Inspire Creativity

Potential Props

Torches, Spiky light balls, Lyrca, Silver layered sheet, Sponges

Music choices

Fun, atmospheric music, makes you think of space and stars

Preparation

1. While entering the room, have the lights dimmed (possible use of lamps?) setting the space age scene. Have the silver layered sheet over the door to add to the effect.
2. Everyone gathers in a circle with their partner (in center of circle, have the lycra prepared, spiky balls with you so as not to cause distraction).

Warm-up (10 minutes)

Rubs of energy – either with hands or material like a sponge or the lycra to create a texture. Use this to warm up both the support dancer and partner, awakening the senses.

Pass the touch (10 minutes)

Send the spiky balls around the circle. Use them over own body before transferring to partner, trying different patterns, getting them to engage with their focus.
Then the spiky balls become shooting stars. Create a short sequence so that they can follow the stars, allowing for some free exploration too. Repeat a few times in order to build up confidence in the sequence and move together.

Shooting stars in the night sky (15 minutes)

Take the stars to the lycra placing them in the centre. Encourage everyone to take hold of the material, stretching it out. Allow the stars to fall and roll across the material. Pick up the energy and start to create some playful chaos. If the stars start to go everywhere, collect them back in and allow for another exploration. The second time they go everywhere, leave them where they are. Use this as a distraction to hand out the torches to the group (Discreetly pick up stars and hide them in a safe place until use again later).

Northern lights (15 minutes)

Allowing the material to tilt, the lights are dimmed and using the torches, we encourage the participants to reach towards the lights. (Allow for the lights to come on in a canon, 1 light, 2 then 3 etc.
Possible development of the exercise is to have the lights come on at different times for the element of surprise and excitement). Encourage the participants to reach towards the lights using different parts of their body if they can. Possible transition into creative tasks: bring the material out flat, turn off the torches and place them into the centre of the material like a black hole has swallowed them.

Creative Tasks (20 minutes)

– Attach the material to the wrists of the participants allowing them to lead their partner around them, focusing on orbits. The orbits could become bigger by trying to move in space around others -if possible-. The support dancer could also lead the participant in a variety of different ways.
– Pathways in space/School of fish travelling on a space expedition. Possibility to combine the two and allow the participants the chance to explore a set of pathways in space and around each other.
– Visiting different planets:

• Rainy planet, underneath the silver material we use the sound and explore the material by touching it.
• Beams of light planet, further exploration with the torches, over bodies, on the walls.
• Spiky planet, look at exploring more with the use of the spiky balls – how they can be passed between each duo, creating different feelings.

If time permits, possibly put together a short sequence where each of the groups has a chance to travel on a pathway and then visit their favorite planet.

Performance (20 minutes)

To finish off the session, organize a performance by all duets so all participants could see the tasks we used in real action.