We have put together a useful glossary of terminology that you may come across as you explore the world of performing arts! At Stagecoach Theatre Arts our students have the wonderful opportunity to learn about many different aspects of performing arts, including new performance skills as well as the technicalities of creating a show.

At Stagecoach our students have the opportunity to work in a variety of roles from ‘Performer’ to ‘Director’ to ‘Choreographer’. They might choreograph their own dance routine or could direct their classmates in a scene. Below are definitions of some key roles within a performing arts environment that our students may get to explore.





Performer
A ‘Performer’ is generally someone who entertains other by using the performing arts.

Our students learn how to entertain their families, friends, classmates, etc. using singing, dancing and acting. The skills they develop through doing so can also be used in every day life, be it when giving a presentation in class or later in life in their chosen career. Shakespeare wrote that ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players’ so we believe at Stagecoach that everyone is a performer.

Cast
The ‘Cast’ is all of the performers in a production, from the soloists to the chorus members.

Dramaturg
A  Dramaturg is a person within a performing arts environment whose focus is on the research and development of a production.

Director
A ‘Director’ is the person within a performing arts company who supervises the actors and gives them direction in a scene.

Producer
A ‘Producer’ is the person responsible predominately for the managerial aspects of the making of a production.

Stage Manager
The ‘Stage Manager’ practice of organising and coordinating a theatrical production. It encompasses a variety of activities, including organizing the production and coordinating communications between various personnel (e.g., between director and backstage crew, or actors and production management).

Choreographer
A ‘Choreographer’ uses the body to create movement phrases and sequences, usually put together to form a dance routine (known as ‘choreography). The word ‘choreography’ means "dance-writing" and is derived from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance) and "γραφή" (writing).

Performing Arts
‘Performing arts’ is an umbrella term for various forms of creativity, usually performed in front of an audience. Prominent examples of these activities are drama, music, and dance.

At Stagecoach Theatre Arts we explore many branches of the performing arts through varied classes and workshops in a broad range of performance techniques and styles. All of our students learn how to sing, dance and act and have the opportunity to study different genres in each of these skills.

Triple Threat
The phrase ‘Triple Threat’ is a term used in the entertainment industry to describe a performer who is talented in acting, singing, and dancing.

All Stagecoach Theatre Arts students study singing, dancing and acting, giving them the opportunity to develop into well-rounded performers (or ‘triple threats’).

Performance Showcase
A ‘Performance Showcase’ is a production which shows off the talent, hard work and skills of various performers.
Each year at Stagecoach Theatre Arts we have a busy performance schedule, with 13 events happening in 2015! You can read more about these events here.

A Cappella
The term ‘A Cappella’ is an Italian phrase meaning ‘in the manner of the church’. Music which is a cappella is intended to be performed without any instrumental accompaniment. Though predominately associated with classical and choral music, modern a cappella groups often adapt pop songs to be performed without instruments. Some groups use beatboxing techniques to re-create the sounds of percussion instruments.

Beatboxing
‘Beatboxing’ can be defined as vocal percussion, using the mouth, lips, tongue, and voice to create drum beats, rhythm, and other musical sounds.

Musical Theatre
‘Musical Theatre’ is a genre of the performing arts that combines songs, acting, and dance. Whilst musical theatre does cross paths with other performance styles such as opera, it is often more active with large dance numbers.
Many of our Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools study a wide variety of musical theatre songs from the most famous and most popular musicals from Broadway and the West End. Our students have the opportunity to learn songs from musicals such as Matilda, Les Misérables and many more. Our students also can be found performing in London’s West End, thanks to the opportunities they receive from our Agency. Students have performed in Shrek the Musical, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Lion King.

Iambic Pentameter
‘Iambic Pentameter’ is a writing tool Shakespeare used to direct his cast with how to speak their lines. Each line consists of five ‘feet’ and each ‘foot’ has one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable. For example ‘Two households, both alike in dignity’ should be read as ‘Two households both alike in dignity’ with the stress being placed on the letters in bold.

Opera
‘Opera’ is a genre of singing in which classically trained vocalists perform a dramatic work combining text called a ‘libretto’ with a musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. The singers are most often accompanied by a full orchestra.

Ex-Stagecoach Theatre Arts student Charlotte Jaconelli originally form part of the operatic duo 'Jonathan and Charlotte' who took the judges and audience by storn on Britain's Got Talent. You can see her performing at our Bi-Annual Choir Festival here.