Do The Hokey Pokey!

Remember when we were all kids, and how much we loved to play Hokey Pokey? It had it's basic guidelines . . . putting your right foot in, and taking it out; you know the rest. (Admit it! You're singing it right now!)

Even with the guidelines, it let you be yourself in dance when you got to the Hokey Pokey part. Well this week's tip is all about the Hokey Pokey, or in grown up dance terms - Improvisation!

What is Improv?

Dance improvisation is free and impulsive dance movement, that can inspire creativity. Because there is no right or wrong and no set choreography, your dancers are free to move about however they'd like to, (within your guidelines) of course. But even with that said, an improv class can be quite challenging!

How Do You Use It?

First set your guidelines, with the most important one being, your dancer may not stop dancing until you instruct her to. This means she will have to dance off the top of her head, with very little thought. Another guideline might be, the dancer must incorporate floor work, meaning she can't just stand on her feet. You can incorporate other guidelines as you'd like.

Secondly, have your group stand in a circle, or in a way that gives each person the room to move freely about. You don't want any dancer to stand in one spot, so be sure to encourage movement.

Finally, start the music and let them dance! You may want to call on one team member at a time, gradually adding in (and releasing) other dancers, or let everyone dance at once, but you MUST insist that no one stands still not knowing what to do when called upon! After all, that is NOT how you do the Hokey Pokey!

Do this exercise for thirty minutes to an hour to your favorite playlist (it's okay to repeat songs). This is an excellent rehearsal exercise, especially if you haven't quite figured out the choreography for your next routine. It is SURE to enhance your team's choreography and execution and it will definitely make 'em sweat!

Until next week - put your whole self in! I'd love to hear how this exercise worked for your and your group, so once you try it, drop by our Facebook Page and leave a comment, pic or video clip or leave a comment below.

With a heart of gratitude and agape love,

Kimberly!

PS: There are other GREAT rehearsal enhancement activities wrapped up in The Dance Ministry Manual. If you're ready to take your Dance Ministry to the next level, sign up for The Dance Ministry Manual online workshop!  You can even try it out for FREE!

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Every Other Third Saturday?

"Alright everybody! Let's not forget that we have practice next month on the third Saturday! Try to remember everything we learned last month, 'cause we gotta minister on fifth Sunday and we wanna get it right this time!"

Ummm . . . what???

Every Other Third Saturday??

It always stuns me when I talk to a dance ministry leader, asking how often does the ministry practice, and the answer is something like "every other third Saturday" (or less)! An answer like that makes my eyebrows scrunch together. 

Let's Be Honest Here...

We all know deep down inside, we can't become excellent at anything working on it just once every other month, or even once a month.  It's sad to say, but it's only at church that people seem to have that kind of expectation. Plainly stated, infrequent practices only result in mediocre performances and uncommitted members, at best.

Be Like Nike and Just Do It!

One of the most efficient ways to get to excellence is simply to practice often. What I recommend is no less than once a week, but preferably two or three times per week. Yes, that can be a commitment stretch, but when your team sees your dedication to making the team excellent, you will see a greater level of commitment from your team, which begins to pave the way to where you want to be... excellent! Simple enough right? So let's see it! Ready, set, go!

Here's Your To-Do For The Week:  

Check your schedule and see where you can squeeze in more practice time, even if it's just an hour. You will be AMAZED at the difference it makes! And if you want to know just how to make your practice sessions more dynamically productive, join us in The Dance Ministry Manual Training Program. We'll show you just how to do it!

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed...."

— 2 Tim 2:15

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