Conga Line

Synonyms

Aerobics, Flock Dance

Introduction

This is a physical warm-up and ice breaker. One player is in front of the line and all players fall in behind her as she moves about the room.

Description

Conga Line is equivalent to Flock Dance. However if workshop space is limited and improvised Conga Line can do the trick. This is different from the official Conga dance in that the lead player creates their own stylized gait and the player behind her follows and so on.

This warm up is best done with music. The first player starts a repetitive movement or dance. The two players immediately behind the lead player mimic her movements as best as possible. Each row of players follows the row of players ahead of them. Flock Dance works best if the players only try and mimic the players in the line ahead of them. There should be both a delay and a decay in the lead player’s movements.

Flock Dance is a physical warm up that also helps players by getting them to move in uncharacteristic ways. Often players will focus only on the lead player even if they are in the last line. It is important to encourage the players to only follow those directly in front of them. Players can use this as a practise for getting things wrong. Trying to do a perfect Flock Dance defeats the purpose of Flock Dance. Embrace failure, embrace chaos, and let go of being “right.”

• lead player starts to move backwards
• lead player flips around making the end player now the lead

Variations

• Aerobics – there is no layering of the players and everyone copies lead
• Flock Dance – Lead player is the pinnacle of a pyramid

Credits

North America appropriation of African rhythms appropriated by Cuba.