One person rests, the partner provides a surface / a touch that has a distinct beginning and an end

Begin with a bigger surface and a clear touch on the torso + head

Move towards subtler touch / more textured touch and smaller / versatile surfaces

As the partner continues touching, the second person can change the position of resting

The second person can start moving towards the touch, pouring their weight into the touch

When touching, include the upper limbs

Include the lower limbs

Pay attention to the rhythm of your touches

Pay attention to where you have already touched and where haven’t you touched yet

Let the person move alone, with the memory of the touched surfaces and allowing the new surfaces to emerge

How do you transition between them?

Describe the journey in the present tense

Or draw the journey

Or draw the way the body looks in the beginning and now

Change roles

Similarly to the previous exercise, create a singular attention

Choose to move only one thing at a time: a limb, a surface, a hidden organ, a tissue, a bone

What else can you name One?

Establish a rhythm of moving, and keep that rhythm.

Each beat a movement is created.

When your attention weakens, take a rest and observe the others.

Variation 1

In couples: 1 person does, the 2 one observes.

Call: change roles.

The roles are immediately changed.

Call: change roles.

How do you change roles this time? How long does the change last?

Call: change roles.

How do you surprise the partner? How do you surprise yourself?

Change roles whenever you want to within your couple.

When finished, talk: one person names three things that brought them pleasure when doing, and when observing. Change roles.

With a partner

Observer places two hands simultaneously on the body of the partner, touching two surfaces. You don’t want your partner to do anything, you just provide information. 

The hands are taken away simultaneously

The doer brings these two surfaces towards and away from each other

How do you do that? How quickly? How close do they come? How long does the movement last? How do you feel? What inner image raises up? How does it feel?

When the doer stops then the next two surfaces are offered

What do you notice in the moment of pause?

How do you include a new touch = a new piece of information into your journey?

Doer moves alone, recycling the touches they have received

Observer moves away and observes

Observer may give additional touch from time to time

Change roles

Variation 1

Two surfaces are given without pauses

Variation 2 

Start from two surfaces at a time and then throw one of the surfaces onto the space

Throw it on the wall and move towards and away from it

Throw it on another wall

Throw it on the ceiling

Throw it on the floor

Throw it into a very specific corner

Rest it on another person

Include an awareness of the whole space and move towards and away from it

Keep the surface in the body stable

Shift the surface within the body

Allow everything to shift, where do you find stability?

Offer a textured touch, a cutting line, a calming pat, a twist on the skin, a piercing pinch, etc.

The beginning and the end of the movement are clear

When receiving the touch, pay attention to what image emerges in the body

How does it feel? What memory arises? Where are you? Who are you? What are you doing?

The doer receives the touch and moves with it

The observer stops giving touches and witnesses the doer

The doer recycles the touches and works with any new textures that appear

When you need inspiration to keep on dancing, do it to yourself – provide touches to yourself

Observe the flow of your breathing

Allow the breath to return to its own rhythm, without a need to change it or to control it

Make the breathing slightly louder if you need to sharpen your attention

Connect the breathing to pouring weight: on an exhale – pour weight, on an inhale – pause

Connect the movement to the breathing: let the movement ride the breath

In the pause, expand attention to the whole of your body – where are you in your body, in the space, in your imagination? How do you feel? Where do you come from, and where are you moving towards?

Pay attention to beginnings and ends of your movement

Find a way to include different levels while moving.

Release the relationship between breathing and pouring weight: what pleasures do you find in it?

Where does your dancing want to go?

Where does it take you?

Where do you take it?

Close your eyes and take a look at your body. How do you look? Breathe out and open your eyes.

Draw the image you see

Describe it to a partner in the present tense

Partner asks open-ended questions to be able to see the image clearly

Partner verifies the image: are there any cultural, social, historical references the image connects to?

Partner embodies the image and dances it, the original “dreamer” (OD) observes the movement

The original “dreamer” (OD) joins in and takes over the dancing, the partner observes

The OD dances with what attracted their attention; partner watches for patterns

Partner joins in and for a moment doubles the OD, then stays and dances with the patterns

The OD steps down and observes – watches for what the question is – where does this “material” want to go? 

The OD enters with the question and sees what materials re-emerges in response to the question

Partner watches for the response: is there any necessity to this dancing?

