Energizer: Name dance

Energizer steps

Step 1

Warm up: Ask adolescents to stand in a circle. Explain that they are going to practice learning each other’s names by creating a dance (or chant with movement) that uses all of their names.

Step 2

Explain that you are going to start the exercise by saying your own name and making a movement with your body. (Any kind of movement is acceptable. For example, you can spin around once, hop on one leg, or stretch your arms over your head). Explain that all of the adolescents in the room should say your name and make the same movement.

Step 3

Explain that next the adolescent standing to your left should say his or her own name, make a movement that he or she chooses. Then, adolescents should say his or her name and make the same movement, then simultaneously (with the adolescent to your left leading the others), they should say your name and make the movement you chose. After that, the next adolescent in the circle should do the same, saying his or her name, making a movement, then leading the other adolescents in chanting the second adolescent’s name and making his or her movement, then saying your name again and making your movement. (Tip: It can be helpful to repeat the instructions and practice with the first one or two adolescents so that everyone understands the instructions.

Step 4

Once all of the adolescents have shared their names and movements, ask adolescents to go around the circle and repeat all names and movements again.

Step 5

Ask all of the adolescents to begin to clap in a steady rhythm. Create a dance in which everyone chants the names of each adolescent and makes their movement together. Repeat two or three times or for as long as the adolescents seem to be enjoying the activity.