The benefits of staying in an ongoing class are as follows:
Growth.
Risk Taking.
…and FUN!!!!
Acting is supposed to be FUN! Yet so many actors get stuck in their heads, making the work more about doing it “right” then having a good time.
I chalk this up to “acting” only when you have an audition to prepare for, or are under the gun because suddenly you find yourself in a situation which requires your acting skills; a friend books you on a job or you’re called “out-of-the-blue” to come in and audition for something.
Many actors who consistently stay in class for a few years grow SIGNIFICANTLY! It’s an amazing thing to witness how comfortable they become in such a short amount of time.
Actors who have strong training in their field of choice; TV, film, theatre, tend to make bolder choices, stand taller and walk into jobs and auditions knowing they “got this.”
You could compare this process to tennis. Maybe at first you start off barely being able to hit the ball over the net, let alone backhand the crap out of it. But the more you practice the better you feel and the better you get. Next thing you know, you’re ACE-ing your teammate with the confidence to win every time. That’show I feel when I see an actor who’s been in a class for a while get up and simply nail the crap out of a scene or audition with seemingly no effort whatsoever.
Networking is also a big benefit of staying in class.
Why?
Because you never know who knows who, who is the son/daughter of who, or who has major representation unless you’re around em and get to know em. What better way to do this then to stay in class together! Not only are you constantly working together but you’re really getting to know one another as well.
I’ve had many actors get agents through classmates, auditions through classmates and JOBS through classmates. Not to mention the countless actors who went on to be show runners, television writers and big time writers for A-list film.
Lemme tell ya, you usually wanna work with people you already know and trust through the relationships you’ve built in class.