Episode 96: Go See a Show
Living in the digital age, it seems many people no longer consume live theater or performances. What are they missing out on? We discuss the benefits of going to live performances, when to begin taking kids to performances, where to find performances, the best season for performances, and fun local examples.
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Scoop on the Coop
Mandi is reading Trumpet of the Swan with her kids and loving it! Jessica’s Nutcracker season is well underway! She only has about 5 more rehearsals until theater week.
Topic
Living in the digital age, it seems many people no longer consume live theater or performances. What are they missing out on?
Previously, in Episode 31: Music and Movement, we discuss the benefits of participating in performing arts. In this episode, we focus on viewing performing arts.
What are Performing Arts?
Music - live bands, choirs, symphony orchestras
Dance
Theater
Installations blending visual and performing arts
Benefits of Live Performance
Deeper Understanding: “The focus in theater is more on the gestures, facial expressions and actions of the characters — that is, on the acting — than on aggressive special effects such as in the film, which means that we are far less distracted or irritated by the events themselves.”
(Study) Researchers from the University of Arkansas’ Department of Education Reform found that pupils who watched the theatre production of a play gained significantly enhanced knowledge (58 percent increase from standard deviation of the group tested) compared to those who had simply read the script or watched a film version.
Improves Attention Ability - learning to focus for an hour or two without a device is an important skill
Opens the Mind and Imagination - think about any theater productions you may have seen. They are limited in the scenes and sets they can use to tell their story. It requires some open mindedness and imagination of the audience.
Theater makes immediacy tangible (the quality of bringing one into direct and instant involvement with something, giving rise to a sense of urgency or excitement.)
Promotes Emotional Experience - as before, without the distraction of so many special effects found in movies and recorded productions, the audience really focuses in on the performers and they are trying to communicate
Empathy - you can see the rawness in live performance whether it’s an emotional delivery or watching a performer make a mistake and then keep going.
What Age Should Kids Start Attending Live Performances
As early as possible! I started taking my kids to performances as babies. I’d wear them in the carrier and sit on the aisle for easy exits if necessary. Toddlers can be harder to take to live performances, but they aren’t all equal! Toddlers may enjoy live music, especially in casual settings like the library, a restaurant, or other local public venues. Then, when they get to age 4 or 5, many performances can be quite engaging! Young children especially like watching other children, so this is a great time to see local youth productions. As they age and their exposure to a wider array of literature, musicals, music, and dance will make it fun to see them in live performances. For instance, a local college is performing James and the Giant Peach - the musical, perfect for early elementary children to see if they’ve read and enjoyed the book!
How to Get Kids to Engage in Live Performance
Study the content ahead of time to help inspire interest (ex. Seeing a play: read the book first; going to a symphony, watch a recorded to version or read My First Orchestra book to introduce
Make it an exciting event:
Get dressed up - wear fancy clothes, or dress on theme
Go out to dinner first or dessert after
Bring someone special (grandma, a friend)
Where to Find Performances
Community Productions
Local Professional Companies
Touring Companies
Build in seeing performances when traveling
Best Time for Performances
All year round! Really, it depends on what you have available in your area. Many professional companies launch their programs in late winter or early spring. In summer, many companies perform at outdoor venues, which is a really fun experience.
My husband and I made it a point to invest in the performing arts this summer and went to several San Diego Symphony concerts at their outdoor venue on the Bay. It was spectacular! We even took our oldest to a showing of Harry Potter 7 where the symphony accompanied the movie live.
Fall/Winter tend to be great for seasonal, holiday shows! Make a new tradition of seeing an annual Christmas performance whether it’s the symphony, a choir, the Nutcracker, or A Christmas Carol!
Local Suggestions
San Diego County happens to have access to a LOT of performing arts, and for those willing to drive just another 1 to 3 hours opens up all of Orange and LA County. Within Southern California, we have access to more local productions, youth productions, and professional productions than we could possibly consume.
My suggestions:
How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the Old Globe runs Nov 9th - Dec 31st - the venue is spectacular, it’s modeled after Shakespeare’s Old Globe in London and was built in 1935. This is the 25th anniversary of the Grinch premiering! Such a fun tradition
The American Ballet Theater (ABT)’s Nutcracker in Costa Mesa runs Dec 9-18th - Professional Company members from the prestigious company based in New York come out here to perform. We’ve seen Misty Copeland and several other amazing soloists. The performance is accompanied live by the Pacific Symphony
The San Diego Symphony’s annual performance of Noel Noel at the outdoor venue - the venue is spectacular, dress warm and get there early for festive activities and themed food and drink!
Taking in live performances is becoming a lost art. There can be many barriers to going:
Expensive
Inconvenient
Uncomfortable
It’s always easy to make an excuse, but I think there is so much to be gained by going to live performances! Find ways to get past those barriers whether it’s finding discounted tickets (I have a friend who wins so many concert tickets through the radio!), or finding matinees that fit in better with a child’s schedule.
Coop Q & A
Question: How can I encourage my 5 year old to take her ballet performances more seriously? She loves to dance but always seems behind her classmates and never wants to practice at home.
Answer: You have a few options:
Let it go - if she enjoys it, then don’t worry about it. As a dance educator, most of us are aware of our students and their strengths and weaknesses. It should all be fun at 5 years old and they will develop the skills needed to perform “better” as they age. Skills like:
Musicality
Rhythm
Memory
Motor Skill
Performing Anxiety
Attention
Expose her to more performances! Make an effort to take her to live dance performances. It can be so inspiring! It may encourage her to want to practice more and “take it more seriously.”
As a homeschooler, incorporate arts education into your studies. Do artist studies of famous dancers, choreographers and composers. Watch video biographies or videos of those artists performing. I love:
Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova - it’s beautifully illustrated and a touching story of the famous ballerina
Tchaikovsky Discovers America audio production - a fun telling of how he composed some of the best known pieces of classical music (most of them ballets like: Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and the Nutcracker)
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