Swarm Exercises

Train large groups for improv performances in dance or theatre.

These exercises train Swarm awareness for dancing and or theatre purposes. They help lead towards performances by big groups who can improvise a choreography on stage from scratch. They are meant to train a different awareness and presence. The purpose is to train heightened sensitivity of what is going on and what needs to be done. They are not meant to make every one mindless participants. They are meant to make everyone alive and contributing to the whole, with giving the best they have to offer.

Many of these exercises have been developed on the spot, to fit a question or situation. So some may not turn out immediate successes when applied. Strong facilitation skills to adapt them on the spot to the situation may be essential. Who knows what’ll happen when applied. I wish you good luck, happiness and enchanting moments when you do.

• Triangles (added spring 2017)
• Song Circle
• Group Swarm (added spring 2017)
• March of the Line
• Contribute or Die
• Small Tribes, Big Tribes
• Link to Collective Wisdom Dance.

Triangles

I often use this exercise to start working with a group. It shows how we all help to bring balance from our own perspective. And can have many more uses, depending on how you phrase start and outcomes. For groups 6–1000, time 5'-45'

Everyone stands in a circle or just one big mob, when over a 100. You ask everyone to choose two others, who don’t have to know you picked them. The objective is then explained: find a point where you distance from the one, is exactly the same as to the other. In short make an even legged triangle. The distance between your two choices may differ, that doesn’t matter, as long as your distance from the one is the same as to the other!

From start, and everyone in silence finding their point, can be as fast as 25'’ (seconds) for 60 people. 40'’ to 120'’ seconds is normal. When much longer, you might want to make sure nobody tries to make a even sided triangle, where all sides are equally long, by explaining the even legged triangle rule again.

Lessons learned can include: we all can start now, trust even when you brain thinks this is impossible, we all see the whole from a different perspective that has a value too, that we all follow different people and make their choices important to us, etc.

And extra can be to send first a few people out, who’s order it is, to bring order to the chaos when they come back. While gone, everyone else gets the rules above explained, but is asked to stay moving until assignments really help. Then the away people, have to upon return bring balance to the system. Often they’ll confer with each other, may forget to ask questions, start ordering people, in short make a bigger mess and no results. Then with the command: ‘everyone find a place that works for you and stand still.’ it’s all solved pretty fast. Lessons: Regulations from above often make matters worse. Trust more in people, investigate deeper and or ask everyone to help.

Song or Sound Circle

When I talk about hearing the music in collaboration in groups (or lack of), this is how you begin to train that sensitivity. It also trains bringing your unique voice to create a better whole. For groups 6–30, time 10'-45'

Everyone (6–30 people) stands in a circle. Now with the basic music rules of the Florissimo method people try to make music by adding voice. Add the factor that if you are unclear about what to do, join another or something that sounds nice. You may switch at any moment, if you feel something new is better or more fun for you and the whole.

Each time when things not become music or there is no hope it will, the facilitator stops the sound. The question then is: what would help improve the music? Mostly it’s about finding a balance between expressing your own voice and really listening to what’s needed or needs support. Too much ego and chaos ensues. Too much listening and lack of courage to add and the music dies. Lack of a basis, like some rhythm or melody, is also not good. Too much of it, and no contrasts and the music gets boring.

It’s good to keep eyes open and also make eye contacts and cooperate on developing a layer or part of the music. When all works out well, sudden shifts in music can appear. One small sound can suddenly dominate when many shift to it at the same time. This is a sign everyone is attuned. It’s beautiful and magical when that happens. When people want more is also a good sign. Pieces can end on signal of the facilitator, but also in a jubilant or a sweet fade out. You may expand on this exercise by adding movement, having people form cluster or allow people to step in for solo’s.

(this exercise was inspired by Bobby McFerrin’s work)

Group Swarm

We all influence the whole. And we all are responsible, and from that we all can find a balance between private exploration/choice and group needs. This exercise sharpens the sense for that balance. For groups 6–30, time 20'-120'

This exercise is very simple, yet has quite some depth. The rules are simple. During the game, no phones, talking or writing. It’s played in silence. All players may freely walk/play around in a forest, or city. You may do everything, like play ball (if there happens to be one), walk, lie down, group hug, climp a tree, explore, etc. Yet, each must make sure everyone can at least one of the others. Thus if one walks away from the group he or she must make sure see can see at the least one other from the group. And at the least one of the group must keep her in sight. Seems easy, but when in a forest and people spreading, and or trying to pull the others in a direction, it gets more difficult. Who decides? How do you decide?

Then afterward it’s interesting to ask, who tried to influence the group? And ask people to go those those who influenced their behavior and tell them what and how they did that? Often you’ll see, fewer people tried to consciously influence, than people will claim others influenced them. Thus we all influence.

A short session of this game can be 20 minutes. But it really has a special quality when played in a forest at night for an hour or three. Then a interesting state of awareness and attention may arise. And people sense when influencing to group is about power and or feel sharply when they take responcibility (to keep visibility intact) where others don’t. Facilitators can create a special atmosphere before the game begins. And during the game they may suddenly run, dance, change direction to keep everyone sharp and of show the diversity of possibilities. Nothing is a requirement. One of my best moments ever was a long soft group hug at night in a dark snowy forest after a snowballfight.

