Synonyms
Group Still.
Introduction
This is listening warm-up. Everyone find a spot in the room.
Description
In some ways this warm up is the opposite of group stop.
The players stand like statues but keep an eye on each other. One players starts to mill around the room. Briskly moving in and out and around the players standing still. The player must try their best to maintain eye contact with the solitary milling player.
The milling player will suddenly stop. At that moment another player will start to move about the room in the same pattern. The goal is to seamlessly pass from one wandering player to another while those standing still keep watch.
The next complication is to assign two players to move about. They must stop in sync (like group stop) and two more players must seamlessly start to move about the room.
A common challenge is having multiple players start to move at the same time. This is a teaching opportunity to reinforce failing with grace and laughter. Let the players find their own way to accommodate too many players starting to move.
Walk By Numbers is a listening and commitment warm up. At first it is listening with the eyes, freezing when you see others freeze. At it’s highest level the ensemble will be listening with its heart and brain, knowing when to stop and start as one.
Gimmicks
- Endow the players with strange gaits to impair listening
- Endow the players with loud vocalizations that impair listening
Variations
- None
Credits
None