The performing arts include theatre, motion pictures, drama, comedy, music, opera, dance, acrobatics, magic, juggling, busking and the marching arts, such as brass bands, etc. Artists who participate in these arts are called performers, including actors, comedians, singers, dancers, and musicians.

Types of performing arts

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There is also a specialized form of fine art in which the artist performs his or her work live to an audience. This is called Performance art.

The performing arts differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face and/or presence as a medium while the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some art object. Of course, most performance art also involves some form of plastic art, perhaps in the creation of props. Dance was often referred to as a plastic art during the Modern dance era.

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NPR Topics: Performing Arts

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Acclaimed actor Jimmy Smits will host the 28th annual broadcast of A Capitol Fourth on PBS this July 4th. But before his primetime duties, the actor stops by NPR to discuss his television career and why he's proud to be an American. Smits also discusses the possibility of his own run for public office.
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Linguist Geoff Nunberg reflects on the life and language of the late comedian George Carlin, who died last month. In the 1970s, Carlin observed: "There are 400,000 words in the English language, and there are seven of them you can't say on television. What a ratio that is: 399,993 to seven. They must really be bad." Then he proceeded to say them.
Revisting Carole King's 'Tapestry'
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When Carole King's album Tapestry came out in 1971, it became one of the best-selling albums of all time and marked her as one of pop's most talented songwriters. King's masterpiece has been reissued as a 2-disc Legacy Edition by Sony. Music historian Milo Miles takes a look at the landmark work.

Guardian Unlimited: Culture Vulture

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The announcement of Orhan Pamuk's Nobel laureateship was greeted with a largely positive response from literary bloggers. "It's going to be harder to complain about this one than recent winners - we certainly can't," concedes The Literary Saloon, before...

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