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The philanthropist David Rubenstein once said, ‘The world is a complicated place, and there’s a lot of division between people. The performing arts tend to unify people in a way nothing else does.’ He meant that the primary performing arts – theater, dance and music – are universal, and can communicate across cultures. Secondary performing arts such as puppetry, circus skills, magic, mime, and spoken word are also found all over the globe.

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Western theater began in Greece in the sixth century BC, when performance rituals were an important part of everyday life at weddings and funerals, in politics and the law. These rituals gradually evolved into performances for their own sake, and both tragedies and comedies were popular entertainment. In Asia, it is thought that theater began much earlier. Records show that musical and acrobatic performances were given in China as long ago as 1500 BC.

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Present day performing artists generally work as part of a company or troupe. Famous examples include the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, the Cloud Gate Dance Theater in Taiwan, and the Tonda Bunraku Puppet Troupe in Japan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= UV938f46Wpg )

. As well as performers, a company needs experts behind the scenes: an artistic director, choreographer, stage manager, technicians, and others. In this regard, it is much like filmmaking.

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Although renowned companies like Cloud Gate are the first to come to mind when considering the performing arts, there are also many amateur troupes. Student theater, dance, music and spoken word performances are particularly common on European and American campuses, and are associated with intellectual life. They are seen as a peaceful means of challenging the status quo. In Soviet Russia, on the other hand, theater was used to maintain the status quo; because the majority of its citizens were not able to read or write, the government toured the country with propaganda plays.

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Life in a performing group can be tiring, both mentally and physically. Days are long and working hours are unsociable, not to mention the stress of auditions! In spite of this, many performers speak of the rush of being onstage, and of the close bonds that develop between members of a troupe. Not all performing artists work as part of a company, however. Magicians, also called illusionists, tend to work alone (or with an assistant), spending months or even years rehearsing routines without the day-to-day support of their peers.

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Magicians are not allowed to discuss tricks with non-magicians, although they can apply to join highly selective organizations like the Magic Circle once they have enough professional experience.

Is it true that ‘[t]he performing arts tend to unify people in a way nothing else does’? Are they able to bring people together more than the visual arts, for example? It is a matter for debate, but Rubenstein was right about one thing: ‘[t]he world is a complicated place,’ and people have always tried to make sense of it through the arts.

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Scenario 1

Two students are going to see a play. They want to purchase tickets through online ticketing service. They are sitting in front of a computer talking about the play, the price range of tickets, seating in the playhouse, and online purchase of the tickets.

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Louise: Let’s order the tickets. What was the name of the theater, again?

Michael: The Regency.

Louise: OK … here’s the website. So we need two tickets …

Michael: Hold on! You’ve chosen the wrong play. That one’s for kids. Click here, on “Romeo and Juliet.”

Louise: Oops. That’s better. What does this mean? “Stalls” or “gallery”?

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Michael: The stalls are the seats at the same level as the stage. The gallery is higher up.

Louise: Hmm. Which should we get?

Michael: Well, you can see more clearly from the stalls, but the tickets are more expensive.

Louise: Wow, yeah, you’re right! Look at this. The gallery seats are half the price.

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Michael: I don’t mind sitting in the gallery. Now we have to choose between a matinee and an evening performance.

Louise: “Matinee”?

Michael: It’s the afternoon show. It starts at 3 p.m.

Louise: I can’t go to the matinee. I don’t finish work until 5.30.

Michael: Fine with me. Let’s get two tickets for Friday night.

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Scenario 2

A PR (Public Relations) manager of a dance company is having a conversation with a newspaper reporter. The PR manager talks about the world tour and the reporter asks question.

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Victor: Hi. I’m looking for the artistic director. My name’s Victor, from the London Daily News.

Hannah: Oh, Victor! Hello. I’m Hannah, the director. Have a seat.

Victor: Thanks so much for agreeing to do this interview.

