8 Careers In Performing Arts For Those With A Creative Bent

While most parents and students are happy to learn music, dance, drama, etc in the primary and middle school years, many drop out of these activities as they reach high school. Somehow it is commonly believed that these are hobbies and cannot be considered mainstream careers. However, there are a large number of students who excel in performance arts and find themselves at a loss and unable to find the same joy in academic pursuits. Times have been changing and more students and young professionals can think of making a career in performing arts. This article shares some insights and tips.

What Are Performing Arts?

This is an ancient and time-tested profession where an artist (singer, dancer, poet, musician, etc) performs live in front of an audience to showcase their expertise, entertain, and educate the viewer. Professional dancers, musicians, and court jesters have been performing since time immemorial and our ancient Indian history has reference to musicians like Tansen and dancers like Anarkali. The classical dance forms of Bharatanatyam and Odissi were considered sacred and were deeply connected to religious festivals and ceremonies. Somewhere along the years as industrialisation and white-collar jobs gained precedence, the importance and respect of these art forms were diluted. However, the last two decades have gradually observed the resurgence of performing artists and performance art as noteworthy and respectable career options.

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Careers In Performing Arts

Some careers that children with a knack for the performing arts could consider are explained below.

Musician

India’s rich cultural heritage offers different types of classical music ranging from Carnatic music in the south, Hindustani classical music in the north, Rabindra Sangeet in the east to folk music specific to a region or culture. Each of these distinct classical traditions has its schools of learning and dissemination. Some of the leading classical singers of recent times include M.S. Subbalakshmi, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasiya, Shubha Mudgal, Gangubai Hangal who have created magic in their concerts and won both hearts and critical acclaim.

To craft a career in music, it is useful to train in any of the classical schools of music from a guru or teacher of good repute. Some of the careers that are connected to music include playback singer, composer, choir artist, music teacher, etc. Students of music often start performing early and need parental support from an early age to make a career in music. Apart from a singing career, you may also play instruments and become part of a group of performing artists or have your own band. This often lays the foundation for an interesting career in music be it based on classical ragas or rock beats or a fusion of the two.

Dancer

Dance as a form of art and expression has been popular in India and its roots can be traced back to the varied cultural dance schools like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam, etc. Some of the famous dancers of India include Sonal Mansingh, Leela Sampson, Rukmini Arundele, Birju Maharaj, etc. Each of these famous artists started to learn dance as young children from their gurus and over the years they slowly perfected their dance form and mudras. As a professional dancer, you perform at shows, teach young aspiring dancers, or even establish your own dance academy. The life of a dancer or performing artist usually involves a significant amount of networking and travelling for shows and events. You may also become part of a dance troupe and tour the world doing paid performances.

Dance As A Form Of Art And Expression Has Been Popular In India

Drama Or Acting

Working as an actor in a movie, on stage in a theatre, or in serials is a possible career option for those who have a keen interest in the entertainment industry. Whenever people talk of acting, parents and others may discount it by saying –, “There is only one Shahrukh Khan” — however, there are hundreds of talented actors who are earning well for themselves working in television and OTT shows and even theatre. Such serials usually have lucrative and long-term contracts and most actors who are willing to invest a significant amount of time and effort do well for themselves. In all careers related to drama and theatre, it is extremely helpful to be a part of a circuit or network that focuses on performances.

Choreographer

A choreographer is key to making a song and dance performance a huge blockbuster success. Choreographers are well-trained in different dance forms, have a good sense of rhythm, are able to train hard with the actors, and produce dance sequences that stun and impress the audience. The late Saroj Khan rose to fame in her career as a choreographer. The recent Golden Globe award winning song, “Naatu Naatu” was choreographed by Prem Rakshit who has been choreographing dance numbers for the past 17 years. Some more famous choreographers include Prabhu Deva, Shiamak Dawar, Terrence Lewis, Ganesh Acharya, etc. Apart from these, choreographers are also needed for cultural functions, award ceremonies, and other events. To become a good choreographer, you need to have good training in one or more dance forms and have tremendous patience and ability to teach and convey the steps as per the song.

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Scriptwriter

If you are good at expressing emotions and your writing captures the hearts of your listeners, do consider a career in writing scripts and dialogues for movies, plays, theatres, etc. Some of the noteworthy scriptwriters of our times include Javed Akhtar, Salim Khan, Rajkumar Hirani, Gulzar, Girish Karnad, etc. A few of these are also talented actors and singers. There are also writers who script the dialogues for television shows, episodes, and the edutainment industry. Excellent command of the language of your choice and a flair for writing and conveying the depth of human emotions and drama are essential for a scriptwriter. There are no specific qualifications, however, being multilingual with a poetic flair is helpful.

Stand-Up Comedian

The world is starved for a good laugh after a long and tiring day at work. The past two decades have seen the rise of laughter and comedy shows on television and stand-up comedy is positioned to be a lucrative profession in the coming times. The late Raju Srivastava and his contemporaries have brought stand-up comedy to the mainstream in India. Many of the famous professionals in this area started with more conventional careers but eventually found their calling in stand-up comedy shows.

Stand-Up Comedy Is Positioned To Be A Lucrative Profession In The Coming Times

Host/Anchor

If you have a good voice, and diction and can emote well, you may make a great career as an event show host or anchor. Almost all events need anchors or hosts to make necessary announcements and hold the stage and performances together. A pleasant personality, excellent stage presence, presence of mind, and vibrant performance energy are essential prerequisites for careers as a host or anchor.

Creative Director

A creative director oversees an entire production and brings the vision and emotions of the script alive by casting the right actors, setting the right creative backdrop, managing the production crew, and budget, and assists with the design choices.

Places To Study

Music | Many state-level university colleges offer courses with specialisations in classical dance and music. For example, Miranda House and Ramjas College of Delhi University offer an undergraduate degree in vocal as well as instrumental music that trains students for a music career. Other institutes of repute include the Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, Sangeet Natak Academy in New Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, Nalanda Nritya Kala Mandal, etc. The Mumbai Music Institute offers a course called “Composing for Bollywood”, as well as courses in music production and sound engineering that have been created for Bollywood and film-related music careers.

Dance | To pursue a dance career, it is good to start with a classical dance teacher of repute and then diversify into an area of dance you feel more inclined towards. Academies like DanceWorx, Shamak Dawar Dance Academy, etc have been training professional dancers for many years now. Most state-level universities offer undergraduate-level courses in different dance forms like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, etc. An institute of repute for Bharatnatyam is Kalakshetra in Chennai.

Acting | Some acting schools of repute include Barry John Acting School, National School of Drama, Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Asian Academy of Film and Television, etc.

Overall, the career path of a performing artist is different from careers like law, medicine, teaching, engineering, etc. However, those who work consistently, stay connected in the art circle, and persist with their passions can find good avenues for their talent and earn well through their performances.

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Dr. Srividya is a Career and Life Coach who works with teens, adults, and returning professionals to help them find joy and alignment in their careers and lives. After working for over two decades, she founded LifeVidya in 2019 and has worked with hundreds of students, professionals, and women. She can be reached at www.lifevidya.in.