The performing arts are
arts such as
music
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
,
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, and
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
which are performed for an audience. They are different from the
visual arts
The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...
, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static
art objects. Performing arts include a range of disciplines which are performed in front of a live audience, including theatre, music, and dance.
Theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
, music, gymnastics,
object manipulation, and other kinds of performances are present in all human cultures. The
history of music and
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
date to
pre-historic times whereas
circus skills date to at least
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
. Many performing arts are performed professionally. Performance can be in purpose-built buildings, such as theatres and opera houses; on open air stages at festivals; on stages in tents, as in circuses; or on the street.
Live performances before an audience are a form of entertainment. The development of
audio and
video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
recording has allowed for private consumption of the performing arts. The performing arts often aim to express emotions or feelings.
Performers

Artists who participate in performing arts in front of an audience are called performers. Examples of these include
actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
s,
comedians,
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
rs,
magicians,
circus artists,
musicians, and
singers. Performing arts are also supported by workers in related fields, such as
songwriting, choreography and
stagecraft
Stagecraft is a technical aspect of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes constructing and rigging scenery; hanging and focusing of lighting; design and procurement of costumes; make-up; stage management; audio engineering; ...
. Performers often adapt their
appearance, such as with
costumes and
stage makeup,
stage lighting, and sound.
Types
Performing arts may include dance, music, opera, theatre and musical theatre,
magic,
illusion,
mime,
spoken word,
puppetry,
circus arts,
stand-up comedy,
improv,
professional wrestling and
performance art.
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. Dance was often referred to as a
plastic art during the
modern dance era.
Theatre
Theatre is the branch of performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience, using a combination of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound, and spectacle. Any one or more of these elements is considered performing arts. In addition to the standard narrative dialogue style of plays, theater takes such forms as plays, musicals, opera, ballet,
illusion,
mime,
classical Indian dance,
kabuki
is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...
,
mummers' plays,
improvisational theatre, comedy,
pantomime, and non-conventional or contemporary forms like
postmodern theatre,
postdramatic theatre, or performance art.
Dance

In the context of performing arts, dance generally refers to human
movement, typically rhythmic and to music, used as a form of audience entertainment in a performance setting. Definitions of what constitutes dance are dependent on
social,
cultural
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
,
aesthetic,
artistic, and moral constraints and range from functional movement (such as
folk dance) to codified, virtuoso techniques such as
ballet.
There is one another modern form of dance that emerged in 19th- 20th century with the name of
free dance style. This form of dance was structured to create a harmonious personality which included features such as physical and spiritual freedom.
Isadora Duncan was the first female dancer who argued about "woman of future" and developed novel vector of choreography using
Nietzsche's idea of "supreme mind in free mind".
Dance is a powerful impulse, but the art of dance is that impulse channeled by skillful performers into something that becomes intensely expressive and that may delight spectators who feel no wish to dance themselves. These two concepts of the art of dance—dance as a powerful impulse and dance as a skillfully choreographed art practiced largely by a professional few—are the two most important connecting ideas running through any consideration of the subject. In dance, the connection between the two concepts is stronger than in some other arts, and neither can exist without the other.
Choreography is the art of making dances, and the person who practices this art is called a choreographer.
Music
Music is an art form which combines
pitch, rhythm, and
dynamic to create sound. It can be performed using a variety of instruments and styles and is divided into genres such as
folk,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
hip hop, pop, and rock, etc. As an art form, music can occur in live or recorded formats, and can be
planned or
improvised.
As music is a
protean art, it easily coordinates with words for songs as physical movements do in dance. Moreover, it has a capability of shaping human behaviors as it impacts our emotions.
History
Western performing arts
Starting in the 6th century BC, the
Classical period of performing art began in
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
, ushered in by the tragic poets such as
Sophocles. These poets wrote plays which, in some cases, incorporated dance (see
Euripides). The
Hellenistic period
In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...
began the widespread use of comedy.
However, by the 6th century AD, Western performing arts had been largely ended as the
Dark Ages began. Between the 9th century and 14th century, performing art in the West was limited to
religious
Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
historical enactments and
morality plays, organized by the
Church in celebration of holy days and other important events.
