Dance In a Day: Valentines 2023

Dance in a Day is one of my favorite structured, repeatable exercises for unlocking our dancers’ creativity around significant moments in time. This simple playbook engages our creativity, combines our collaboration, and focuses our time together to create a brand new dance in a single day. It's also a perfect way to workshop ideas for performance pieces.

This year’s Valentines dance was inspired by our hearts and Anne Green Gilbert’s Brain Dance. 

Suggested music: Elastic Heart by Sia
Prop: Balloon (1 per dancer)

PART 1 (Verse 1)
Brain Dance section
Each dancer will have a balloon.

1. Start in a child’s pose. Embody what the lungs look like when you inhale (expand) for 4 counts then (exhale) deflate for 4 counts. Hold onto the balloon with both hands. BREATH
2. Repeat but make the movements bigger.
3. Start to roll up and toss the balloon lightly, open your arms like the lungs are expanding and then catch the balloon to lower down into child’s pose.
4. Repeat but make the movements bigger.
5. Tap your body with the balloon. TACTILE
6. Hold the balloon with your palms facing up, stand up, and begin to walk around while balancing the balloon in your hands.

PART 2 (Chorus)
Continue the Brain Dance Sequence with the balloon

1. Pick up your balloon and toss it. Stretch your full body far and wide as you toss the balloon and curl up as small as you can when you catch the balloon. CORE / DISTAL
2. Repeat but toss the balloon in a different direction.
3. Toss the balloon and hit it with your head and/or tail. Move your head and tail front-to-back and side-to-side separately and together while the balloon is in the air. HEAD / TAIL
4. Move and twist the upper body with the balloon while keeping the lower body stationary. UPPER 
5. Place the balloon in front of your face and keep the upper body still while moving the lower body. LOWER
6. Repeat #5.

Note: Brain Dance sequence continues with Body-Side, Cross Lateral, and Vestibular. These can be used in Part 3 with the partner work or Part 5 in the Heartbeat section.

PART 3 (Verse 2)

1. In partners, repeat Part 1. 

• Continue the inhale / exhale theme, Partner 1 reacts to the time and energy directed by Partner 2.

1. Toss the balloon back and forth.
2. Tap each other with the balloons.
3. Each dancer will hold a the balloon in their palms and get up and walk around the room. If time permits, they can play with balancing the balloon on different body parts or trading balloons.

PART 4 (Chorus)
Repeat PART 2

PART 5 (Bridge)
Heartbeat Section
In a group of 4, create movement that represents the image in the body. There are curved and angular shapes. Draw these shapes with your body. Be specific and creative in your choice of levels and size. Imagine that this is a live EKG. 

1. Assign each dancer a number. They are in charge of that particular part of the image below. The dance will be performed as four parts, starting with #1 and so on.
2. Make sure each dancer begins with the ending movement of the number before them. Pass the baton.
3. Dancer #1 will begin from the opening of the heart, move left to draw the top and left side of the heart, Dancer #2 takes over and completes the heart, Dancer #3 represents the heartbeat, and Dancer #4 completes the heartbeat.
4. Phrase will be approximately 32 counts.

Note: This can be created a couple ways, drawing in the air (vertical) or on the ground (horizontal). You may also need to give them specific dimensions and set the dancers in their spots. (the vertical lines in the image below are the starting positions for each dancer.)
If you need extra prompts for each dancer consider drawing the lines with at least two different body parts, add a slide or leap, etc.

Check out the sample video here or on IG @jonesdanceco
​​Have fun and be sure to send comments on how you used these ideas with your dancers.