The 3 most important types of Performing Arts (explained)

In today's world, the performing arts are gaining more and more prominence in the art scene. Despite the fact that, as we will see, they are classified into 3 large groups, like all art they are subject to evolution. social, and gradually new forms of expression appear, so that the classification is in constant revision.

In this article we will review the 3 main types of performing artswith their corresponding examples.

Characteristics of performing arts

The performing arts have three basic characteristics: first, that it is an ephemeral art; second, that they require, without any exception, three elements to develop (audience, stage and performers); Lastly, and as we have already indicated in the previous section, they contain three main elements, or at least some of them: theater, music and dance. But let's go in parts.

1. They are ephemeral art

The performing arts are an ephemeral art. But what is a Ephemeral art? As the word indicates, it is about a type of art that does not remain stable or static over time

. Just as a text or a painting have a physical support that "fixes" them (paper and canvas, respectively), the life of a show is reduced to the moments in which it is performed.

It is true that a play can be expressed in writing, as well as music (through musical language); even the dance can be consigned through the notes of the choreography or by being recorded on video. However, this type of art is not designed to be read or viewed later, so we cannot consider these methods as a complete expression.

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2. They require 3 elements: audience, stage and performers

Thus, the performing arts require three essential elements to be able to fully express themselves: audience, stage and performers. As the meaning of a scenic art is to be represented, needs an audience that attends the representation.

It also obviously needs a space to develop, which is what we call "stage". This element has evolved a lot since the ancient Greek theaters; a closed and well-defined space is no longer necessary, and At present we find a wide variety of performing arts that are developed without problem in a public space (the calls performances).

Finally, the performing arts need performers. Since the goal of this type of art is to be seen live by the public, this element is essential to fulfill its mission.

3. Contain one or more of these elements: drama, dance, and music

Most performing arts combine some of these elements; even in the theater we can find music that accompanies the entrances or exits of a character or the end of an act. What to say about dance: without music it is not conceivable. Thus, despite the fact that throughout history there has been a gradual distancing of the three types of performing arts, we see that complete separation is impossible.

Types of performing arts

Traditionally, three fundamental categories have been observed mainly within the performing arts: theater, dance and music. However, as we will see, the wide variety of representations that exist today makes this classical division somewhat obsolete. In any case, we can safely state that all performance art contains one or more of these three elements.

Having laid the foundations of what the performing arts are and what they need to develop, let's go to the core of this article: the three main types of performing arts that exist.

1. Theater

It is possibly the oldest scenic art; Let us remember that the origin of the theater dates back to nothing less than the ancient Greece. Although it is true that in antiquity we find, of course, dance and music, these were closely linked to the theater and other religious expressions, so we cannot speak of total independence for many more centuries. forward.

The theater stages human stories and feelings through the actors. These are arranged in front of the public and interact with each other, representing the story in question through dialogues. The most important thing is the text, which the actors memorize and recite, but other elements must also be taken into account such as the set design and the direction of the play.

The director is essential, because the weight of the representation falls on him. He is the one who decides the details of it, from the actors who are going to play each role to how they should be played. Sometimes a good play with good actors fails due to bad direction, or vice versa.

On the other hand, the set design is another essential element in theatrical works, since it is what recreates the moment in which the story unfolds. It will be, then, the reference that the public will have when immersing themselves in what the actors are telling them. The scenery does not have to be spectacular and ornate, as was usual in performances of the 19th and early 20th centuries; Sometimes, with four elements located in key positions, the same message can be perfectly transmitted.

The theater can include, of course, music and dance. In fact, there is a theatrical subgenre called musical theater, where the actors also dance and sing. Some examples of musical theater that have enjoyed great success in recent decades are The Miserables, based on the homonymous novel by Victor Hugo, grease either The Lion King, the latter inspired by the Disney cartoon film.

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2. Dance

Dance is the expression of emotions, thoughts and stories through body movements, which are performed following music or percussion. Unlike theater, it does not require words to express ideas; everything is transmitted through the body.

Traditionally, dance was a part of the theatrical performance; in fact, it was not until the 19th century that the two concepts began to be separated. During the Renaissance, for example, the works were usually "total works", in which they recited, sang and danced. Take for example the famous Orpheus by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), which is considered, by the way, the first preserved opera in history.

During the 19th century, then, the different performing arts began to separate, which gave rise to the appearance theater itself and dance as an autonomous manifestation, personified in ballets, such as The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). For its part, music had already begun a solo journey in the 18th century, with the appearance of concerts. Opera, however, will continue to be closely linked to both music and theater.

Currently, there are numerous dance subgenres: from classical to so-called contemporary dance, through jazz-dance or folk dance.

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3. Music

This performing art conveys experiences to audiences almost exclusively through hearing, either through instruments or with human voice. Thus, through sounds, rhythms, silences and harmonies, it is possible to create an auditory atmosphere.

As we have already indicated, music did not begin to be completely separated from the other arts until the XVII-XVIII centuries, when the main musical forms are created: concert, sonata, symphony, etc. It is then when the performing arts become "specialized", and the public stops going to "total" shows that combine theatre, dance and music.

However, in our world today there are still remnants of this "total spectacle"; We have already commented on the existence of musical theater and opera, which would be the main genres in this sense.

The other performing arts

Apart from this, let's say, “traditional” classification, there are artistic expressions that resist being placed in a specific category. This is the case, for example, of scenic manifestations such as the circus or the puppets.

On the other hand, in the three large groups there are also polyvalent expressions that draw on various elements. We have already talked about opera and musical theater (Where do we classify them? In theater or in music? Or maybe dance?). But there are other shows, such as mime, which in theory would be within the theater group, but lacks the essential element: the text. Besides, mimes make much use of body movement to express themselves; often with music. Could we then talk about dance?

As we can see, and as always when we talk about art, the classifications are too general. In all human expression we find a multitude of elements that mix and feed back; because art is something alive and dynamic and cannot be fitted into a mere classification.