Partner enters and addresses the necessity

Partner and OD exchange in the present tense about their experience

Choose an object in the space, or a space that attracts your attention

Sense it: touch it, smell it, taste it, listen to it, observe it

Describe it to the others

Can they guess what you are describing? 

Can they point it in space?

Variation 1

Choose an object in the space, or a space that attracts your attention

Sense it: touch it, smell it, taste it, listen to it, observe it

Become it – move as it moves, embody its space, timing, texture

Can others guess what you are embodying? 

Can they point it in space?

Variation 2

Choose an object in the space, or a space that attracts your attention

Sense it: touch it, smell it, taste it, listen to it, observe it

Speak from its perspective – have a dialogue with another person as this particular object

Both of you speak from your object-perspectives

Discuss issues that are important to you, e.g. how to save the world? What needs to change to help the Earth? What can the future look like?

What new creative visions do you hear?

What do you learn about yourself?

Draw a line on the back of your partner

The line has a beginning, middle and an end

Is it a line or a curve?

Where does it travel to?

Partner responds to the line through movement

The response has a beginning, middle and an end

Partner observes the response

When the doer is done, offer another line

Change roles

Let the hands of your partner rest in your hands. 

Lead your partner through space with their eyes closed. Be simple in the way you lead them. Stop and arrange their hands in a clear position in space. Form them as if they were a sculpture.

Release their hands and walk around your partner observing this sculpture you have composed.

Partner notices their sensations, feelings, action in the body and speaks from this sense-felt place describing what they see, feel, do. As you speak, allow the body to become more of it.

Repeat a couple of times until you change roles.

Variation 1

Take both hands of your partner again and lead them to another place in the space, arrange their hands in a clear position.

Release their hands and walk around your partner observing this sculpture you have composed.

Partner notices sensations, feelings and actions in the body. 

Who are you? 

Become that person. Speak directly from their perspective, without explaining where you are, what you see, what is around you. Simply say what you need to say, e.g. “Hey, stop, I am coming!”

Repeat a couple of times until you change roles.

Variation 2

Take both hands of your partner again and lead them to another place in the space, arrange their hands in a clear position.

Release their hands and walk around your partner observing this sculpture you have composed.

Partner notices sensations, feelings and actions in the body. They continue the movement that they see in their imagination. Without speaking, just do.

Repeat a couple of times until you change roles.

Variation 3

Take both hands of your partner again and lead them to another place in the space, arrange their hands in a clear position.

Release their hands and walk around your partner observing this sculpture you have composed.

Partner notices sensations, feelings and actions in the body. They continue the movement that they see in their imagination. Continue the story of this perspective through dance improvisation.

The other person observes the partner and sometimes places both hands on the partner, and then the mover stops and reports where they are and what they are doing. When the hands are released, they continue with improvisation.

Draw the map of this experience.

Tell the story you lived by moving the pen on the map.

Change roles.

With your eyes closed take a look inside at how you look today

Draw a portrait of yourself

Describe what you see to your partner in the present tense, drawing from the portrait

Partner asks clarifying questions: open ended questions to imagine what you see better

Partner asks verifying questions: does it remind you of a recent event? A piece of art? A film you watched? A memory?

Partner moves with this image, while you are observing

Experiment with the order of things: does the first person who moves is the one who proposed the image, or is the person who listens, asks questions the first one to embody the image?

1. person moves 2. person observes with what attracts their attention

2, person moves with what attracts their attention 1. person observes patterns

1. person moves with patterns 2. observes patterns
2. moves with patterns 1. observes what is the question
3. moves with the question 2. observes for the question
4. moves with the question 1. observes for necessity
5. addresses the necessity 2. joins in addressing the necessity

On the other side of the paper draw the image of yourself NOW, after this experience. What has changed?

1. and 2. speak about the experience in the present tense: what do you notice: sensations, feelings and emotions, thoughts and understandings, actions
2. and 2. find a title for this experience

Change roles.

In a circle, listen to all the names of the journeys

Variation 1

Do imagery exercise of looking inside your body and seeing how you look today.