Hannah: No problem. But we have a rehearsal in 20 minutes, so we’ll have to make it quick! 15

Victor: OK. First, can you tell me a bit about your upcoming tour?

Hannah: Sure. It’s a contemporary dance piece called Mirrors. It’s about how close friends’ personalities become more and more similar.

Victor: It sounds fascinating. How many dancers are there?

Hannah: Just six.

Victor: And when does the tour begin?16

Hannah: It starts on the fifth June and runs until the 29th. We’ll be performing in 10 different cities around the UK.

Victor: What kind of person would enjoy Mirrors?

Hannah: It’s for everyone, I think! It contains a lot of universal truths.

Victor: Thanks a lot, Hannah. That’s all I need.

Hannah: Great. When will your article be published?

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Note 1Cirque du Soleil began in Canada in 1984. Their shows, which contain a mix of theater, dance and circus skills, have been performed on every continent except Antarctica and seen by more than 100 million people. While earlier shows took myths, dreams and co-existence as their themes, recent shows have become more commercial; since 2011 they have produced two tributes to the pop star Michael Jackson

.Cirque du Soleil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d1u7QWwdcw 19

It is hard to account for the scale of their popularity, but three main reasons have been suggested: first, that the stories they tell in their shows are universal; second, that the level of acrobatic skill cannot be seen in any other troupe; and third, that people want to see the legendary costumes and make-up for themselves.

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The organization has always promoted multiculturalism. It currently employs 5,000 people from 50 different countries, and its longest-running show, Saltimbanco, dealt with the subject of racial harmony. Cirque du Soleil is also involved with charity projects which promote physical health and support young people at risk.

Saltimbanco https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07OVO7w2

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Note 2Every summer, almost two million people come to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. They come to see a wide range of performances at two cultural festivals: the Edinburgh International Festival, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Edinburgh International Festivalhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQSIxcVpExI

Edinburgh Fringe Festivalhttps://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKX9C_awtT8 22

The International Festival showcases the best theater, dance, music and visual arts from around the world. Artists must be invited by the selection committee to perform. The Fringe Festival, meanwhile, is open to anyone, and focuses on comedy and theater. Fringe performances are usually more avant-garde, and they attract the greatest number of visitors over the festival period. Many famous British comedians launched their careers “on the Fringe.” Its format has been copied in Australia, the USA, Canada and South Africa.

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Most performances take place on or near The Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s best-known street. As well as enjoying the shows, tourists can discover the history of this beautiful ancient city.

The Royal Milehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4tYOugo-

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http://www.standingovationfordcteachers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/david-rubenstein.jpg

David Rubenstein mime

http://www.circusentertainers.co.uk/Images/Mimes/Mime-web.jpg

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http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/files/2012/04/Funeral-Pastor.jpg

funerals

acrobatichttp://www.beijingshowbooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/The-direction-of-development-of-Chinese-acrobatics-in-new-century1.png

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http://www.bustler.net/images/news2/the_royal_shakespeare_company_2011_riba_client_of_the_year_01.jpg

Royal Shakespeare Company

Cloud Gate Dance Theater http://www.trbimg.com/img-53177892/turbine/ct-cth-ct-dance-cloud-gate-dan-jpg-20140305/600

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cb/Hidakagawatondawiki.jpg/400px-Hidakagawatondawiki.jpg

Tonda Bunraku Puppet Troupe

choreographerhttp://candyboxentertainment.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/madonna-s-choreographer-645302855.jpg

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http://www.apartmentsbarcelona.com/news/Cirque_du_soleil_1.jpg

Cirque du Soleil Michael Jacksonhttp://stonerdays.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/michael-jackson-thriller.jpg

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http://www.theatresonline.com/theatres/edinburgh-theatres/edinburgh-festival/images/edin-festival.jpg

Edinburgh International Festival

Edinburgh Fringe Festivalhttp://darkroom-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/2013/08/AFPGetty-175735199.jpg

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Edinburgh_Royal_Mile01.jpg

The Royal Mile