Every once in a while, a film comes along that changes our view on things and encourages us to learn to love something that we might not have bothered with before. In the last few months, that something has been the film La La Land and since it has become popular, there has been a renewed interest in musical theatre classes, especially among children. But why is this such a good thing?
New love for musicals
For many years, the idea of musicals is that they were largely outdated. Audiences were somewhat opposed to the idea of actors and actresses suddenly breaking into song in the middle of the film and found it off-putting. But with the rise of La La Land, a new appreciation for the musical has been born.
The most successful ‘musicals’ in recent years have mainly been reinventions of the classics such as Chicago and Les Miserables or Disney films such as Frozen that incorporate music with the cartoon characters. But La La Land is a new idea and very much a proper musical with lead stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone channelling stars of the past such as Fred Astaire in their approach to the film.
Why musical theatre is great
Another part of the general embracing of the movie is that more people are starting to consider musical theatre classes, from children through to the retired age group. And this has led many people, especially parents, to notice the benefits of these classes in a variety of areas as well as just being able to dance and sing.
Children who take part in musical theatre classes have a great sense of self-confidence and self-presentation that can help them in later life. By performing on stage in front of complete strangers, they learn to trust their abilities and to use what they have learned. This helps them deal with strange situations in other parts of their life such as job or college interviews as well as meeting new people and making new friends.
Often children can struggle with self-expression and get frustrated that adults don’t ‘get’ them. However, musical theatre is a wonderful way to learn how to express themselves better and therefore to put across their point. They also learn more about themselves – what they love, what they enjoy and even what they don’t like!
Solid benefits for the future
A big concern at the moment is childhood obesity and the lack of exercise our kids get due to time spent at computer screens or in front of tablets. However, the exercise received as part of these classes goes a big way towards dealing with that lack of activity and can help them be fit and healthy.
Finally, they learn a host of basic skills that will work well in other aspects of life – working as a team, working on their own, taking instructions from someone, trying until you master something, creative thinking and problem solving to mention just a few.
Musical Theatre Classes North Tyneside
So why not take that new interest in musicals that so many kids have shown and try them with musical theatre lessons – even if they don’t end up being the next La La Land star, they will gain a range of useful skills.
Contact us for more information about our Musical Theatre Classes in North Tyneside or visit our website for class timetables.