What is Pantomime?

What is Pantomime:

For starters, pantomime can be categorized as a form of communication. This art form can be applied to express a simple story, such as a man trapped in a box, to a complex and challenging issue, such as overcoming trials and despair. When a mime performs, he or she will wear black clothing and white gloves and will paint white makeup on his or her face. A mime’s face and hands are accentuated so that the audience can clearly see the mime’s facial expressions and hand gestures. This is an important part of pantomime because mimes do not speak at all when they perform. One could say that pantomime takes the phrase, “actions speak louder than words”, to a whole new level.

History of Pantomime:

Pantomime has a tremendously long history. One could make the claim that this art form began even before humans inhabited the Earth. Many animals have and still do use non-verbal communication to converse with each other. A prime example of an animal that demonstrates this characteristic is the peacock. In order for a male to attract a female, the male peacock will spread its tail and dance. The idea of non-verbal communication then transcended down to the cave men, who would tell stories to each by means of drawing and/or acting. There were short periods in ancient Rome and Greece when pantomime grew in popularity, but it was not until the 14^th Century Renaissance when this art form flourished. Another moment in history when pantomime experienced a major breakthrough was when video was created. Prior to video imagery, there was no way to record or document pantomime. After this accomplishment, commonly known artists, including Charlie Chaplin and Marcel Marceau came to the stage. Unfortunately for my blog, the history of how pantomime transitioned from being used in a theatrical to a religious setting is unknown. My best guess is that once interpretive and liturgical dance was discovered in the church, and outpour of creative and performing arts followed. One of the ways pantomime is different in the church from the ways that it was previously used is that while the mimes perform, a gospel song is played in the background. The lyrics of the song should correspond to the facial expressions and movements of the mimes. I plan on posting video clips of some of the my own performances, but you could always search “mime” on YouTube if you are eager to see this art form for yourself.

My Personal History of Pantomime:

My experience in pantomime began when I joined Total Praise Mime Ministry in sixth grade. At the time, my sister was also involved on the mime team and I can clearly remember the evening when she asked me if I wanted to go to the church and see them practice. Initially, I was hesitant to practice with the group, but as time went on and I became more comfortable, I grew in love with this form of ministry. Total Praise Mime Ministry (and hopefully all other mime teams with a religious background) believe that pantomime is not a performance, but as a way to worship God and to minister to our audience. Because I have grown up in the church my entire life, I have been privileged to see a multitude of different kinds of worship. From spoken word to pantomime, anyone and everyone should be able to use their God-given talents as a way to directly impact an audience that may have never been “moved” in church or in other religious institutions. One of the main reasons why I have been involved with this ministry for so long is because no other form of worship can get me to feel as close to God and as close to understanding my emotions than pantomime. By using every muscle in my body, I can immediately get “lost” in the song to the point when ministering in front of a large audience does not make me feel nervous. Admittedly, my ability to control my nerves has grown over time because I used to feel very anxious when I got in front of a large crowd. Whenever I minister now, I always remember that the most important person in the room is God Himself.