BREAKING THE ICE - A playful approach to social interaction

BREAKING THE ICE A PLAYFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL INTERACTION

BY TINE FRIS-RONSFELD AND KRISTOFFER FYNBO THORNING

Authors Tine Fris-Ronsfeld and Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning Illustrations Mette Hornung and Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning Layout Mette Hornung and Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning Translation Stine Flemming, Kirsten Windfeldt Jensen and Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning Publisher Singergy Publishing I/S, Råhøjvlnget 47, DK-8260 Viby J, Denmark Copyright © Tine Fris-Ronsfeld, Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning and Singergy Publishing I/S Digital Version, September 2023 Email: mail@breaking-the-ice.dk Website: www.breaking-the-ice.dk From the same publishers: ICEBREAKERS - A Practical Approach to Group Dynamics (English) ICEBREAKER - Ein spielerischer Ansatz zur Gruppendynamik (German) ICEBREAKERS - En legende tilgang til gruppedynamik (Danish) BRYD ISEN - En legende tilgang til fællesskab (Danish) ISBN 978-87-997511-1-2 This book is published by Postyr Experience I/S with the support of The Danish Arts Foundation. All rights reserved.

No parts of this publication may be reproduced or used in any way without the prior written permission from the publisher, with the exception of short quotes for use in reviews.

BREAKING THE ICE A PLAYFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL INTERACTION

CONTENT INTRODUCTION HOW TO USE THIS BOOK THE BASIC STEPS

6 8 9

A Personal Greeting Dino-Evolution Shake It Off 1-2-3 clap The Magnet Liar, liar The Megaphone A Web of Thoughts Someone Like You The Machine Salsa Hey Cootie Catchers

12 13 13 14 14 15 15 15 16 16 17 18 20

In Our Monkey Crowd

Rap Your Name

GET MOVING - MUSIC AND MOVEMENT The Circle Dance

32

Let the Music Move You

33

The Ballpoint Pen Pointing

34

The Stop Dance

34

The Shadow

35

The Stuntman

35

Millipede

36

Iceskating

36

IN-BODY MUSIC - COORDINATION, PULSE AND TIMING Lots of Claves Catch the Rhythm

WHO ARE YOU? - NAME GAMES

Rhythm-Twister

Hi There! Who Are You and What's Your Name?

A Cop'pa coffee

22 Save Me! 22 A Tiny Name Game 24 Hey, Hey, Hey 24 4

26 27 28 28

It's Your Birthday

HELLO! - THE FIRST ENCOUNTER The Traffic Cop

Salam

Zip, Zap, Boing, Swiiing Around the Table Crazy Arms

38 39 39 40 42 43 44 BREAKING THE ICE : A PLAYFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL INTERACTION

I Really Like To Be Here Phone Number-Rock The Calculator A Langa Langa

45 46 46 48

Speak gibberish A Crazy Story The Drum Mystery You Give Me Excuse Me, What Are You Doing?

50 51 52 52 53 54

LOOSE AND WIN - LAUGH TOGETHER, PLAY TOGETHER Catch the Ball Live Images Dance On Seven Find a Chair This Is My Nose Big Bobby Keep a Straight Face Commando Plinger Linger

BREAKING THE ICE : A PLAYFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL INTERACTION

The Slurp

64 65 66 66 68 68 70 71 71

It's So Cool To Be Happy Ears Row, Row, Row Your Boat

ACT UP! - IMPROVISATION AND COMPOSITION Hey You, Give Me a Beat

YIN AND YANG - HIGH ENERGYAND GEARING DOWN!

56 56 58 58 59 60 61 61

Spotlight Around, Over and Under Reeds In the Wind The Five Tibetans Jump

THE AUTHORS

72

POSTYR OUR SOURCES THANK YOU PROGRAMS INDEX

72 73 73 74 75

5

INTRODUCTION Being part of a group can be a rewarding experience. It is an amazing feeling when all members of a group contribute to the achievement of a

and if ideas are to run free, one must have the courage to make mistakes.

common goal. When time spend together just flies, when the atmosphere

Trust, team spirit, and mutual respect are a recipe for making new

is good, and everyone cheer up.

WHAT IS AN ICEBREAKER? Icebreakers are games and exercises that break the ice and bring people of all ages closer together. Feelings of unity, personal development, presence, creativity, and curiosity are all strengthened when we put ourselves and each other in the game - on thin ice - with icebreakers as the playful frame. Music and movement is a natural part of many of the exercises, but the central part of all icebreakers is the encounter between individuals and group, making contact with one another and understanding the role of the individual within the group.

WHERE DO THEY COME FROM? Over the last fifteen years we have facilitated icebreakers for different types of groups. In our first book, we compiled many of the best icebreakers we know, and in the years after 'ICEBREAKERS - A Playful Approach to Group Dynamics' was published, we have travelled, performed concerts, and taught all over the world, where we have picked up new icebreakers. We think of them as souvenirs of places and people we visited along the way, and we look forward to sharing them with you, as you read this new book.

