Title of the activity
Meetings
Duration
30 minutes maybe more depending on the number of participants
Participants
Number of participants does not matter
Activity proposed by
Dimitra Svigkou
Aims
For the participants to interact, collaborate, sharpen their senses, and learn to work within a framework of repetition.
Material
Comfortable clothes and free space to move.
Preparation
A good body warm up
Steps/Instructions
1. We begin by arranging two groups in parallel lines at one end of the room. There are two groups, one on the right and one on the left. The first person in each line will meet at the center of the hall. They begin to walk across the room, either mimicking or complimenting one another’s movements. Each participant will go through the task three or four times, swapping partners each time.
2.We preserve the previous step’s two lines. This time, one of the two offers a movement pattern (a repetitive series of motions) and their companion attempts to mimic it at the same time. Then we exchange roles. The transfer of the couple takes place exclusively along the vertical axis of the room.
3. We still keep the two lines, this time the participants start the movement from a long distance from each other. They can also decide the route they will follow when they meet.
Evaluation method
At the end of the activity we can discuss with the participants how they felt about the random meetings, if they found it difficult to communicate with others and if they felt that they met new people in this different way
Hints/tips for facilitators
In this activity, it is important to make sure that the participants change pairs each time. Each meeting should be a new experience.
This activity is ideal for getting to know the participants and can be chosen at the beginning of the lesson.
Variations
This is an action that can be used in a performance in its final form. Also it could be done even with passing strangers in a performance in a public space with a momentary communication from the participants
On the street, for example, the participant finds someone passing by and moves with him, next to him in the same way. Or he sees someone from a distance and tries to communicate with him until he reaches him.
This presupposes very good preparation of the participants and that they are able to accept reactions that they may not have expected such as rejection, so their selection should be done very carefully. Also the coordinator should be alert for any intervention that needs to be done while the venue of the meetings should be specific and controlled in order to provide security to everyone.
Method
Dimitra Svigkou