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, which were performed and
Domenico da Piacenza credited with the first use of the term ''ballo'' (in ''De Arte Saltandi et Choreas Ducendi'') instead of ''danza'' (dance) for his ''baletti'' or ''balli''. The term eventually became ''
Ballet''. The first Ballet ''per se'' is thought to be
Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx's
Ballet Comique de la Reine (1581).
By the mid-16th century
Commedia Dell'arte became popular in Europe, introducing the use of
improvisation. This period also introduced the
Elizabethan masque, featuring music, dance and elaborate costumes as well as professional theatrical companies in England.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
'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
Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats.
Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense Economy, economic, Politics, political, and soc ...
in most of Europe, and eventually for large numbers of people living in cities and towns throughout Europe.
Modern era
The introduction of the
proscenium arch in Italy during the 17th century established the traditional theatre form that persists to this day. Meanwhile, in England, the
Puritans forbade acting, bringing a halt to performing arts that lasted until 1660. After that, 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
Opera buffa (, "comic opera"; : ''opere buffe'') is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ''commedia in musica'', ''commedia per musica'', ''dramma bernesc ...
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.
At the turn of the 19th century,
Beethoven and the
Romantic movement ushered in a new era that led first to the spectacles of
grand opera and then to the musical dramas of
Giuseppe Verdi and the ''
Gesamtkunstwerk'' (total work of art) of the operas of
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
leading directly to the music of the 20th century.
The 19th century was a period of growth for the performing arts for all social classes, technical advances such as the introduction of
gaslight to theatres,
burlesque, minstrel dancing, and variety theatre. In ballet, women make great progress in the previously male-dominated art.
Modern dance began in the late 19th century and early 20th century in response to the restrictions of traditional ballet.
The arrival of
Sergei Diaghilev's
Ballets Russes (1909–1929) revolutionized ballet and the performing arts generally throughout the Western world, most importantly through Diaghilev's emphasis on collaboration, which brought choreographers, dancers, set designers/artists, composers and musicians together to revitalize and revolutionize ballet. It is extremely complex.
Konstantin Stanislavski's
"System" revolutionized acting in the early 20th century, and continues to have a major influence on actors of stage and screen to the current day. Both
impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
and modern realism were introduced to the stage during this period.
With the invention of the motion picture in the late 19th century by
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...
and the growth of the
motion picture industry in Hollywood in the early 20th century,
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
became a dominant performance medium throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Rhythm and blues, a cultural phenomenon of black America, rose to prominence in the early 20th century, influencing a range of later popular music styles internationally.
In the 1930s
Jean Rosenthal introduced what would become modern
stage lighting, changing the nature of the stage as the
Broadway musical became a phenomenon in the United States.
Postwar
Post-World War II performing arts were highlighted by the resurgence of both ballet and opera in the Western world.
Postmodernism dominated the performing arts during the 1970s and the 1980s.
African performing arts
Indigenous African performance traditions are rooted in
ritual
A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...
, storytelling,
movement, and
music
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
. Performances were communal with the storytellers and audience interacting and participating in
call and response, which is characterized by a vocalist singing a phrase that is then echoed or responded to with a new phrase by the other performers and/or audience. This ancient tradition is rooted in many African cultures.
North Africa
The earliest recorded theatrical event dates back to 2000 BC with the ceremonial plays of
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
. The story of the god
Osiris was performed annually at festivals throughout the civilization, marking the known beginning of a long relationship between theatre and religion. The
Dramatic Ramesseum Papyrus, the oldest surviving illustrated papyrus details the performance during the
Sed Festival and has been used as evidence of the birth of theatrical tradition, which western scholars often attribute to ancient Greece.
West Africa
A
Griot is a West African oral historian who uses storytelling, poetry, and music to express the genealogies and historical narratives of the tribes they represent, often playing instruments such as the
kora. This ancient profession is upheld in a position of community leadership.
Eastern performing arts
West Asia
The most popular forms of theater in the
medieval Islamic world were
puppet
A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in anci ...
theatre (which included hand puppets,
shadow plays and
marionette productions) and live passion plays known as ''ta'ziya'', where actors re-enact episodes from
Muslim history. In particular,
Shia Islam
Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...
ic plays revolved around the ''
shaheed'' (martyrdom) of
Ali's sons
Hasan ibn Ali and
Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali (; 11 January 626 – 10 October 680 Common Era, CE) was a social, political and religious leader in early medieval Arabia. The grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and an Alids, Alid (the son of Ali ibn Abu Talib ibn Abd a ...
