From Soto's Class

Monday nights in November and into December, at Mary Sano's intimate studio on 5th Street in San Francisco, I attended G Hoffman Soto's improv class. Below are some examples of the exercises from Soto's class. Each exercise was followed by feedback given either by the Soto, the "audience" and/or the performer in the form of what worked or what didn't and why. The class series culminated in a class performance at Mountain Home Studio in Marin, where we were honored by the surprise attendance of Anna Halprin in the Audience.

Chairs
4 chairs are placed in a row facing the audience. Four class members take a seat. Each has a role in moving the story line along. The two people on each end change the storyline, the two in the middle develop the storyline as outlined below.

Chair 1: Changes the story with no necessary reference to what has gone before.
Chair 2: Develops the existing storyline.
Chair 3: Develops the existing storyline.
Chair 4: Changes the story, but keeps one word/image from what came immediately before.

Movement, Sound and Text

1. Move at a slow continuous smooth rate of speed. Explore space and levels.
2. Add spoken words/text/phrases.
3. Move in a new way with new qualities. No text.
4. Add sound to the new movement quality.
5. Move back and forth between the first movement/text combination and second movement/sound combination.
6. Introduce a new movement/text combination about a time in your childhood when you had an accident/injury.
7. Move between the three combinations.
8. Members invited to perform a solo before the rest of the group.

Ensemble
Entire group moves to music. Beginning each moving by him or herself. Each mover is then instructed to become more available to other movers and to open their own movement to the other movers. As a group, everyone is instructed to be aware of the use of space and placement in relation to the room and the audience. To be aware of the resources of the place, placement, rhythm as well as stillness. In variations of this activity, sound and text is introduced. Half the class may then perform for the other half of the class.