Jan 12 2009
Improvisational Acting Skills
Although acting is a skill that is usually used during the performance of a play it has been found that acting can help in other areas of your life. In 1973 the Sunday Times of London conducted a survey of 3,000 Americans, and they found that public speaking was the number one fear. This result has also been confirmed by many other sources. There is help for fear with public speaking though and it comes through acting. Acting can be a fun and exciting way to help sufferers feel more confident and relaxed in front of a crowd. Improvisational acting classes can help participants conquer their nerves and inhibitions whilst working with others who also fear public speaking.
Acting classes also teach other beneficial skills like humour, creativity, spontaneity, and team building. Company’s have found it helpful to their organisation by organising improvisation acting classes in the work place.
Improvisation acting classes provide a safe place for people to overcome the fear of public speaking. It gives a chance for individuals to step out in front of an audience and practice. Individuals taking improvisational acting classes regularly participate in speaking on-stage in front of their peers.
In my own experience I have found any type of acting has helped to build my confidence and improve the nerves I feel when speaking in front of people. It is not easy at first and takes a little practice but, once you have mastered it then you reap the benefits. Doing improvisational acting classes requires you not to think about yourself for a while, but to focus creatively on the activity being carried out. Getting into character allows you to feel what it is like to step into someone else’s shoes and to forget the nerves that you usually feel.
Creativity is allowed to grow the longer you use it in this sense it works like a muscle. The more you use it the more strength it gets and the better you become at it. Each time it gets a little easier until you forget what’s around you and the way you feel about things and just let the creativity take place. Yes, you might make a fool out of yourself, but everyone else is as well. During classes you will play many of the improvisational games that concentrate on specific skills. Before long you will forget the nerves and fear you used to feel when public speaking and you will concentrate on the speech itself.
