Clowndance Syllabus
Game: Dance Like Everybody's Watching
In preparation for this game I will ask everyone to bring with them a small music playing device- a phone or MP3 player- and headphones, ideally wireless ones so that you can move freely while wearing them. I will also ask everyone to bring with them a piece of music they love to dance to- the kind of thing you would groove around your kitchen listening to.
First everyone will put their headphones on and dance to their chosen piece of music, all together in the space but with no reference to each other. If you like and you feel safe doing so you're welcome to dance with your eyes closed. When your music finishes, take off your headphones and wait quietly until everyone is done.
Next…
I will ask everybody to find a partner. You will repeat the process of dancing to your chosen track with your headphones on, and while you're still dancing for yourself you are in some way including, or involving, or sharing that dance with your partner.
Then…
I will place everybody's tracks in a playlist and play them one after the other through the studio sound system. When your piece of music comes on, make an entrance. The rest of us, as audience, will applaud wildly for you.
You then dance to your piece of music however feels good to you. You don't need to change the dance, you don't need to try and make it objectively better, more choreographed, more performed, and you can choose to what extent you want to invite the audience in or simply let them witness you dancing. You are dancing like everybody's watching, and they're fucking loving it.
At the end of each dance the performer takes a bow and the audience applaud wildly.
Reflection
What did you enjoy?
As a performer and as an audience member
First everyone will put their headphones on and dance to their chosen piece of music, all together in the space but with no reference to each other. If you like and you feel safe doing so you're welcome to dance with your eyes closed. When your music finishes, take off your headphones and wait quietly until everyone is done.
Next…
I will ask everybody to find a partner. You will repeat the process of dancing to your chosen track with your headphones on, and while you're still dancing for yourself you are in some way including, or involving, or sharing that dance with your partner.
Then…
I will place everybody's tracks in a playlist and play them one after the other through the studio sound system. When your piece of music comes on, make an entrance. The rest of us, as audience, will applaud wildly for you.
You then dance to your piece of music however feels good to you. You don't need to change the dance, you don't need to try and make it objectively better, more choreographed, more performed, and you can choose to what extent you want to invite the audience in or simply let them witness you dancing. You are dancing like everybody's watching, and they're fucking loving it.
At the end of each dance the performer takes a bow and the audience applaud wildly.
Reflection
What did you enjoy?
As a performer and as an audience member