Body Language Workshop Activities

Framework: Consideration for Others x Openness of Communication

Participants practice 4 modes of communication - Aggressive, assertive, passive, passive-aggressive in improv scenario

One person turns to the person next to them & makes a sound & motion,
person 2 responds with complementary sound & motion.
play is passed around the circle (2 to 3, etc.)

People line up in order of birthday and then are assigned status behavior ranking in the same order

Silent exercise. Three modes of walking at the top of the exercise: neutral walk, fast/hurried walk, slow walk. Then add full stop, then stop & jump, then any mode. Whole group responds when it changes. 

2 players improvise a scene, and make distinct strong physical and vocal choices.

Then the roles are reversed, and each player plays the other's character, in the same scene, same location.

character walks based on prompts
Walk like a ... 86 year old man, CEO, olympic athlete, pregnant woman, etc. 
Walk as inspired by a... grandfather clock, ice cream truck, ocean wave... 

Start with eye contact instructions (2 groups) & mingle
switch roles & mingle
choose and change status
Explore external vs. internal

In groups, each player takes a turn talking for 90 seconds while expressing one thought at a time to one person.

A fun and interactive way for participants to use their body language and get to know each other a bit.

Director calls out a scene location (ie. movie theater) and everyone assumes a non-human item in the scene (ie. wad of bubble gum on the floor)

begin scene with partners making silent eye contact 

In pairs, create 30 second scenes with only these 4 words.