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Making Connections! Part 1.

© Marilyn Reid

In the article Movement! The Universal Expressive Language, we explored the discovery of space and the dynamics of movement etc., and you may have noticed that the exercises, and movement pieces, although sometimes including the whole of the drama group members, were actually tailored for freedom of individual movement.

Movement and dramatic pieces which require the connecting of bodies for expression can be introduced as a development from the exercises noted above, but workshops to help your drama members must be regularly included to help them to overcome the fear of 'touch'.

Many of the drama workshops we include regularly are not simply to develop ourselves as performers, but to assist us in losing certain inhibitions that hold us back within the drama environment. Our earlier article, Seeing Eye to Eye! for example, includes workshops to help people overcome the fear of eye to eye contact.

The fear of touch is just, if not more, as common, so it is important that we explain the necessity of workshops dealing with this important part of our senses.

Within our plays, circus skills, and movement performances, we are bound to come across instances where our part requires us to have physical contact with others. The Drama Worker/Director who does not include workshops dealing with physical contact in the regular sessions with their drama group, may find directional difficulties occur in rehearsals of productions which contain physical contact. More importantly, they may also find themselves with uncomfortable and under confident cast members.

All of the senses must be exercised to enable creativity and expression of that creativity, and 'touch' is the most overlooked and undervalued of the senses within the drama environment.

Stillness exercises, such as 'Sculptures', are the earliest type of workshops that include some physical contact of the body or the limbs of the body. Another two good early exercises for making connections of the body are:-

A.

(a) Divide your group into pairs standing facing each other. (group assembled in a circle) (b) 2. stands straight with arms down. 1.places hands on 2's shoulders and on GO! 1. rubs hands down 2's arms and legs to the feet, then back up again, to a count of 10. (c) 2. repeats the exercise with 1. (d) 1 and 2 stand back to back and wriggle their backs together whilst bending their knees up and down to a count of 5. (e) Change partners and repeat until everyone in the group has partnered each member.