. It commonly refers to passion plays about the
battle of Karbala and its prior and subsequent events.
Sir Lewis Pelly begins the preface of his book about Ta'zieh maintaining that "If the success of a drama is to be measured by the effects
which it produces upon the people for whom it is composed, or upon the audiences before whom it is represented, no play has ever surpassed the tragedy known in the Mussulman world as that of
Hasan and
Husain Husain, a variant spelling of Hussein, is a common Arabic name, especially among Muslims because of the status of Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali (; 11 January 626 – 10 October 680 Common Era, CE) was a social, political and religious leader ...
."
Years later Peter Chelkowski, professor of Iranian and Islamic studies at
NYU, chooses the same words for the beginning of his book 'Ta`ziyeh, ritual and drama in Iran'.
Live secular plays were known as ''akhraja'', recorded in medieval ''
adab'' literature, though they were less common than puppetry and ''ta'ziya'' theater.
Iran
In
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
there are other forms of theatrical events such as ''Naghali'' or ''Naqqāli'' (story telling), ''
Ta'zieh'', ''ٰRu-Howzi'', ''
Siah-Bazi'', ''Parde-Khani'', and ''
Mareke giri''. Prior to the twentieth century, storytelling was the most recognized form of entertainment, although today, some forms still remain. One form, ''Naghali,'' was traditionally performed in coffeehouses where the storytellers, or ''Naghals (Naqqāls),'' only recited sections of a story at a time, thus retaining regular cliental. These stories were based on events of historical or religious importance and many referenced poetries from the
Shahnameh. These stories were often altered to bond with the atmosphere or mood of the audience.
India

Folk theatre and dramatics can be traced to the religious ritualism of the
Vedic peoples in the
2nd millennium BC. This folk theatre of the misty past was mixed with dance, food, ritualism, plus a depiction of events from daily life. The last element made it the origin of the classical theatre of later times. Many historians, notably D. D. Kosambi, Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya, Adya Rangacharaya, etc. have referred to the prevalence of ritualism amongst
Indo-Aryan tribes in which some members of the tribe acted as if they were wild animals, and some others were the hunters. Those who acted as mammals like goats, buffaloes, reindeer, monkeys, etc. were chased by those playing the role of hunters.
Bharata Muni (fl. 5th–2nd century BC) was an ancient Indian writer best known for writing the ''
Natya Shastra of Bharata'', a theoretical treatise on Indian performing arts, including theatre, dance, acting, and music, which has been compared to
Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
's ''
Poetics''. Bharata is often known as the father of Indian theatrical arts. His ''Natya Shastra'' seems to be the first attempt to develop the technique or rather art, of drama in a systematic manner. The Natya Shastra tells us not only what is to be portrayed in a drama, but how the portrayal is to be done. Drama, as Bharata Muni says, is the imitation of men and their doings (''loka-vritti''). As men and their doings have to be respected on the stage, so drama in Sanskrit is also known by the term ''rupaka'', which means portrayal.
The ''
Ramayana'' and ''
Mahabharata'' can be considered the first recognized plays that originated in India. These epics provided the inspiration to the earliest Indian dramatists and they do it even today. Indian dramatists such as
Bhāsa in the 2nd century BC wrote plays that were heavily inspired by the ''Ramayana'' and ''Mahabharata''.
Kālidāsa in the 1st century BC, is arguably considered to be ancient
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
's greatest dramatist. Three famous romantic plays written by Kālidāsa are the ''
Mālavikāgnimitram'' (''Mālavikā and Agnimitra''), ''
Vikramōrvaśīyam'' (''Pertaining to Vikrama and Urvashi''), and ''
Abhijñānaśākuntala'' (''The Recognition of Shakuntala''). The last was inspired by a story in the ''Mahabharata'' and is the most famous. It was the first to be translated into English and German. In comparison to Bhāsa, who drew heavily from the epics, Kālidāsa can be considered an original playwright.
