Purpose
An extended, gently-structured group improvisation — inspired by Nancy Stark Smith's Underscore — that gives a long jam a shared arc. The room moves together through a sequence of named states, integrating everything in this book into one sustained practice. The culminating score.
Setup
The whole group, ample time, a clear space with a witnessing edge. Consent and container fully established. Full playlist or long stretches of silence.
Play
- Guide the room, with minimal words, through a slow sequence of phases over 30–60 minutes, e.g.: arriving (solo, small dances on the floor) → surfacing (rising, beginning to move through space) → meeting (first contact, small duets forming) → engaging (full weight-sharing, the heart of the jam) → resolving (dances completing, coming back to stillness) → harvesting (rest, integration).
- "Within each phase, dance freely — the phase is a weather, not a rule."
- Name each transition softly and sparingly; otherwise let the room self-organize.
Cues
"Let the phase color your dancing." · "Enter and exit dances cleanly." · "Witnessing is part of the score." · "Come to stillness whenever you need."
Variations
- Easier: shorter (20 min), more explicit phase guidance.
- Harder / freer: longer, nearly silent, the group holding the arc themselves.
Debrief
Circle up. "How did the room's weather move through the phases? Where did you meet the whole group as one body?"
Watch For
Your job is to hold time, space, and the edges while saying almost nothing. Protect the exit and witnessing culture; watch mixed-fluency pairings; land the group at the end — never leave a long deep jam without a real close. This is where everything integrates.
→ Next: Chapter 9 — Appendices