Once the parents have realized their child has a knack for the acting game, they naturally start to weigh options about what should come as their next move. Applying to casting calls is one of those things, of course. Another one is signing the kid up for acting classes but did you know it goes beyond just a fun pastime to learn the basics?
Attending acting classes offers quite a few benefits for not just acting aspirations but also a child’s overall development. It allows young actors to thrive personally and socially while indirectly preparing them for challenges in the future. Learn more below.
What Are Acting Classes?
Acting classes are structured programs that aim to introduce attendees, in this case, children, to the fundamentals of acting, storytelling, and performance.
Typically such classes are based on aspiring child actors’ ages, from baby actors to teen actors. Parents should prioritize applying their kids to the specific age group, as each age has unique needs for their development and honing their acting abilities, so it’s essential these differences are the primary focus of the classes.
Parents should also take notice of how big or small the respective acting class is, so there is a better chance their young actor gets all the necessary attention and individual feedback from acting coaches and experts. Speaking of the professionals teaching the classes, their qualifications related to acting and experience working with children is another thing to check before applying.
During these classes, kids will engage in various forms of play. Such plays encourage young aspiring actors to express their emotions and thoughts, as well explore different perspectives and viewpoints. As a result, kids will be learning not only about acting but also about themselves as individuals, thus developing many essential skills and encouraging personal growth.
Building Child’s Confidence
Acting classes do a wonderful job of helping children to develop more confidence, on and off the acting stage. Since kids do not have extended experience as actors, it is only natural they could experience certain insecurities or fears when getting to the point of performing in front of an audience. During acting classes, they will get the opportunity to first act in front of their peers, so when they get to auditions for kids, they will feel more confident in front of casting directors as well.
Acting performances in general also can give children a sense of empowerment, as they try to take upon different personalities, exploring emotions and actions they normally would not typically express as themselves in public, which may include sadness, anger, or fear. This increases the development of the emotional growth and emotional intelligence of the aspiring actors, improving their overall mental well-being.
The increased confidence levels from the experience of performing in front of an audience will transfer to their lives outside of acting too, as it also teaches them to manage anxiety and develop strategies for coping. Kids will be able to transfer their improved self-esteem from acting toward their other challenges within academic, athletic and other social settings.
Developing Child’s Communication
As children engage with their peers during acting classes, they will naturally also start to articulate their thoughts clearly and more effectively. Amongst the important things that acting classes teach, aspiring performers are careful listening skills and appropriate responding practices. As the kids in acting classes are going to have common goals of delivering successful performances, they will see the value of collaboration and communication more clearly.
Interacting with peers of various backgrounds in the name of a common goal and mutual interest in the art of acting also can help children learn valuable social skills such as empathy, respecting different opinions and viewpoints, and how to resolve conflict situations through the promotion of inclusivity.
The usage of body language to convey non-verbal communication also is among the things kids can learn in acting classes. Aspiring young actors there can gain the knowledge and skills of how movements, facial expressions, gestures, and even their posture can enhance public appearances and influence their audience.
Another aspect of communication skills children learn in acting classes is managing their voice through vocal exercises. Sometimes kids are naturally speaking too loudly, or the opposite – way too quietly. Through those exercises, they can learn to manage their vocal volume, and better understand the situations when they should increase or lower it. For example, when appearing in front of an audience, kids will be aware they are not speaking loud enough, and be ready to turn it up a notch.
By becoming more confident at communication through the art of acting, kids will be able to use these valuable verbal and non-verbal skills for academic and professional settings in the future as well.
Fostering Child’s Creativity
Of course, acting is creativity at its finest, and acting classes help children nurture this skill. By participating in rehearsals and performances provided by the classes, kids learn such important acting skills as improvisation, and how to think outside of the box with the aim to adapt and solve challenges in a creative manner.
While helping kid actors to improve their performance skills, acting classes often may also conduct improvisation games, storytelling sessions, and character development activities that also further foster creativity by stimulating imagination.
As kids engage in creative activities through their acting classes, they end up enhancing their divergent thinking, thus allowing them to be able to generate multiple solutions for a single problem. It goes without saying that such skills are very valuable beyond just their acting ambitions, potentially helping with reaching academic success too.
Importantly, acting classes show children that learning can be fun! While they might be serious about becoming kid actors, they can do it without the pressures and fears of failure that they might be experiencing at other aspects of their young lives.
As kids explore their acting potential and express themselves freely, they learn to push their own boundaries and work on their potential. It is an attitude that can translate flawlessly to other aspects of their lives, helping them grow into confident and resilient individuals.