The next great Indian dramatist was
Bhavabhuti (c. 7th century). He is said to have written the following three plays: ''Malati-Madhava'', ''
Mahaviracharita'' and ''Uttar Ramacharita''. Among these three, the last two cover between them, the entire epic of ''Ramayana''. The powerful Indian emperor
Harsha (606–648) is credited with having written three plays: the comedy ''
Ratnavali'', ''
Priyadarsika'', and the
Buddhist drama ''
Nagananda''. Many other dramatists followed during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
.
There were many performing art forms in the southern part of India, Kerala is such a state with different such art forms like
Koodiyattam,
Nangyarkoothu,
Kathakali,
Chakyar koothu,
Thirayattam and there were many prominent artists like
Painkulam Raman Chakyar and others.
China

There are references to theatrical entertainments in China as early as 1500 BC during the
Shang dynasty; they often involved music, clowning and acrobatic displays.
The
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
is sometimes known as "The Age of 1000 Entertainments". During this era,
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (; 8 September 685 – 3 May 762), personal name Li Longji, was an Emperor of China, emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. Throu ...
formed an acting school known as the Children of the
Pear Garden to produce a form of drama that was primarily musical.
During the
Han dynasty,
shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, first emerged as a recognized form of theatre in China. The plays depicted adventure and fantasy. Symbolic color was prevalent; a black face represented honesty, a red one bravery. The heads were removed at night, in keeping with the old superstition that if left intact, the puppets would come to life. Shadow puppetry is said to have reached its highest point of artistic development in the 11th century, before becoming a tool of the government.
In the
Song dynasty, there were many popular plays involving
acrobatics and music. These developed in the
Yuan dynasty into a more sophisticated form with a four- or five-act structure. Yuan drama spread across China and diversified into numerous regional forms, the best known of which is Beijing Opera, which is still popular today.
Thailand

In
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, it has been a tradition from the Middle Ages to stage plays based on plots drawn from Indian epics. In particular, the theatrical version of Thailand's national epic ''
Ramakien'', a version of the Indian ''
Ramayana'', remains popular in Thailand even today.
Cambodia
In
Cambodia, inscriptions dating back to the 6th century
AD indicates evidence of dancers at a local temple and using puppetry for religious plays. At the ancient capital
Angkor Wat, stories from the Indian epics ''Ramayana'' and ''
Mahabharata'' have been carved on the walls of temples and palaces. Similar reliefs are found at
Borobudur in Indonesia.
Philippines
In the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, the famous
epic poem
Ibong Adarna, originally titled ''"Korido at Buhay na Pinagdaanan ng Tatlong Prinsipeng Magkakapatid na anak nina Haring Fernando at Reyna Valeriana sa Kahariang Berbania"'' (English: "
Corrido and Life Lived by the Three Princes, children of King Fernando and Queen Valeriana in the Kingdom of Berbania") from the 16th century was written by
José de la Cruz during the
Spanish era. Aside from theatrical performances, different films were produced by different film studios/ television productions. The first produced "Ang Ibong Adarna" film was produced by
LVN Pictures, the biggest film studio in the history of the Philippines.
Florante at Laura is an ''"
awit"'' or a poem consisting of 12-syllable quatrains with the full title ''"Pinagdaanang Buhay ni Florante at ni Laura sa Kahariang Albanya"'' (English: "The History of Florante and Laura in the
Kingdom of Albania") was written by
Francisco Balagtas in 1838 during his imprisonment dedicated to his sweetheart Maria Asuncuion Rivera (nicknamed "M.A.R.", referenced to as "Selya"). The poem has a special part entitled "
Kay Selya" (English: "For Celia") specially dedicated for Rivera.
The
Philippine's national hero,
José Rizal who is also a novelist, created the two famous poems in the Philippines, ''
Noli Me Tángere'' (
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
for "Touch me not", with an acute accent added on the final word in accordance with
Spanish orthography) (1887) that describes perceived inequities of the Spanish Catholic friars and the ruling government and ''
El Filibusterismo'' (translations: The filibusterism; The Subversive or The Subversion, as in the Locsín English translation, are also possible translations, also known by its alternative English title The Reign of Greed) (1891). The novel's dark theme departs dramatically from the previous novel's hopeful and romantic atmosphere, signifying Ibarra's resort to solving his country's issues through violent means, after his previous attempt in reforming the country's system made no effect and seemed impossible with the corrupt attitude of the Spaniards toward the Filipinos. These novels were written during the
colonization of the Philippines by the
Spanish Empire.
