Intention
Choose what you want to explore.
Guide intention in the seated opening circle with quiet instrumental music. Offer a private word or one-word sharing, then carry it into movement.
Lead the openingPlace in the workshop
At the end of the seated opening circle, before the Solo Journey.
Format
Intention in the opening circle. Private word or optional one-word sharing.
Sound
Quiet instrumental music without lyrics throughout. Let it develop into the movement track.
Give the dance a direction
An intention gives someone a simple starting point. They might want to listen more closely, play, make room for a feeling, or enjoy moving without worrying how they look. One word can be enough.
I want the invitation to stay open. People arrive with different lives behind them. Some know exactly why they came. Others just want to dance and see what happens. Both can join the same opening.
Keep everyone seated together for this moment. Ask the question, leave a pause in your speaking while the instrumental music continues, and carry it into the first movement. The exploration happens in the dance.
Choose a format that fits the room
A private intention works well with a large group, staggered arrivals, or a short opening. Everyone considers the question at the same time. Nobody needs to wait for a microphone to reach them.
In a smaller circle, hearing a word from each person can introduce something of the people gathered. Explain the round before starting: one word, passing welcome, no response required. Let a pass move on as naturally as a spoken word.
Keep the question practical. “What would you like to explore?” leaves room for curiosity. Asking each person to reveal what they need to heal can pull the opening into disclosure before people know the room or each other.
Carry the word into a gesture
The transition into the Solo Journey gives the intention a physical place. Listening might become a smaller movement that follows a sound closely. Play could begin with an unexpected step. Giving yourself room might mean moving away from a crowded part of the floor.
These are possibilities to offer when useful, rather than movements everyone must copy. As the music develops into the Solo Journey, let dancers find their own gesture. The facilitator can demonstrate the first simple movement alongside them and then leave more room for doing.
An intention can also change. Someone who arrived wanting a wild dance may discover they need rest. Someone who chose solitude may later want to meet another dancer. Their word gives them a beginning, without deciding the whole evening.
Keep the transition clear
Arrange the transition with the DJ before the opening. Keep low-volume instrumental music without lyrics under the circle, then let it develop into the first movement track. When the intention ends, check that cups are aside and invite people to rise with enough room around them. Introduce the next exercise through its first movement, with a short live cue.
Do not add another summary speech between the circle and the dance. If someone remains seated or takes longer to stand, let them enter the movement in their own time.
Lead the opening
Intention in the opening circle
Find one word, then take it into movement.
Remain in the seated circle after the welcome and optional cup. Choose private intention for a large room; use a short optional word round when the group is small enough. Prepare the first movement track with the DJ.
Let people arrive
Leave a short pause and invite an easy breath. People keep their eyes open or soften their gaze. There is no breath hold, deep-breath requirement, or need to match another person.
“Feel where your body meets the floor or chair. Let one easy breath come and go.”
Offer the question
Ask what they want to explore in this dance. Give one or two ordinary examples if needed, such as play or listening. Allow someone to have no word yet.
“What would you like to explore tonight? Let a word come, or leave the question open.”
Keep it private or share one word
For a private intention, pause your speaking while the music continues. For a small-circle round, indicate a direction and invite one word or a pass. Receive each word without commentary; gently shorten a story if one begins.
“You can keep your word private. If we share around the circle, one word or a pass is enough.”
Open the circle into dance
Confirm cups are safely aside. Invite people to rise or choose the movement level that suits them, with time to do so. The DJ moves from the instrumental opening into the Solo Journey track, and the next facilitator cue introduces a simple movement.
“Carry that word into your first movement. Take your time to rise; we are beginning the Solo Journey.”
Adapt the opening
Skip spoken sharing in a large group or a short opening. People can remain seated for the intention and use a chair to rise, or begin the next movement at their own level. A private intention needs no explanation.
What to watch for
Offer a direction, then let dancers discover what happens.
- Choose private intention or a word round before giving the cue. Do not launch an open-ended sharing circle by accident.
- Allow ordinary words, difficult feelings, a pass, or no intention. Avoid interpreting someone’s word or asking them to disclose a personal story.
- If a story starts, say warmly: Keep the story with you for now; give us just the word if you wish. Offer a private conversation later when support is needed.
- Coordinate the transition with the DJ. Leave room to stand, clear cups, and begin a simple movement without another speech.
- Let the intention change during the dance. Never use it to push someone beyond a boundary or judge how deeply they participated.
For dancers
Your intention can be small, private, and changeable.
- Choose something you can explore through movement: listening, play, softness, courage, or giving yourself room.
- You can pass or begin without a word. Keep your eyes open if that helps you stay present.
- Notice how the word appears in your dance. Let it change when your body asks for something else.
How could your word change the next small movement you make?