Valuable skills and arts education

Today I went on a field trip with my daughter to the St. Albert Children's Festival. We saw a performance this afternoon by a circus troupe that totally blew my mind. As a performer, I was thrilled by the theatricality and showmanship of some of the performances, but beyond that I was in awe of some of the skills these people possessed. And I'm not talking their physical prowess. That was undeniable. These people were incredible athletes. I'm talking about their mental skills. Skills that we say we value in our society, but do we? One of my favorite acts was a man and a woman doing acrobatics. She was being held in a variety of lifts in incredibly difficult positions - sometimes balancing on only one hand. From this position, the man lowered himself to the floor and while continuing to balance her, would somehow tuck his legs through his arms and do a roll. It was absolutely breathtaking. The thing that I liked the most about this act was the communication and trust in this relationship. There was nothing said, but they were so closely tuned into each others bodies and energies. They had to be. To top it off, they did it all with smiles on their faces and with a great deal of flair. I was so impressed. These performers were disciplined, strong, courageous and had incredible focus. They were performing amazing physical feats that required immense concentration in front of a theatre full of noisy and excited children, and they didn't miss a step. How many people can say that of themselves? This is the value of an arts education, and this is what the arts can teach us all. These skills are invaluable in our society. Focus. Discipline. Courage. Communication. Trust. Concentration. Now remind me again why the arts and arts education are not valuable?