Here, you’ll learn more about the ways that you can benefit from acting and how it can enhance your life. Regardless of your overall goals, learning acting can be a valuable and impressive skill to learn
What is Acting?
Acting is the art or practice of representing a character on stage or before a camera. While the definition might seem very simple, the art of acting is not. Acting has a lot of history. Some even report that it goes back to the 6th century BCE when they held entertainment festivals in honor of the god Dionysus. During the celebrations, there would be music, singing, dance, and poetry competitions, and the winner one particular year was Thespis. Thespis went on to recite poetry in character and became the first action in 534 or 535 BCE. Thespis is where the term thespian is derived from, which means actor or actress. As time has passed, acting has transitioned to movies and television shows.
Acting is not just about skill but also technique. There is the physical aspect of acting where the actor or actress needs to prep their body and voice to perform. Performers have to prepare for scenes and learn blocking for each one. There is also an emotional, internal aspect of acting that can be challenging but also the most liberating part of the skill. Not only do you recite lines as an actor, but you need to feel them. Feeling the emotions of the scene and expertly conveying them to your audience is one of the challenging skills of being a performer. French actor and director Antoin Artaud once said that actors are the “athlete of the heart.” He went on to identify that actors give physical expression to dreams, obsessions, and the nonrational side of human beings.
Some of the critical skills needed to be an actor are also some of the things that make this skill so exhilarating. An actor must have a retentive memory, a clear voice, good articulation, and breath control. Certain aspects of acting such as theater, requires that an actor have reasonable control of their physical body to keep up with all the movements between scenes and the amount of exertion needed to project their emotions physically to the entire theater. Some relaxation is also necessary to feel natural and not rehearsed while pulling the audience in and convincing them. These skills require training, though some aspects can come naturally for others. The amount of training and skill needed to portray your acting techniques expertly can also be one of the benefits of learning this craft.
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Benefits of Learning Acting?
As mentioned before, acting is a skill. While some aspects can come naturally for some of the best actors and actresses, some elements must be developed even for the most talented. While initially acting might not be the most lucrative career, there are some great benefits. First, acting is an excellent method of creative expression. You have the opportunity to take on new characters, be silly, or even push yourself out of your comfort zone, all to be creative. There are also physical benefits to acting. When you are on stage, you must perform from the top of your head down to your toes. The expression necessary can require you to be physically active.
Additionally, some roles require dancing and movement helping to keep you physically active. Not only can acting provide physical activity but also mental activity. It would help if you were mentally sharp to read and memorize lines and stay on top of blocking and choreography, all while staying in tune with your character development. There are different memorization techniques that you can use to remember everything, and these tips can also transfer to other areas of life.
Acting is also a great hobby. Hobbies are a great way to have a sense of purpose outside of your standard day-to-day tasks. You can act for pure enjoyment without worrying about financial gain and monetizing the skill. Engaging in hobbies can be a great way to relieve stress and have something to look forward to from week to week. Another benefit of acting is that you get to meet new people as a hobby. Some acting can occur alone, like voice acting, but you act in a group with others for the most part. Acting in classes or production is a great way to connect with new people and make new friends. You could even join various organizations to improve your connections with other actors. You can join an acting group meet up that connects actors based on location and types of acting. For example, you can choose from an improv meetup in NYC or a Music & Film/ Tv Meetup in LA. You can find something in your area to connect with others. These are just a few benefits that acting can provide, but here are some additional ones to consider.
Improves Communication
As an actor, you must express yourself to your fellow performers and the audience. Practical expression requires verbal and non-verbal communication. You also have to observe, actively listen and respond appropriately. Acting also encourages you to enhance your vocal skill too. When delivering lines, a performer must articulate and project their voice. It would be best to speak clearly and confidently unless your role calls for otherwise. A beginner-level class, like Beginning Acting for the Non-Actor, is precisely what you need to see how vital communication skills can be to an actor. This course is offered at Russell Acting Studio in Midtown, Manhattan. The course is six weeks and teaches students how to gain more confidence on stage. A large part of that confidence can come from appropriately expressing yourself and conveying the correct emotions, in which communication plays a prominent role.
