Setting the stage for students
MANY people find it surprising that a Chemistry lecturer like me had been involved in the performing arts. I had taken part in annual school and college plays in various capacities; at one point, I even coached a group of pure science students for a drama competition.
Coaching them was a memorable experience. It was a breath of fresh air to watch a bunch of nerdy kids (sorry, guys) – who usually had their heads bent over mathematical problems or thick textbooks – transform into confident, eloquent and expressive youth.
On stage, the students picked up body language. They learnt to carry themselves in a manner that engaged people, and stand confidently before a large audience. They also practised throwing out their voices and articulating their speech clearly.
Students in the performing arts learn to control their emotions. The arts requires them to take on different roles, even if the parts they play may be contrary to their usual personalities.
These students acquire so many skills that are essential to life, regardless of the field they may eventually pursue.
Due to its vast benefits, I wish every Malaysian child would have the opportunity to dabble in the performing arts. In fact, I will go one step further to say that choosing to pursue the arts in a more serious manner can be extremely rewarding.
To illustrate my point, I spoke to two young Malaysians who are actively involved in the performing arts.
Mia Sabrina Mahathir, 24, started out as a shy girl in primary school, but fell in love with the performing arts when her best friend convinced her to participate in Short+Sweet Malaysia 2012, a theatre workshop to encourage the local performing arts scene.
Mia has not looked back since. She regularly takes on different roles in theatre and short films, ranging from acting and directing to stage managing and graphic designing.
Last year, she became the acting coach for Shakespeare Goes Bollywood, a local theatre.
“(Acting) is rewarding personally,” says Mia. “I learnt so much about myself, other people and the world.
Acting is more than just delivering lines and looking good; it is about having a soul... To be a good actor, you’ve got to be a good human being.”
Mia’s perspective reminds me of a quote from former American president Lyndon Johnson about how the arts had shaped whole nations.
“Art is a nation’s most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision, which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish,” he said.
Another young Malaysian I spoke to also sees great benefits in the performing arts. James Lim, 20, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in musical theatre and international business in Messiah College in Pennsylvania, the United States, under the Daniel Vollmer scholarship.
James has had his fair share of “going against the tide” to be involved in the performing arts.
“I was probably the only one in my form during secondary school who had dreams of pursuing it because for many people, that wasn’t even an option or something to consider.
“That breaks my heart because performing has taught me a lot of real-life skills that school didn’t. The clichéd answers such as ‘I learnt how to manage my time and be disciplined’ whenever students talk about co-curricular activities and their benefits, are actually true for the performing arts.”
Fortunately, James had supportive parents who recognised his talents and allowed him to ppursue his dreams. Consequeently, he earned the scholarship to study overseas.
“Many parents ssay that there isn’t a future in peerforming, or that it’s too risky a careeer. But what many people don’tt realise is that a performing arts deegree doesn’t just entail one typee of job.
“Like accountingg or a business major, your degree can be turned into gettingg a job that uses your knowleddge to do something else. Yoou may not be performing on stage per se; I have friends who set up drama schools, become sttage managers or even talent agents.”
Coming from a sci-s ence background, I agree with James. The performing arts is a new industry in Malaysia with room for growth in diverse sectors.
“Safer” industries such as the sciences, however, are becoming increasingly saturated. I know more than one young person who reluctantly fulfilled his parents’ wishes to study the sciences, only to face the very problem which they were trying to protect them from, and are now unable to secure a job in the science industry.
The performing arts has its challenges, but it also has a great number of benefits, which are often overlooked. Especially for students looking to explore new frontiers, the performing arts is worth a shot.
Lecturer Chan Yen Ping is a contributor of Teacher Musings, a column in the BRATs section of The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) pullout. To find out more about the performing arts, grab a copy of the NiE issue this Wednesday. We will be featuring a full review of The Fortunettes, a Q&A session with director Zacharyy Wongg and the production team behind the m musical, as well as interview articles withw some of the leading cast and ense emble members.