Puppetry Tools︎︎︎
In three parts:

Animated bodies (Part 1)
- Find a place in the space and make yourself and your arms comfortable on the ground.

- Play with your hand by moving fingers, 1 finger, 2 fingers, … . Rest.

- Breathe natural and slightly audible.

- Let the hand breathe. Imagine the hand is asleep.


- Think as you are the hand. What is it dreaming about?

- The hand is waking up now. Imagine where its eyes can be.

- Stay connected to the ground and let it explore space. See how it pulls or pushes itself along.

- When hands meet let them have interaction.

- Repeat the score with different parts of your body.


* It is not only about animating parts of your body but to bring attention and consciousness to them which can inspire you for a choreographic score.


Animated nature (Part 2)
- Go for adventure in nature and find sticks no longer than 35 cm.

- In the practice space, find a place for yourself and sit with your stick.

- Look at it. Look at the details.

- Try to balance it on one finger.

- Close your eyes and touch it. Think about its history.

- Open your eyes and put the stick in front of you. If you were exhibiting it in an art gallery, how would you lay it out?

- Breathe natural and slightly audible.


- Let the stick breathe. Imagine the stick is asleep.

- Think as you are the stick. What is it dreaming about?

- The stick is waking up now. Imagine where its eyes can be.

- Stay connected to the ground and let it explore space. See how it pulls or pushes itself along.

- When sticks meet let them have interaction.



Animated objects (Part 3)
- Ask performers to bring two objects/things from home which are each capable of being held by one hand.

- Gather all the objects in one place and ask everyone to pick an object that they didn’t bring.

- In the practice space, find a place for yourself and sit with your object.

- Close your eyes and touch it. Think about its history and features.

- Breathe natural and slightly audible.

- Let the object breathe. Imagine the object is asleep.

- Think as you are the object. What is it dreaming about?

- The object is waking up now. Imagine where its eyes can be.

- Stay connected to the ground and let it explore space. See how it pulls or pushes itself along.

- When objects meet let them have interaction.

︎︎︎Based on Puppetry: How to do it by Mervyn Millar