All of these literary pieces were under the curriculum of the
K-12 Program for Junior High Schools,
Ibong Adarna is under the Grade 7 Curriculum;
Florante at Laura (Grade 8); ''Noli Me Tángere'' (Grade 9); and
El Filibusterismo (Grade 10).
Japan

During the 14th century, there were small companies of actors in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
who performed short, sometimes vulgar comedies. A director of one of these companies, Kan'ami (1333–1384), had a son,
Zeami Motokiyo (1363–1443), who was considered one of the finest child actors in Japan. When Kan'ami's company performed for
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408), the of Japan, he implored Zeami to have a court education for his arts. After Zeami succeeded his father, he continued to perform and adapt his style into what is today
Noh. A mixture of
pantomime and vocal acrobatics, the Noh style of theatre has become one of Japan's most refined forms of theatrical performance.
Japan, after a long period of civil wars and political disarray, was unified and at peace primarily due to
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1600–1668). However, alarmed at the increasing numbers of Christians within the country due to the proselytizing efforts of Christian missionaries, he cut off contact from Japan to Europe and China and outlawed Christianity. When peace did come, a flourish of cultural influence and growing merchant class demanded its own entertainment. The first form of theatre to flourish was Ningyō jōruri (commonly referred to as
Bunraku). The founder of and main contributor to Ningyō jōruri,
Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653–1725), turned his form of theatre into a true art form. Ningyō jōruri is a highly stylized form of theatre using puppets, today about the size of a human. The men who control the puppets train to become master puppeteers, when they can then operate the puppet's head and right arm and choose to show their faces during the performance. The other puppeteers, controlling the less important limbs of the puppet, cover themselves and their faces in a black suit, to imply their invisibility. The dialogue is handled by a single person, who uses varied tones of voice and speaking manners to simulate different characters. Chikamatsu wrote thousands of plays during his lifetime, most of which are still used today.
Kabuki
is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...
began shortly after Bunraku, legend has it by an actress named Okuni, who lived around the end of the 16th century. Most of kabuki's material came from Noh and Bunraku, and its erratic dance-type movements are also an effect of Bunraku. However, kabuki is less formal and more distant than Noh, yet very popular among the Japanese public. Actors are trained in many varied things including dancing, singing, pantomime, and even acrobatics. Kabuki was first performed by young girls, then by young boys, and by the end of the 16th century, kabuki companies consisted of all men. The men who portrayed women on stage were specifically trained to elicit the essence of a woman in their subtle movements and gestures.
Americas
In the
Pre-Columbian era, indigenous civilizations of the Americas had established performing arts traditions, before the arrival of Europeans. These included
Aztec and
Maya rituals and ceremonies, which often involved elaborate dances, music, and theatrical performances. The
Incan rituals and festivals also featured music, dances, and theatrical representations of myths and legends. Northwest Coast cultures, such as the
Haida,
Tlingit, and
Kwakwaka'wakw, had traditions of storytelling, mask carving, and ceremonial dances.
Colonial Era
The colonial period brought a fusion of European and indigenous cultural influences. Spanish, French, and British colonizers introduced European theatrical traditions, including plays, operas, and ballets. Indigenous peoples incorporated elements of their traditional performing arts into colonial-era productions.
Oceania
Melanesians are the
indigenous inhabitants of
Melanesia, an area stretching from
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...
to
Fiji
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
. Melanesian dance often exhibits a cultural theme of masculinity where leadership and a unique skill set are important for sharing with the community.
These dances demonstrate the soldiery of a man; however they can also represent profitability such as encouraging conflict resolutions or healing.
The costumes of impersonating dancers incorporate large masks and unhuman-like characteristics that act to imitate mythical figures. The music can also act as a voice for these magical personas.
See also
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Entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have deve ...
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Mixed martial arts
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Outline of performing arts
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Performing arts education
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Performing arts presenters
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United States copyright law in the performing arts
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Persian theatre
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Theatre of Japan
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Western culture
Western culture, also known as Western civilization, European civilization, Occidental culture, Western society, or simply the West, refers to the Cultural heritage, internally diverse culture of the Western world. The term "Western" encompas ...
References
External links
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Bibliography of Performing Arts in the EastEuropean Collected Library on Performing Arts
{{Authority control
Entertainment