Exercise: The Finger Dance
Intro
The finger dance is a distillation of mutually following points of contact, a central organizing principle in contact improv. By following each other's small movements some movements are amplified, and together you explore the dynamics of mutual following.
Recipe
- After demonstrating the exercise with someone, have everyone circulate and find a partner.
- Ask partners to stand facing each other, about an arm's length apart. Ask them to raise one of their arms so their index finger is in front of them not touching anything, pointed towards their partner, with their arms not resting on anything.
- Ask them to notice the little movements in their own finger, and allow several seconds for them do so.
- I typically mention that I don't expect anything obvious to change, but that doing this can convey a particular way of tuning in. Suggest that closing their eyes can intensify their sensing.
- (After many years of sharing this exercise I have found that this preliminary step consistently helps people feel tuned in and engaged when they are following their partner's finger.)
- Now ask them to briefly open their eyes in order to touch the tips of their extended index finger to the tip of their partner's index finger. Ask them to follow the movements of their partner's finger once they've made the connection – resist the temptation to lead and yield to the temptation to follow.
- As leader sense what is happening in the room. If you feel like it would be useful, mention that nothing big needs to happen other than tuning in. Maybe eventually fingers will move through space, maybe they won't. Suggest that though they are not leading the motion they still should respect their own limits and ease.
- Give a minute or three for them to gradually feel what happens in continuing to tune in and follow the movements of their partner's finger, as the partner follows their movements.
- (At some point you can mention that each of them can shift their position, adjust their arms, do whatever it takes to be comfortable while they're tuning in.)
- After a few minutes for exploration ask the partners to let their fingers settle at a point in space, continuing to notice the little movements, and then move their finger apart from their partner's just a little bit and take a moment to notice how their finger feels. After just a few moments ask them to relax their arms and thank their partners.
- It's valuable to have the partners repeat the exercise after circulating again to find a new partner, and see how the experience varies from partner to partner and moment to moment.
- (Becoming aware of how things can vary with different partners helps surface how much of a factor their partner contributes to their experience.)
- Gather in a circle and invite observations and questions.
Follow-up
The finger dance can convey how just following the point of contact can yield engaging activity without someone leading, fostering a particular way to tune in to what's happening. Translating this experience to whole-body involvement is a big leap. Slight Counterbalance provides an elementary step towards this full-body involvement, leading towards Rising and Descending Together for full engagement. See What Contact Improvisation Does for context.
Attribution
This exercise is adapted from something that Nancy Stark Smith, a central contact improvisation proponent and developer, suggested in the early days when asked at a party about contact improvisation. (Nancy confirmed that this is a true story.)
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