On a Friday afternoon this month, Chen Shilei finished her work quickly and rushed to the fourth floor of a shopping mall in Beijing's Shijingshan district. Her 5-year-old son, Wu Zijing, was participating in a stage performance at the conclusion of a five-day drama camp.

Seven children were waiting behind the stage curtain. After warm applause and exciting whoops from their parents, the children began a 20-minute performance, telling the story of different animals who learn to love and support each other. Wu played the role of a quiet cat, so he only had a few lines.

"He is very shy. Drama encourages him to communicate more with others and dare to speak in public. Before the camp, he took a drama course for a year. He's making progress. Even if it's just little steps, we think it's worthwhile," Chen said.

The course Wu took was organized by the Dreamaker Drama Academy, which was founded in 2000 and provides drama courses for children in Beijing and other major cities, such as Shanghai and Chongqing.

Wang Dirong, director of the academy's drama troupe, said parents in big cities are more enthusiastic about investing in the development of their children's social skills and ways of expression than in courses that help them achieve higher scores in school tests.

"Our aim is not to train child stars, but to help children experience the world, understand others and explore themselves through drama. A child who understands empathy and is inventive will be more competitive in the future," Wang said.

A yearlong course totaling 80 hours costs 27,800($4,160) yuan. Five-day summer and winter camps are held every year, with each costing 6,980 yuan. All classes are taught in English.

For children who are solely interested in drama, the academy has introduced courses by Helen O'Grady - the world's foremost provider of developmental drama programs for children ages 4 to 17. The troupe also provides children who are passionate about acting with opportunities to perform in theaters.

"Learning drama has led to encouraging changes, not only in shy kids who gradually become more open and active during group activities, but also naughty kids, who learn to be quiet and more considerate to others," said Ihor Dudnyk, 26, a Ukrainian actor who has taught at the academy for two years.