Clowndance Syllabus
Game: Body Part Solos & Duets
This can be a solo game or evolve into a duet.
Working on your own: choose a single body part which is going to lead your dance. Explore what that body part can do on its own- think of it like a puppet, a little performer in its own right.
Create and set a short sequence in which your body part dances, and you have an opinion on it. The body part might lead you into involving the rest of your body or you might stand still and let it do its own thing. You can also decide what your relationship is with the body part- are you amused by it, impressed by it, or horrified by it?
To develop this into a duet, everybody finds a partner. Start by teaching each other your body part solos- try to be as precise and accurate as possible, so that you can perform them together in unison. You then have several options to make them into a short duet.
You can:
Whatever option you choose, remember to include the audience.
Perform the solos or duets with the rest of the group acting as audience.
Reflection
What did we enjoy?
Did we read the performing body part as having a mind of its own?
Could we understand the performers’ attitude to their dancing body part?
Working on your own: choose a single body part which is going to lead your dance. Explore what that body part can do on its own- think of it like a puppet, a little performer in its own right.
Create and set a short sequence in which your body part dances, and you have an opinion on it. The body part might lead you into involving the rest of your body or you might stand still and let it do its own thing. You can also decide what your relationship is with the body part- are you amused by it, impressed by it, or horrified by it?
To develop this into a duet, everybody finds a partner. Start by teaching each other your body part solos- try to be as precise and accurate as possible, so that you can perform them together in unison. You then have several options to make them into a short duet.
You can:
- Each perform your own body part solo, individually, one after the other
- Both perform both solos, one after the other, in unison
- Each perform your own solo at the same time
- Each perform your own solo but break them up with pauses so they form a conversational duet between you.
- Integrate the two solos into a duet by using elements of both- this could be performed in unison or as a conversational duet.
Whatever option you choose, remember to include the audience.
Perform the solos or duets with the rest of the group acting as audience.
Reflection
What did we enjoy?
Did we read the performing body part as having a mind of its own?
Could we understand the performers’ attitude to their dancing body part?