With your eyes closed take a look inside at how you look today

Draw a portrait of yourself

Describe what you see to your partner in the present tense, drawing from the portrait

Partner asks clarifying questions: open ended questions to imagine what you see better

Partner asks verifying questions: does it remind you of a recent event? A piece of art? A film you watched? A memory?

Where is the place of expansion, growth, lightness, joy in the image?

Move with this expansive aspect of the image

Is there a necessity to the image?

Respond to the necessity, while cleaving to the image of expansion, growth, lightness and joy

After you are done, look inside and see how you look now? On the reverse side of the paper, draw the new image

Give it a name

Hear all the names in the circle

Do imagery exercise of looking inside your body and seeing how you look today.

Draw a portrait of yourself.

Describe it your partner, in the present tense.

Partner asks clarifying questions: open ended questions.

Partner asks verifying questions: does it remind you of a recent event? A piece of art? A film you watched? A memory?

Move with this image, partner is observing.

To experiment if the 1st person is the one who proposes the image, or the one to listen to the image.

1 person moves 2 person observes what attracts their attention.

2 person moves with what attracts their attention 1 person observes patterns.

1 person moves with patterns 2 observes patterns.

2 moves with patterns 1 observes what is the question.

1 moves with the question 2 observes for the question.

2 moves with the question 1 observes for necessity.

1 addresses the necessity 2 joins in addressing the necessity.

1 and 2 speak about the experience in the present tense: what do you notice, sensations, feelings and emotions, thoughts and understandings, actions. 

1 and 2 name this experience.

Where do you get to? Draw the new image of yourself on the other side.

Change roles.

Hear all the names of the experiences.

Variation 1

Do imagery exercise of looking inside your body and seeing how you look today.

Draw a portrait of yourself.

Describe it your partner, in the present tense.

Partner asks clarifying questions: open ended questions.

Partner asks verifying questions: does it remind you of a recent event. A piece of art. A film you watched. A memory.

Where is the place of expansion, growth, lightness, joy?

Is there a necessity to the image?

Move with this image, responding to the necessity of the image, everyone at the same time.

Draw the new image on the reverse side.

Give it a name.

Share all the names.

Choose a place in a room, take a comfortable position

Let your eyes glide across the space

Do not jump across surfaces, glide, feeling how your eyes touch them smoothly

Move far, close, treat everything your eyes encounter with equanimity

Choose one place that attracts your attention and rest your eyes there

Get up and walk towards this place: notice how your moving towards it changes what you see. When you do a close up: what are the new things you notice?

Stay in this new place in the room and again, let your eyes glide around you, across the space

Choose another place across the space, walk towards it keeping it all the time in the centre of your attention: what are the new things you notice as you come closer?

Stay in this new place and let your eyes glide around you

Choose another place across the space and move away from it

Once you arrive “away” stop, and return to eyes gliding across the space

Start playing with coming closer and moving further away, with resting and gliding

What happens if you rest on a moving person?

Shift your eye to your pelvis and play with this double vision – your regular eyes and this extra eye, moving towards and away

Shift your eye to your chest, and play with this double vision, moving towards and away

Shift your eye to the back of your head, and play with this double vision, moving towards and away

Become all eyes

This practice is done in a trio

Write down different types of movies and reflect how different movies are filmed in a different way

Doer moves with any task, e.g. throwing an eye

Witness observes them through a different style of filming

Observer watches the doer and witness: what kind of a relationship does this particular way of filming create?

How does the quality of your observing and witnessing impact the dancing?

When watching your partner, play with:

Foreground and background,

Detail and whole,

Following a detail

Play with listening to them more than watching them

Watch them through your back

Watch them through your foot

Notice what happens in your body with each shift of perspective

Stay in one place physically

Follow your partner

Come close, too close

Move far away, almost losing sight of them

Notice how every change you make is information

Take an empty piece of paper in your hand.

Walk with it in the space, holding it against the backdrop of different places in the room.

Shift your attention to look at what appears at the blank piece of paper as you shift your position: notice the changes in light and shade, forms, shapes, rhythms

Play with the form of the paper still observing what appears on it

Do it in a couple: one does, one observes

Can you include the gaze of the observer in your exploration? Can you include the fact that you are being seen?

Draw three moments from this exploration of your partner

Re-enter them, reflecting back to your partner what you have seen

Partner tells what surprised them about their own doing and about their partners reflection