March of the Line

How to make people become more aware of how the group moves and let go of ego to stand out? Works best within sound distance and with group where you know everyone by name. For groups 8–100, time 10'-30'

Everyone is asked to stand on a line, or a quite wide group. The facilitator and 1 or 2 observers stand across the field. On a signal the group starts to walk across towards the facilitator. Every time someone stands out from the group he or she is asked to leave the group and join the observers. If too many people are noticed the group starts all over again as a whole. Be sure to tell them what you noticed standing out.

This exercise seems to be about becoming docile and cooperative. It is however training to consciously fit in, become one with the group energy. About letting your body get in tune with the group and not have your ego want to reach for lead roles, when there aren’t any. This is important because in a performance lead roles might emerge with others, and than you have to accept it’s not you.

One can add to the exercise by asking more complex tasks.

Contribute or die.

This is a variation on the previous exercise. Groups 8–24 time 10'–30' This exercise seems very cruel, but when done with humor it’s fun and may speed up learning. Discover how to be of service to what happens.

All participants in the exercise are requested on stage, except perhaps from several observers, or half the group, so you can alternate roles. The players on stage are requested to move as in a abstract play or dance. Each player that seems boring, useless or too much on stage is ‘shot’ by shouting “Name + Beng!” This person has than to die on stage and stay dead until end of scene. Watching the performance from that position can be allowed at times.

It trains more or less the same skills as the song circle, but now in movement and action. Only in this case the ‘music’ is much harder to hear. Taking on a major role might be the best way of being interesting and of service, or just blown up ego. The object is also to liberate yourself from the fear of dying on stage. First of all by dying so often, it doesn’t matter any more. Secondly by discovering what the audience judges the players or dancers on. Thirdly by finding the freedom within yourself to not play to survive, but to give it the best you have. A very deep spiritual lesson in itself. You shine when you shine, not because you try to prevent being ‘shot’.

Small Tribes, Big Tribes

Playful getting used to each other and awareness building for large groups 24–3000+, 20'–60' (especially the 1st two phases and third phase A, the third phase B is for deeper work with groups say under 120) The phases mentioned can be build upon, experimented with or applied separately, all to context and needs.

First phase: everyone walks around. When a random group size is called, everyone has to form groups of that number as quick as they can. “Form groups of 7” means everyone has to form groups of seven, not more not less, as fast as possible, that physically touch each other. Physical contact is essential (unless the culture prohibits this. If not, holding hands can be okay too, but you know the mood is great when they start forming closed circles with arms around each other, though this should never be the order! People are free to consider what is close enough for them.) One can also shout: “Form three almost equal groups” This means the number doesn’t matter, as long everyone is in one of the three groups that will form. This phase is just about running madness, laughing, getting comfortable with touching others. One can have hunters who tag people who aren’t in a group, or ask odd numbers out to just sit this round out, or play observer to all others.

Extra: I’ve at times also asked groups (between 3 and 7) to stand in line on large open fields, with shoulders to each other and then move about. Now the work to steer while keeping touch with shoulders (not using hands or arms) makes staying sensitive to group coordination important. I have even asked them to play tag like this, but I wouldn’t recommend it, unless you feel they’re in for an experiment that can fail. :)

Second Phase: Now one can add new elements to the groups, like give a guiding question to answer within the group. A question, of course, that fits the theme of the day, festival. Or one can give an physical exercise, like stand in circle and give each other a shoulder massage, or let as few feet touch the ground in your groups as possible, or….Once again everything that helps getting deeper in touch with each other and or meeting values. One can also ask groups to make a super short performance, like embody in movement and sound the one thing your group has in common, or a value you think should be most important the next..10 hours, week? I sometimes ask groups also to make a satire on one other group, mostly clockwise the next group, of what happens if a value or quality that they just showed is overdone. This often brings humor and relativity.

Third phase A: Here I work in separate directions. One is working towards, at times, random groups that will be a subgroup for the rest of the festival, like a sharing group or a mini tribe with one task. Then the last group gets some time to make appointments and get to know each other better.

Third phase B: Another is going deeper with group forming. “Stand with everyone you feel that has the same motivation to be here. No speaking.” “Stand with everyone from the same social class as you. No speaking.” (This one often led to big comments, but also huge revelations, when guided very well.) You’ll understand now groups that stand together can work longer on theme’s they share. They might work on essential questions for their group and work towards a presentation, art work, etc. What fits, time, place and content. Note: people who after working has started don’t feel they’re in the right group should feel free to cross over.

Collective Wisdom Dance.

The “Collective Wisdom Dance” combines Ecstatic Dance and Systems Constellation work into a dance of discovery for self and world. It’s kind of a culmination of all the work above. 8+ people, from 2,5 hours to a full day. Follow the link for process and background.

More to come..

More to come..