There are people in the entertainment industry of the school of thought that there are only three forms of performing arts: Dance, Music, and SERIOUS Drama. Comedic genres of performing arts are far from an exception in their mind. At The Oscars, if it’s toss up between a serious drama or a comedy (the comedy of being equal or greater quality to the viewers), the award will always go to the serious movie. As a culture, bad news sells and the good is usually scoffed to the side as a feature. Saying Music, Dance, and Serious Drama are the only arts couldn’t be further than the truth. In reality, all the performing arts are equally valid and carry the same amount of weight.
What is a performing art? It’s the expression of ideas in an entertaining (usually) manner for an audience in a theatrical performance. By theatrical performance, it is implied the show could take place anywhere. Even the smallest of restaurant tables is a stage. Some theatre companies perform in gymnasiums and prisons. Theatre is in the mind of the viewer — it’s not a building.
All performing arts are equal and are to of the same caliber. Mime, for example, is just as much of an art as the most serious of ballet performances. In any art, there is a great drive on the artist’s behalf to create an experience that will stick with audiences for years to come. Magic is no exception. The biggest of producers and presenters know that magic connects to their patrons as top performers make millions every year, rivaling the pay of the biggest rockstars. Magic, at it’s core, is about taking people out of their everyday and into another world. At times, the illusionist will have fun (some shudder to think of such an idea). Of all the arts, magic is one of the biggest incorporators other arts and can be adapted for anything. My evening show, for instance, introduces modern dance to magic and combines “theatre of the mind” audio storytelling elements with the visual aspects of theatre choreographed to music.
I challenge anyone to look into the art forms that vivdly touch each and every single one of us with tales of truth and a way to diverge us from our everyday. Sometimes it’s a more light-hearted type of performance that will connect the audience and better meet their needs. As presenters, this is why we do what we do.
