Chapters
Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.
- Meryl Streep
Theatre and drama have been a cultural heritage of almost all the major civilizations. They have existed in different forms throughout the ages. Its cultural effect, both from textual and theatrical aspects, have been great and inspiring. The names like Shakespeare, Chekhov and Beckett carry a literary prestige which has inspired drama students and teachers alike.
Even in India, works of great figures like Kalidasa still carry cultural resonance even in the twenty-first century. Modern dramatists like Girish Karnad and Vijay Tendulkar made a name for themselves through their works. Although movies have recently overtaken drama in the literary community the latter still holds a higher place.
To be teaching drama resonates an elegant and sophisticated personality who has learned the nuances of human behaviour and their relationships quite well. Besides, having good acting skills is not everyone’s cup of tea. Becoming a drama teacher, therefore, is a daunting task. But if you are good at understanding the complexity of literary texts and performing them out, you are perfect to be a drama teacher.
With modern technology, it would be quite easy for an acting teacher to get students to teach. The online world is now at the palm of everyone’s hand. Online acting classes is one such option. You can literally take online classes from your home without needing to book a hall for a rented room to accommodate your students.
Given the media consumption rate of the twenty-first century, the demand for acting teachers can also be expected to rise continuously. This is due to the fact that more and more scope is opened for people who want to become actors and getting drama classes would be their first step to join the film industry.
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Stage acting is an immersive performance and requires utmost dedication. Source: Amity University
So if you are looking to be a drama teacher and are looking for ways to be one, and that too a good one, there are certain things you should be keeping in mind. These are quite basic things like getting a certificate completion of drama course from a recognised drama school, proper advertisement and developing the right methodologies of teaching. With these things in mind, you are good to go.
Basic Acting Lessons To Keep In Mind
Acting well has no set of formulas. Same things can have different meanings for different individuals. While you can nurture your students based on the methods developed by your own self, there are certain basic acting lessons which have to be kept in mind. These factors irrespective of the different approaches remain more or less stable and hence imparting them to students will help them a lot in their growth.
Some of these factors are as follows:
Every Actor Is Unique
One of the most basic things which an actor can learn is to be himself or herself. It often happens that in their acting career people, initially, try to be or act like some other and rather more renowned actor. This approach should immediately be dropped off.
In your drama class, you can teach students how to be themselves. Every actor can deliver something up on the stage which brings out a unique self. This is specifically the demand for acting. If one wanted a Naseeruddin Shah they would seek him and not his mimic. Thus, not being anyone else but yourself is one of the first lessons to be kept in mind.
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Taking online acting classes can be just as effective as in person. Source: The Times of India
It Is Okay To Be Nervous At The Beginning
Being in performance arts is no easy thing. Faltering at initial drama classes or even screen acting classes is no proof of your talent. It is okay to lose one’s step under performance pressure. In fact, one of the chief reasons for taking acting lessons is precisely to make sure that you can increase your confidence levels. The thing to keep in mind is not to demotivate yourself due to your performance. Just keep training with a firm determination and sooner rather than later you will see the improved results for yourself.
Do Not Work For Fame
Drama is one of the most sophisticated and nuanced art forms. It requires as much commitment as meditation does. You can not just walk on the stage and perform. You need the character you are playing to be inside you. This requires losing yourself into someone else.
But if you are working for fame, it will be really hard for you to be the best. Fame requires getting the consensus of the majority. Subtle nuances of the art can get lost when catering to the average standards.
This is why it is important that if you are really wanting to get into drama form as art, fame should be kept away from the sight. Although, if you do exceptionally well, it will come as a byproduct.
Work On Your Voice
From Ian McKellen to Om Puri, the dramatic theatre has witnessed some of the most powerful performative voices. In drama, your vocal ability plays a role bigger than your physique. This is due to the obvious reason of dialogues being the core of the drama. The more versatile your tonal abilities are the better your performance will turn out to be.
Doing vocal exercises, therefore, is of utmost importance in theatre. Once you get in command of your voice doing subtle shifts in enunciation would become easier.
What Is Meant By Becoming Online Acting Teachers?
An online acting class may come off as a bit surprising to you. But it is already being done in various parts of the world. Today’s generation is more inclined towards gadgets and getting online facilities. The easy user interface of the devices such as cellphones, tablets, and computers assist teachers and students alike to do online classes from their respective homes.
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Teaching from home has opened the way to some advantages. Source: Time of India
Post the COVID-19 pandemic, online classes now mean a great deal. For acting classes, it is no different.
If you are an acting teacher, taking the online course of acting can turn out to be the right option, both from a professional and personal point of view. By becoming one of the online acting teachers:
- You will not be exposing your health in this pandemic phase.
- You will save up a lot of time.
- You will not have to pay for travel expenses.
- You will not have to maintain or pay for a place to teach.
How To Teach Acting In India?
Teaching acting in India can be a successful career option. From a professional point of view, the booming film industries of India in every corner of the country is a great impetus to pursue this career option.
There are multiple options for you to employ yourself as an acting teacher.
- Teach In Drama School: With the right education of acting, you can become an acting teacher in the numerous drama schools of the country. The foremost name in this field is the National School of Drama (NSD). So, if you have nurtured yourself as an actor, you can even apply at NSD as an acting teacher.
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NSD is one of the most reputed dramas in India. Source: The Economic Times
- Open Your Own Drama Classes: You can open your own drama school and enrol interested students for acting courses. By having your own school, you would get greater creative freedom and autonomy to teach in your own way.
- Take Acting Classes Online: After the COVID-19 situation, it is no longer deemed safe enough to take classes in person. But the alternative of taking online acting classes is highly effective and efficient. It cuts down on the expense of a place, especially if it is rented.
These three ways will ensure a successful career alternative for you by resolving the question of how to teach acting in India? Any one of them can be chosen to establish a career option for yourself.
The Online Acting Teachers Near Me Option
Students are often on a lookout for quality teachers. For drama as well, they would search the internet for something like online acting teachers near me. If you are an acting teacher the link between the teacher and the student can be bridged with the help of Superprof.
The online platform of Superprof enables you the option of listing yourself as a competitive acting teacher on its website. It is from here students can search for you quite easily. All they will have to do is just enter the name of the subject they want to study as well as their locality. The list of all the teachers for the said subject will turn up. If you have already made your profile in Superprof, your name too will pop up.
Your profile on Superprof will feature information such as your brief background, qualification, methodology, fee etc. If you have successfully taught a handful of students, their reviews or rating on your profile at Superprof will help you get even more students. Thus, both you and your students will be profiting from this and will be returning the favour to each other.
The platform that connects tutors and students
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