Agreement and listening

Mirror

Two players move in perfect unison with neither leading, so an observer cannot tell who initiates.

2 players · 6–8 minutes

Also known as: Mirroring, Follow the Follower

How to run it

  1. Face a partner about a metre apart.
  2. Begin with one designated leader and one follower, moving slowly.
  3. After a minute, remove the designation — neither leads.
  4. Keep movements slow enough that unison is genuinely possible.
  5. A third party watches and tries to identify the leader. If they can, keep going.

What it teaches

Shared initiation and sustained physical attention. It is the clearest available demonstration of what supporting a partner actually feels like.

Coaching notes

A Viola Spolin staple. Sidecoach it — "slower", "softer", "stop trying to be interesting" — rather than stopping to give notes.

Where it usually goes wrong

Speed. Players go fast to make it impressive, which makes true unison impossible.

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