Allen Ginsberg performs in a demonstration against the Vietnam War in South Carolina (Desportes, Hunter. Allen Ginsberg in Anti-War Demonstration (1972), 1972. https://www.flickr.com/photos/hdport/3330074621/in/album-72157614833611506/)

While perfoming arts within the Beat Movement is often less-known throughout today's society than other aspects of the Beat Movement, performing arts allowed beatniks to further contradict societal norms by abandoning censorship and by creating a greater connection between the perfomers and their audiences.

Some of the forms of performing arts that beatniks used were the art of dance, plays, and poetry readings. Beatniks even turned towards outside sources, such as Ernie Kovac, a television comedian of the time, for inspiration. During the Beat Movement, beatniks tried to celebrate the beauty of every day life and the natural world, while also creating a contemporary spin on the performances, which often broke from societal norms. Whether it be embracing one's nakedness, celebrating the beauty of animals, or pointing out the beauty that surrounds everyday life, the beatniks continued to both shock and impress their audiences with their fresh new view of what art truly should be-- a celebration of the natural worldand a break from sicietal and cultural norms.