For Complicite, the ensemble must be a water-tight entity; moving together, breathing together, using the same rhythm and tension, and always being aware of each other.
- Get everyone in the room to walk slowly and silently around the room without bumping into each other. Ask them to pay attention to the breathing in the room and make eye contact with everyone they pass.
- Ask the group to stop together without one person leading this stopping. After a few attempts, it should look like the group has decided silently to stop at the same time.
- Divide the group into smaller groups. Ask them to move together as one. From the outside, it shouldn’t look like anyone is leading the group. Ask the group to change speed and rhythm, but always to stay close and in contact.
Gradually, the group should feel as though they are leaderless unit, totally together in making the decision about where to move.
In our rehearsals, we used this group flocking technique to create communal spaces in Moscow, e.g. the streets and trams.
Words: Sasha Milavic Davies/ Image: Sarah Ainslie