Mirror dance

1. Introduction (5 mins): Explain the purpose of the activity (dance improvisation, self-expression, celebrating diversity).
2. Breaking the ice (20 min): Use 2-3 introduction activities (name game, energizer, warming-up) from the additional chapter at the end of the Toolbox, based on your needs.
3. Mirror dance (25 min): The facilitator asks the group to walk around the room with different prompts (slow, fast, as the floor is on fire, made of ice etc.). Then, allows them to do a small and gentle individual improvisation dance. When ready, the participants are divided into pairs. Two lines facing each other can be formed with a fun binary question (e.g., “Pineapple on pizza—yes or no?”), so the person you’re facing is your pair. Or the participants can all come together in a close-knit circle, close their eyes and stretch their hands forward, reaching someone’s hands – the person whose hand they’ve reached is their pair.

If the number is uneven, the facilitator can join.

The pairs are asked to look each other in the eyes without talking. Gentle music is played. They try to feel each other’s presence, and while they can laugh, they should really focus on not talking—just looking at each other (2-3 minutes). If they feel comfortable, they can come one step closer, but they need to be mindful of the other person’s comfort. The facilitator emphasizes the importance of consent and paying attention to the other person that you interact with.
Then, they receive instructions for mirroring: one person leads the dance by making a movement, and the other must follow it as if they were a mirror. After a set time, they switch roles and continue with the same instruction (5-7 minutes each). At this point they can start to move around the room. Then, the next task is to make a mirroring contrast. For instance, if the leading person makes a slow movement, the other needs to make it fast, if the lead makes an upward movement, the other person goes down and so on. The goal is to find a contrast or opposite movement of our pair. They switch roles after 5 minutes. In the end, the pairs are given the task of moving together in such a way that the tips of their index fingers are constantly touching (without letting go), if they feel comfortable to do so. They improvise together for 5-7 minutes.

4. The doll (25 min): The facilitator begins by breaking the pairs and asking the group to move freely around the space. While they move, the facilitator gives simple prompts such as: “stop,” “go,” “clap,” and “jump.” After a while, the meaning of the commands is reversed—“stop” now means “go,” and vice versa; then, “clap” means “jump,” and “jump” means “clap.” This playful confusion increases focus and engages participants’ attention. Next, the facilitator introduces new movement prompts, such as: “move as if your left elbow is leading,” “move from your right knee,” or “let the top of your head guide your movement.” After a few rounds, the facilitator stops the activity and asks participants to form trios with those nearest to them. In each trio, one person becomes “the doll,” while the other two act as guides, giving nonverbal instructions by gently touching parts of the doll’s body (e.g., elbow, head, knee, arm, back). The doll responds by initiating a movement that starts from the touched point, allowing the motion to unfold naturally from that impulse. After 5–7 minutes, the roles rotate so that each participant has the chance to be the doll.
   A simple variation is that one person in the trio is leading the movement, and the others follow, while the roles get switched in rounds, as they feel.
   To end the activity, all the trios can move freely, improvising together and moving through the whole space.
5. Reflection (15 min): The participants sit together in a circle and take time to reflect on the shared experience, discussing how they felt during the activity and what they are taking away from it.

Reflection Questions:

• • How did moving with each other make you feel? Was it nice, uncomfortable, new…?
  • What did you learn about yourself and others through movement?

If there is enough time, it is advised to make a small reflection after each activity.

For evaluation, observe participant engagement and mood, the way they move and react to each other in each activity. Collect feedback verbally, via a quick survey or through associative cards.