Arrival to space and body (body work and dance)
General Aim
Introductory exercise to open a movement session and warm up the body. The main goal of the exercise is to connect body and mind and allow participants to be aware of their movements and actively feel the various body parts.
Learning goals
● body awareness
● emotional intelligence development
● warm
Short description/background/Introduction/Tips for the trainer
This exercise is non-verbal, participants are asked not to talk. The trainer has to enforce this. Usually the trainer is doing the exercise together with the participants, and walking around, so s/he is able to provide support, or silence with a soft touch.
For steps 6-7 musical support can be given, mostly instrumental, and joyful music
Target
Suggested group
Materials
music, speakers
Duration
25 minutes, depending on the time frames
Procedure/steps
1. Participants are asked to walk around the room / space at a comfortable speed.
2. Participants are asked to look around in the space, go to the places, look at the objects they are curious about, and eventually touch them, getting familiar with the space.
3. Participants are invited to turn their attention to themselves. First to their feet. The facilitator gives instructions on which part of the body to move and how, starting with the feet and ending with the head.
4. Participants are invited to continue walking. Their comfortable speed is now level 5. The facilitator gives instructions to change the speed down (to level 4-3-2-1) or up (level 6-7-8-9).
5. Participants can be invited to walk at level 5, but backwards.
6. People walking backwards may meet other backs. If this happens, they can rub their backs for a couple of seconds and then continue walking.
7. After a couple of meetings, participants are invited to find a place where they can stand comfortably, relax and imagine (or move with) the sensations of others’ touch with their eyes closed.
Evaluation/Final debriefing
At step 7, people are invited to reflect on how they feel in their body, and how it felt to meet others.
Literature/Video
Proposed music list for moving:
Where we once met / Moya Brennan (3.25)
Common dances: Nessi Gomes All related (6.09)