Exercise: Pattern Clapping

Here's an exercise I like to do:

It's based on the simple pass-the-clap game: Everyone in a circle, passing the focus by making eye contact and trying to clap at the same time. The common variations of this are:

• Start just going in a circle, one-way
• Let people reverse the circle's direction by maintaining eye contact on the pass and giving it back
• Opening it up to passing anywhere in the circle

I like to extend this exercise by

• making people move around while passing the clap. Try to avoid walking in a circle or a repeating pattern. Encourage people to move faster and faster as the rhythm increases
• Once this is old hat, get back in the circle and pass the clap in a repeating order. So you are always getting the clap from the same person and giving it to the same person.
• Take this pattern and then move around with it
• Bonus round is to try a pattern that goes through the group twice before repeating

I like that this is more energetic than regular pass-the-clap and that it works on body position awareness, group listening and placement on stage. I like to use it for people that have tendencies to either be static on stage or tend to get themselves into positions where they can't pay attention to their other players on stage.