone

Image : http://www.flickr.com

This is a great up close card trick that is perfect for any audience. It requires some practice, and a little bit of preparation, but once you know how to do it, it’s pretty simple. Of course, because it requires some set up, you can only perform this once. So it helps if you have a few other card tricks up your sleeve, so to speak. This works especially well for kids, both to perform for and to teach, as it doesn’t require any difficult sleight of hand maneuvers.

This is what this illusion will appear to your happy audience. You take three Aces: Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds. You fan them out, showing them to the audience. After that, place them on top the stack of cards, and mix them up several times to make sure they have been sent to various locations throughout the deck.

You then ask a volunteer to come up and search for the Ace of Diamonds. They will search in vain, as they won’t be able to find it. If you like, you can get another audience member to come up and look, but they too will be unsuccessful. Then you pull the Ace of Diamonds out of your shirt pocket. (Or your shoe, or under your hat, or wherever.)

Here’s how to set the trick up. First find all the Aces. Then put the Ace of Diamonds in your pocket (or shoe or wherever) beforehand. Then place the other Aces on top of the deck. When you hold out the aces, make sure the Ace of Hearts is between the two other Aces. If you position both other cards on either side of the Ace of Hearts, it will look like the Ace of Diamonds to the audience.

How you word this is important. If you saying about the Ace of Diamonds beforehand, they’ll be watching much more closely. If you begin only by picking out three Aces and naming them (Clubs, Spades, And Diamonds) they’ll take your word for it.

A great way to do this is while you are mixing up the cards, tell some long convoluted story about the history of cards, and diamonds, and how they were always vanishing due to their metaphysical nature, or something else that you can make up on the spot. That way, when they start thinking about the Ace of Diamonds, it will already be hidden someplace in the deck, or so they think. Have fun with this trick.

For more easy to learn and powerfully impressive magic tricks and psychic illusions, head on over to magic tricks revealed today.

Visit : Suzanne Ralph http://velmawindle.sanspubs.com/

Posted in Performing Arts | Tags: Diamonds, Revealed, Tricks, Vanishing | No Comments »

Enhance Your Acting Performance by Making Meaning

May 18th, 2010 | Author: meyereone

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Finding meaning in creative work is deeply important for actors and other artists. Many, if not most, actors are not able to work as much as they passionately want to, or get the acclaim for their performances that would assure them they are doing something of real value.

Conscious choices to make their work – and their life away from work – mean something can fuel an artist’s creative expression and power.

One thing that can deflate energy and power is depression, which can be brought on by a lack of meaning.

Therapist and creativity coach Eric Maisel, Ph.D. emphasizes the need for creative people to nurture meaning to stay on top of depression.

In his book The Van Gogh Blues: The Creative Person’s Path Through Depression, Dr. Maisel notes that most creators “feel miserable if few or none of their creative efforts succeed.”

He noted in my interview with him that lack of success and recognition are “profound meaning crises that must be addressed with all of our heart and all of our energy.”

Creativity coach and author Jill Badonsky points out that a talented artist who does not express belief and confidence in themselves can flounder, and someone less talented but with that belief can flourish.

Part of what makes anyone confident in what they do is a feeling that it is meaningful. Maybe that is especially true of actors and other performers.

Mare Winningham commented about playing Amanda in a stage production of Tennessee Williams’ classic “The Glass Menagerie” (at the Old Globe in San Diego) that it has been rare for her to find such deep, complex roles.

She said, “So often during the last 30 years, you’re trying to make something better than it is. You’re trying to find richness where there isn’t any. You’re trying to find complexity where there is none. You’re trying to make something more than it is. Here, you don’t have to do that. It actually makes it easier that Amanda is so multifaceted. It’s a welcome relief.”

And probably more than a relief, that sense of meaning energizes and inspires.

Gabriel Byrne comments, “So many actors feel that their work is themselves, and if they’re not working, they’re somehow kind of worthless, then life doesn’t have any meaning because they’re not doing the thing that they love. But the lesson I’ve learned is that life comes first and acting comes second.”

He thinks it is vital to keep developing other skills and interests beyond acting: “To read, to go to movies, to not lose faith in yourself, to not despair, to not doubt, and to keep a regular discipline in your life.”

And if the quality of acting roles (when you can land them) is not providing enough meaning, other forms of creativity can. Winningham, for example, also expresses her talents through singing and songwriting.

In addition to acting and directing, Dennis Hopper is a photographer and painter. He has said, “Like all artists I want to cheat death a little and contribute something to the next generation.”

But Eric Maisel warns that nurturing meaning is not just seeking out peak moments or grand significance. He notes people have to do many things that may have no strong meaning in themselves, like sending out headshots or helping get publicity for a community theater production.

Those activities can be part of your meaning-making efforts, to support the creative work you believe in. It isn’t a matter so much of finding meaning, but of actively making it, to keep you energized and inspired.

