Terry Fox Theatre

The performing arts are not a ticket to fame, and they're most definitely not an easy ticket to fortune. They're not just for girls and gay males, and they're not going to turn your kid into a "slacker hippie." What the performing arts are is a surefire way to make your kid just a little bit smarter, a little bit more confident, a little stronger, and a whole lot more capable of dealing with what life throws his or her way. 

By way of example, here are five reasons kids need the performing arts:

Build Self-confidence and Social Skills  

More than a few Hollywood movies and TV shows have painted arts students as misfits and losers with severe social dysfunctions. In fact, being a part of a play, dance troupe, or orchestra teaches both self-reliance and teamwork, as well as discipline, acceptance, how to deal with anxiety and take risks and, in many cases, how to interact better in social situations.

Emotional and Physical Health  

Performing arts -- and arts of any kind -- provide a positive outlet for children to safely experience, channel, and deal with a huge range of emotions. This leads to less angst, and more action -- or, at the very least, a better understanding of what they are feeling and why. The performing arts are also a means to keep children active, and increase coordination skill, posture and endurance.

Public Speaking and Leadership  

Public speaking is practically a necessity in today's world. Almost everyone will have to do it at some point or other, and most people are completely terrified at the prospect. Stage performance, especially theatre, goes a long way toward developing the confidence and skill to speak successfully in front of others. Public speaking skill is also helpful when developing leadership ability, which is another byproduct of performing arts training. The arts teach children to be introspective, to recognize and utilize their strengths, and how to march to the beat of their own drummer -- and how to count everybody else in.

Creativity and Other Smarts  

The more a child -- or anyone -- engages in a creative outlet, the larger that child's -- or person's -- capacity for creative thinking becomes. The larger a child's capacity for creative thinking, the more possible solutions that child can come up with for any given problem, which leads to a higher probability of success. To top that off, recent studies have shown that students who study the arts are more likely to achieve higher grades, and do better on standardized tests.

Fun

Perhaps the most important reason for a a child to become involved in the performing arts is the endless amount of fun he or she can have. Any opportunity for safe, constructive and rewarding fun in a child's life is an opportunity worth taking full advantage of.

The performing arts are one of the best tools for parents to help their children discover and achieve their full potential. Many of the world's greatest minds, business people, and leaders have had some sort of artistic training, if only as a child. If that isn't enough to convince you, then I ask you this: have you ever heard of anyone who said that they regret the time they spent learning an instrument, or performing in a play or recital? Probably not.

Why do you think kids need the performing arts? Feel free to discuss your own experiences below.