Siirry sisältöön
Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European union

Bodily improvisations

Statues

  • Aim: bodily improvisation
  • Group size: 4–50
  • Time: 10–15 minutes
  • Supplies: open sheltered space

Instructions

  1. All the participants are scattered around the room and the facilitator asks them to move around and stop when she shouts “STOP”. When this happens, the participants will have to get into groups of a number as quickly as possible and form statues according to the instructions from the facilitator: “4 people to form a coffee machine and a cup,” or “3 people to form a piano and pianist,” or ”6 people to form a marketplace,” or “8 people to form a bank robbing scene,” … etc. The groups must locate themselves so that the statues are all an equal distance apart.
  2. When the statues are ready, they will be admired. Between making the statues the facilitator asks the participants to move around the room so that it is possible that they arrange themselves in a group with different people every time.
  3. Variation : (Lots of variations possible ) Instead of shouting out the number of people to form a statue and the subject, the facilitator can shout out the number of statues wanted: “4 coffee machines,” or “6 pairs of  knives and forks”… so the participants must arrange themselves in that number of statues , so there is no need to have an equal number of people forming a statue.
    Another variation: all use of spoken language is forbidden. Everything must happen in silence.
    Another variation: when the statues are ready, they must start moving and making sounds.
    Another variation: there can be a theme and all statues relate to it. For example, emotions.

Atom Game

  • Category:   ice breakers/ warm up and bodily improvisation
  • Group size: 4–50
  • Time: 10–15 minutes
  • Supplies: open sheltered space, music (optional)

Instructions

  1. All the participants are scattered around the room and the facilitator asks them to move around like free molecules (music optional). When the facilitator calls out “Atom“ and  a number e.g ” 5“. the participants will have to get into groups of a number as quickly as possible and form an atom.
  2. When they all  have formed the groups they get a task to fulfill. The facilitator now calls out different body parts and numbers. The group needs to have this certain amount of body parts touching the floor. Not more and not less. E.g : “5 feet, 5 hands, 2 bottoms“. Each group tries to find a creative solution. As a  facilitator you can check if they got it right and give points for the group that solves the task as the first group.
  3. Games continues, atoms break up and participants run freely around the room till the next “atom [number]“ is heard. Between making the atoms the facilitator asks the participants to move around the room so that it is possible that they arrange themselves in a group with different people every time.

Who is the Leader?

  • Category: bodily exercise and roleplay  
  • Group size: 4–25
  • Time:  – 60  minutes
  • Supplies: open sheltered space

Instructions

  1. All participants stand or sit in a circle. You will choose one person as  a volunteer to leave the room. 
  2. After the volunteer leaves, the rest of the group chooses a “leader”. The leader must perform a series of actions, such as clapping, tapping a foot, etc, that are copied by the whole group. 
  3. The volunteer comes back into the room, stands in the middle and tries to guess who is leading the actions. The group protects the leader by not looking at him/her. The leader must change the actions at regular intervals, without getting caught. When the volunteer spots the leader, they  join the circle, and the person who was the leader leaves the room to allow the group to choose a new leader.

Rhythm and Clap

  • Category: energizers / warm up / Bodily improvisation
  • Group size: 10-20
  • Time:  15-20  minutes
  • Supplies: open sheltered space 

Instructions:

  1. We stand in a circle and each person thinks a distinctive gesture (peace sign, hands up, touching their nose, tapping…). With claps we will all set the rhythm of the famous song We will rock you.
  2. When the person who has the first turn deems it appropriate, substitute the pat for the gesture that he/she has thought. After him/her, the partner on the right must follow the rhythm of the song by adding his/her own gesture, but always leaving a rhythm + clap between the gestures.
  3. Thus, the turn will go by indicating it by gestures. In case of error, the person can be penalized or removed from the game

Example:

Player 1: rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose …

Player 2: rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + wave in the air, rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + wave in the air …

Player 3: rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + wave in the air, rhythm + clap, rhythm + jump, rhythm + clap, rhythm + touch nose, rhythm + clap, rhythm + wave in the air, rhythm + clap, rhythm + jump…