The Importance Of Performance

Performance, no matter what form, is a very powerful and resonating aspect of everyday life. Whether it be theatre performance, dance, or music there is always a lesson to be learned from each. Usually with this lesson comes a set of morals or ethics that can be obtained by the audience. These lessons, with morals and ethics included, are highly impactful when they are attached to performances associated with a particular race or culture. Society should learn from and appreciate diversity within the performance world. Without it, many individuals of other races or ethnicities would be unaware of the heritage, struggles, or maybe even successes of the other racial groups. From past to present, the significance of performance in many cultures

From ritualistic dances with body paints, or portrait masks, to live and televised performances of singers, actors, and dancers sharing their feelings about what it is like to be black, the industry has come a long way. But has it come far enough? There is still a great deal of work to be done as evident by the thoughts of many contemporary artists, who use their platform to create change. Thankfully, in today’s entertainment industry, as opposed to in the 1920’s, black artists are comfortable showing their blackness. In the 1920’s, Ernest Hogan, a black minstrel and vaudeville comedian, was not able to do the same. Although he made great strides in black performance, as he was “the first African-American performer to play before a white audience on Broadway,” he was

Fortunately, in the twenty first century, black performers are not treated in the same manner. This is not to say that bias racial casting, bias stereotypes, and racism have been completely obliterated (although this would be nice), but the entertainment industry and black performers seem to be making attempts to make change. In terms of the entertainment industry’s role, bringing more diversity onto the stage and screen, and allowing for black artists to have the stage to themselves to express their viewpoint, and most often than not, struggles they face being black in America. Contrasting completely from blackface, the entertainment industry is giving black artists the chance to speak out about their culture. These black artists can be themselves on stage, without disguising their physical and outward appearance, and they are not being guarded about who they are as black individuals. The Kendrick Lamar performance at the recent 2018 Grammy awards, exemplifies these previous claims. Kendrick gives a very powerful performance about the pain and strife black people living in America endure every day. A very impactful performance, is accompanied by Dave Chappelle who acts a supporter for Kendrick. The performance stops twice for Chappelle to state, “The only thing more frightening than watching a black man be honest in America, is being an honest