Purpose
Gives Taking Flight (#22) concrete form: three named, relatively accessible lifts that arise from shared weight and counterbalance rather than muscle. A vocabulary to draw on once flight is safe for a group.
Setup
Only fully warm, fluent dancers. A stable, forgiving floor — not deep foam (see #22). A spotter per pair. Solid rolling and off-balance work already in place.
Play
- The Table Lift: base makes a strong table (#15); flyer drapes their belly/hips across the base's back, finds balance, and floats their feet — supported, not held. Roll off to finish.
- The Counterbalance Lift: partners grip and lean into opposition (#13) until one is carried off the floor by the shared weight, then lowered.
- The Lap/Thigh Sit: base sinks to a strong seated-squat; flyer perches on the offered thigh/lap, weight shared, briefly, then down.
- "Enter each from a flowing dance, not a setup. Small and safe first."
Cues
"It's counterbalance, not lifting." · "Flyer stays active — steer your own landing." · "Enter from the flow; exit to a roll."
Variations
- Easier: feet-just-off-floor versions of each; never above hip height.
- Harder: flowing entries and exits linking lifts into a dance — fluent dancers only.
Debrief
"Which lift came from shared weight vs. muscle? Flyers — did you stay active through the landing?"
Watch For
Highest-risk material in the book. Spotters mandatory, positioned to protect the flyer's head and neck above all else, and free to decline any lift they don't feel able to catch. Agree the exit out loud before the entry; "Down" aborts anything, called by anyone, instantly. Never surprise-lift anyone. Base protects their spine; flyer protects their neck and lands as a roll. If it feels like weightlifting, stop. When in doubt, don't. (See Chapter 4.)