For more on the personal and psychological aspects of acting, see The Inner Actor http://theinneractor.com

For more on the psychology of creativity, see Talent Development Resources http://talentdevelop.com

Visit : Beth Gillespie Jacqueline Wilkinson http://t20talk.com/robertaconnor/ http://realestatebarcamp.org/joycefulton/

Posted in Performing Arts | Tags: Acting, Enhance, Making, Meaning, Performance | No Comments »

Arts Marketing Insights: The Dynamics of Building and Retaining Performing Arts Audiences

May 16th, 2010 | Author: meyereone

Arts Marketing Insights: The Dynamics of Building and Retaining Performing Arts Audiences Arts Marketing – Siobhan Mc Carthy – Ireland
As a teacher of Arts Marketing , I found this book to be invaluable. Definitely the best text in this area I have come across. The author clearly has in depth experience of the arts and the book is well laid out and easy to read. The case studies in the text of various arts organisations really help to explain aspects of Arts marketing. A great read!
Great cases, fantastic resource – Development Professional – New York, NY
A truly great resource for arts professionals at all points in their careers. Bernstein uses engaging stories to bring to life principles of marketing. Her experience is evident.
: Audience behavior began to shift dramatically in the mid 1990s. Since then, people have become more spontaneous in purchasing tickets and increasingly prefer selecting specific programs to attend rather than buying a subscription series. Arts attenders also expect more responsive customer service than ever before. Because of these and other factors, many audience development strategies that sustained nonprofit arts organizations in the past are no longer dependable and performing arts marketers face many new challenges in their efforts to build and retain their audiences. Arts organizations must learn how to be relevant to the changing lifestyles, needs, interests, and preferences of their current and potential audiences.

Arts Marketing Insights offers managers, board members, professors, and students of arts management the ideas and information they need to market effectively and efficiently to customers today and into the future. In this book, Joanne Scheff Bernstein helps readers to understand performing arts audiences, conduct research, and provide excellent customer service. She demonstrates that arts organizations can benefit by expanding the meaning of “valuable customer” to include single-ticket buyers. She offers guidance on long-range marketing planning and helps readers understand how to leverage the Internet and e-mail as powerful marketing channels. Bernstein presents vivid case studies and examples that illustrate her strategic principles in action from organizations large and small in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and other countries.
Arts Marketing Insights: The Dynamics of Building and Retaining Performing Arts Audiences

Tags : Suzanne Ralph Marilyn Paige http://blog.surfezy.com/zackaryallanson/ http://margueriteberglund.queerup.ch/ http://nanmongeau.easyworldwidemall.com/

Posted in Performing Arts | Tags: Audiences, Building, Dynamics, Insights, Marketing, Performing, Retaining | No Comments »

Hawaii Arts Season

May 9th, 2010 | Author: meyereone

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Hula, danced beachside while tiki torches are lit by an athletic Hawaiian boy and a tenor sings Lovely Hula Hands at sunset. Galleries filled with carved tiki figures and predictable watercolor paintings of reef fish or plumeria blossoms. Think this is all you can expect from the arts in Hawaii? If so, you have a real treat in store. What Honolulu and the other islands have to offer is a thriving, exciting, and diverse arts community. There is something for everyone and many things that are totally unexpected.

The inaugural “Hawaii Arts Season” has been set for February 27 to May 2, 2004. But, in reality the “arts season” in the islands is year round. The 2004 “Season,” supported by the Hawaii Tourism Authority and promoted by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, is a tenweek period packed with a diverse selection of art and cultural events. The goal is to etch Hawaii Opera Theatre, the Honolulu Symphony, world-class art museums, multi-ethnic cultural festivals, Broadway-quality productions, internationally acclaimed film festivals, and the many hidden gems firmly into the minds of lovers of the arts. Sun, sand, surf in Hawaii are the best. Add the arts and you have a truly cosmopolitan destination.

Performing Arts

As Diamond Head Theatre heads into its 90th year of continuous operation (Swing!), Army Community Theater (Kiss Me Kate) has another great season, and Manoa Valley Theater (Copacabana) also continues sold out shows, it is a sure bet that you can catch great musicals, comedies and drama on one Honolulu stage or another, any weekend. The lure of warmth and sunshine brings many Broadway performers and directors to do shows in the islands. Other theater companies, like Honolulu Theater For Youth, The Actors Group at the Yellow Brick Studio and TShirt Theatre, produce high quality, innovative, original and traditional shows. In addition to the regular theater locations, productions are frequently offered in art galleries and museums, college stages, churches, schools and even outdoor street venues. A do not-miss is The Arts at Marks Garage, right in the heart of Honolulu China Town, where performance art and fine art are a regular combination. The 40-page TGIF section of the Friday newspaper has complete listings for all shows, including numerous free public performances. Each neighbor island has one or more theater companies.

The “official” Arts Season opens, February 27, with the Hawaii Opera Theatre’s “Merry Widow.” In March the Honolulu Symphonys Masters Series hosts master flutist Sir James Galway. In April, at the Polynesian Cultural Center Amphitheater, audiences will be enthralled by the Whakataetae Maori Song and Dance Competition. On May First, “Lei Day” in the islands, the Waikiki Shell blossoms with the annual lei making competition and the 25th-plus year performance of the Brothers Cazimero classic Hawaiian music concert.

Every Sunday, at 2 p.m. Na Mea Hawaii at Ward Warehouse offers a showcase of traditional and contemporary Hawaiian entertainers in a free concert. Another great spot for entertaiment are the Sunday concerts at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand at the base of Diamond Head in Waikiki. The hundred-plus year old Royal Hawaiian Band plays and hula groups dance, often ollowed by a variety of multiethnic cultural performances.

With exceptional performance venues like the Waikiki Shell, the Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall, the historic Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu, and the Maui Arts and Cultural Center available, the entire state hosts productions by some of the worlds best performing arts companies and performers. Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin, the African world music legend Baaba Maal, the Colorado String Quartet, Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal, and the CHI Chinese Circus are on the calendar for spring of 2004.

This article is sponsored by: www.grouptravelblog.com

The author is in Travel industry and want to aware people about the different travel destinations of unites states of america.

Posted in Performing Arts | Tags: Hawaii, Season | No Comments »