Improves Self-confidence
All actors are confident, and to be an actor, you need to have high self-confidence; while some of this may be true, it's actually the reverse. Acting can help improve your self-confidence, making you appear more confident on and off the stage. Performing in front of new people can be challenging, but like most things, practice makes perfect. As you begin to get on various stages in front of new people, you will notice that it starts to get more accessible and easier because you are becoming more confident. Also, as you land more roles or begin to understand how acting works and see your improvement, you will start to have a sense of accomplishment, which also helps improve your self-confidence. There is also the expectation of being social when you start taking acting courses and as you begin in the field. As you socialize more, you are pushed out of your comfort zone and improve your interaction with others, which can also boost your self-esteem. As you become more confident as an actor, you take more risks. The Proven Technique for the Actor is an excellent class if you want to become more spontaneous as an actor and take your acting to the next level. The advanced course helps students develop their Piven improvisation, which can help with character development.
Helps with Teamwork
A lot of group work occurs during acting classes, making this an excellent opportunity to improve your teamwork skills. Most exercises in an acting class require trust and connectedness with other members of your group. When it comes to providing a vision for your character, working as a team with other group members helps you develop your character better and improves the team's overall dynamic. Beginners Acting I: The Basics is an excellent example of how acting helps with teamwork. In this beginner's level class, students work together to build games, script analysis, and scene study.
Improved Self-awareness
As an actor, self-awareness, or your ability to focus on yourself and understand how things make you who you are, plays a vital role in trusting yourself as a performer. Being self-aware ensures that you are non-judgmental of yourself, allowing you to be free and in the moment when performing on stage. Of all the skills mentioned, this one is incredibly beneficial and areas of your life outside of acting. Improved self-awareness helps you be true to yourself and free of negative self-talk. You can genuinely lean into your self-confidence, bringing all the other skills like communication and teamwork together. As your self-awareness improves, so does your ability to be connected with your environment and effectively engage with yourself and others. You are more likely to keep an open mind, set boundaries, be considerate of others and their needs, and stay focused. These improved skills are not only valuable but imperative to your success in all areas of life.
How to Start Learning Acting
Now that you see the clear benefits of acting, you might wonder how you can start learning and the best way to learn. You have quite a few options when it comes to learning acting, but the most obvious is taking an acting class. CourseHorse has both online and in-person courses for you to choose from, depending on your needs. First, start with a beginners level acting class to get an idea of what it’s like. If you’d like to try an online course, consider the Screen Ready: Beginning Acting for TV & Film course Let’s Act Inc offers. The course lasts over four weeks with weekly 2-hour sessions. This course is designed to be immersive, meaning that you will learn how to analyze scripts, develop characters, and explore the essentials for self-taping for auditions.
When taking an online course, it is essential to consider all aspects, as it is an untraditional but effective way to learn a new skill. Online classes offer convenience because you can take a course just about anywhere from the comfort of your home or anywhere. Online classes also are helpful if you have limited time. You no longer have to worry about making a class work in your schedule while factoring in commute or parking. You can easily make a virtual class fit into your day-to-day schedule.
Additionally, online is a great way to learn if you are not ready to leave your comfort zone yet. You can still engage with others while staying in your safe space. There are still some things to consider when deciding to take an online class. In-person classes tend to supply any materials you need, while the expectation for online courses is you provide your own. Additionally, it can be challenging to get adequate feedback in an online course because of the limited interactions. However, don’t let this be a deterrent because most instructors consider this while teaching.
You can also consider in-person classes for a chance to learn acting. Suppose you’re brand new and considering an acting course to help you feel more comfortable in front of new people. In that case, The Brick in Williamsburg offers How to Be in Front of People, a 4-week intensive course covering performance basics for performers and non-performers. Students of this course can expect to learn how to express themselves in a room full of people, and it ends with a final presentation/ show to perform in front of your friends and family. If you are in the Los Angeles area, you can take an Acting for Adults course offered at The Actors Circle in Culver City. The course is 3 hours long and fosters confidence, self-awareness, focus, creativity, memory and sequencing, and choice-making, amongst a few benefits you will gain from this class. Students can expect to spend time discussing characters and emotional transitions, and it encourages actors to look beyond the words and connect with the emotional subtext of the story.
Suppose you want to get a teenager in your life into a summer camp. In that case, the Chicago Actors Studio has a Teens Acting Summer Camp (Ages 13-17)as an excellent opportunity to expose them to acting and help them reap all the incredible benefits mentioned earlier. The camp runs for 4.5 hours and includes improv workouts, creating characters, filming for auditions, on-camera acting skills, and a chance for students to have a lot of fun while making a professional-grade performance.
Key Takeaways
Overall, acting has some great benefits. Here are a few:
- Acting can build your confidence.
- It can improve your self-awareness.
- It can be a great hobby.
- Acting has some great benefits that can be useful in your daily activities.
- CourseHorse offers private lessons or in-person or online classes to help improve or develop your acting skills.