Jan 15 / Names: A Source of Stories for Dance Improvisation

 

 

Unit: Creative Dance

Theme: Names

 

I

Introduction 

 Names have meaning. In modern times most people are not aware of their name's meaning. However, names are a very personal source of inspiration to create dance. Today's class uses the students' names to generate stories. Each story is told in expressive movement as students move deeper into the significance of the name given to them at birth, during their life time, as a result of a quest.

 

 II

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the meaning of names
  • Explain the usefulness of finding the story in the name
  • Gain awareness of the potential names have as a source
  • Experience the connection between your own name dance
  • Reflect on the work done in class.

 

 III

Main Lesson

 

1

Warm Up 

2

 Name Dance
 

3

 

Review directions, levels and space

 

3

Ideas

Alphabet Dance. https://fb.watch/pDxSC0oEBX/


4

Read Introduction (Page x)

The Movement of Movement
 https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Moment_Of_Movement/kckFbAFDE70C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Dance+Improvisation&printsec=frontcover
 
 
5


 

The Art of Is: Improvising as a Way of Life 

Steven Nachmanovitch

 https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Art_of_Is/VnSPDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Cook+Up+A+Dance:+Art,

 +Music+and+Dance+Improvisation&printsec=frontcover

 
 

III

Discussion

 

  1. Be aware of the letters in your name. What moves can you generate to embody the letters in your name?
  2. What is the meaning of your name? Express it in movement.
  3. Think about the circumstances in which your name was chosen by your parents. Turn it into a story. Dance it!
  4. Is your name related to any important figure in history, religion, or politics? Express this relation in movement.


 

IV

A Note to Remember

  Dance improvisation fuses creation with execution. The dance simultaneously originates and performs movement without pre-planning. It is a way of tapping the stream of the subconscious without intellectual censorship, allowing spontaneous and spontaneous exploring. (3)


V

Case Study 

 

Video


VI

 Activity

 

Solo Work


What is the story of your name?

Discover it

Write it...

Say it...

Dance it....

Find music for it

Re-Dance it

Record it


 VII

 Journaling 
 
Reflect on the experience

Post it!
 
 
VIII
 
Glossary
 
Free association: a therapeutic method used to investigate the psyche, is a significant feature of psychoanalysis. The client is asked to express whatever is on their mind including memories, words, images, and daydreams, however random.(4)
 

 
IX
 
Sources

1. Creative Movement: The Name Dance. https://thedancebuzz.com/2012/07/14/creative-movement-the-name-dance/
 
2. Dance Tour Name.https://stagelightarts.com/3-17-20-dance-your-name/

3. Blom, L.A. and Tarin Chaplin, L. (1988). The Moment of Movement. University of Pittsburgh Press. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Moment_Of_Movement/kckFbAFDE70C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Dance+Improvisation&printsec=frontcover

4. Washington, N. (2021). All About Free Association Therapy. https://psychcentral.com/health/free-association-therapy

X
 
Students' Work 
 
Academic

William Brodsky

Although I wasn’t able to attend class for the Name Dance session, I took time to reflect deeply on the connection between my name and movement, and how this concept aligns with everything I’ve been exploring this semester in improvisation.

My name, William, carries a strong sense of legacy and formality. It's a name I share with many historical figures and, more personally, it's tied to my identity as part of a multigenerational family. As someone raised in a household where names like “Brodsky” carry weight in both business and personal history, this exercise helped me consider how my name is not just a label, but a story. It represents tradition, ambition, resilience—and responsibility. If I were in class, I would have approached the movement with grounded, deliberate actions to show the weight of carrying a name that means something. I imagine leading with my chest, carving out space with strong lines, but softening the edges to show the personal evolution that name continues to undergo through me.

If I had danced it, I would have chosen music with a slow build—something that reflects the mix of pride and pressure that comes with the name “William Brodsky.” It’s not just about letters or sounds, but about what I want that name to stand for as I grow into my own legacy. I would have explored different levels—grounded movements to represent the foundation laid by my family, and lifted, expansive gestures to express my own aspirations.

Even though I missed the group session, I connected with the idea that names are more than identifiers—they’re living narratives. Improvisation gives us the tools to express that story without having to explain it. This activity reminded me that my body often knows how to tell the truth when words fall short. The Name Dance is not just a choreography exercise; it’s a mirror. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to reflect on it in my own way.

 

 

 
Gabriele Pernigotti

  1. Be aware of the letters in your name. What moves can you generate to embody the letters in your name?

My name is Gabriele so I am able to move my arms to create the letters G A, R and E. For the letters E I can simulate a hug which replicates love and for the L and I i can just stand and breathe which gives me peace.  

  1. What is the meaning of your name? Express it in movement.

My name has an Italian origin so I always express it with my hands as Italians love to talk with their hands. 

  1. Think about the circumstances in which your name was chosen by your parents. Turn it into a story. Dance it!

My parents wanted to honor my grandfather's background so they feel extremely honored to follow the italian storyline with my name after also naming my older brother with an italian name, even though we were born in a country in latin america where italians do not predominate. 

  1. Is your name related to any important figure in history, religion, or politics? Express this relation in movement.

My name is not related to any of the above but it is a common name in Italy. Many important figures in history, religion and politics also have my name.


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