6

relationships. An important element in creativity is the playful approach,

ideas sprout and grow. In some groups, the participants already know each other in advance, for good or bad. In other contexts, a degree of uncertainty may be detected in the encounter between people, who do not know each other. Some participants may be reluctant to solve a given task, while others practically bubble over with ideas, and are eager to get started. Others may be preoccupied with external circumstances unrelated to the project, and this may make them seem tired or unfocused. Icebreakers help to establish a common vocbulary and to develop a common focus for the group, previous to tackling other tasks.

HOW DO THEY WORK? Icebreakers give all group members the opportunity to say hello to one another and introduce themselves, make eye contact, learn names, shake hands, and create a pleasant atmosphere in a playful way. The exercises highlight the importance of each group member, and shed light on differences and similarities within the group. Through icebreakers, participants get to know each other better by cooperating in pairs, in smaller groups or all together. Members of the group solve small tasks and work together in finding and developing new ideas in a casual and unpretentious manner.

Icebreakers are effective because, due to their playful nature, they create

WHY ARE THEY NECESSARY?

a framework in which you may escape the role you would usually take in

A good start and favorable first impressions are crucial for establishing

group work, but in a fun way. A person who is not accustomed to coming

a positive sense of unity in a group, and these will strengthen team

forward and expressing their opinion or assuming a leadership role, can BREAKING THE ICE : A PLAYFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL INTERACTION

take control and be seen and heard through games. Strong leaders and

that we are a part of something greater than ourselves. Through a

people who often step forward and assume leadership, will have the

combination of lyrics, melody, and rhythm we can get into contact with

opportunity to take a step back, listen, monitor, and support the other

an undercurrent of emotions that connects us with the other singers in

group members, all the while seeing new perspectives and experiencing

the choir. The result is a feeling af union and harmony. This is the reason

how others in the group step up.

why musical icebreakers are especially effective in bringing people closer

MUSIC, MOVEMENT, AND FLOW Music, rhythm, and dancing are activities that require people to be

together.

We hope that this book will serve as an inspiration for many people, and

on the same wavelength and thus participate in establishing contact,

that it will break ice and create joy and unity for its readers.

cooperation, and unity. The buildup of a musical groove corresponds in

Break the ice and become a icebreaker!

many ways to building a machine. Each part of the groove has a function, and is an important gear in the machine In order to make this work,

Tine Fris-Ronsfeld and Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning

everyone in the interaction must understand and be able to perform their own role, but should also be able to work together in every way, like a collective organism. When we play music or sing together, we follow the same tempo, the same atmosphere, and are all part of the same soundscape. When the music is really playing, we can enter a state where we are equally excited, calm, and focused. You have the feeling of 'forgetting time' and of 'being almost unable to stop'. You might call it 'being in the flow'. We have experienced that the ability to get in the flow can be trained by means of music and icebreakers, which ultimately makes it easier to find the feeling of flow in other contexts. When you are in the flow, you also feel a drive, motivation, and job satisfaction. And this is regardless of whether you are young or old.

For many people, singing is the strongest way of experiencing musical flow. Singing in groups lets us meet ourselves and each other, and feel BREAKING THE ICE : A PLAYFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL INTERACTION

7

THE AUTHORS Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning is a professional singer, saxofonist and technology enthusiast.

He is a post graduate soloist in vocal leadership from The Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, majoring in electronic voices.

He is well-known in the international choir and vocal music scene for his groundbreaking approach to e-capella music (electronic a cappella), his high spirits, and his songwriting for his vocal group Postyr. He has more than twelve years of experience in teaching choral vocal groups and singers, from amateurs to professionals, and he loves beats, rhythms, dancing and of cause icebreakers.

Kristoffer's unique approach to group dynamics revolves around energy, empathy, and engagement.

72

SINGERGY PUBLISHING Tine Fris-Ronsfeld is a professional singer and choir leader. She has a master's degree from The Royal Academy of Music, majoring in pop singing She is known throughout the international chorus and vocal music environment as a passionate singer, vocal coach, and conductor, as well as for her innovative arrangements for leading Danish choirs, such as Vocal Line, Syng Selected, and Lyt, and for her catchy compositions for Postyr. Tine has more than fifteen years of experience in teaching soloists,choirs, and vocal groups at all levels.

Groundedness, interaction, and confidence are keywords in Tine's approach to group dynamics.

In 2014, the two of us, Tine and Kristoffer, founded the micro-publishing company Postyr Experience, which has now changed its name to Singergy Publishing I/S. It started with a long talk over coffee in a café in Aarhus, about how nice it would be to have a collection of icebreaker exercises for our everyday life as music teachers and workshop leaders. Since then, we have produced more than 10 different publications in 4 different languages.

In parallel with our other work and activities, we publish and manage the various book publications ourselves. They all have a clear focus on dissemination, accessibility and faellesskab and deal in one way or another with learning and finding the flow through music, singing and movement.

The books are aimed at anyone teaching music and anyone working with groups. These might include music teachers, singing teachers and choir leaders, and others working in the creative and performing arts, such as dancers and actors. But it could also be a wider group of primary and secondary school teachers who need brain-breaks and good vibes in their classrooms, and sports coaches, social workers and integration workers who need to create a strong faellesskab based on safety, trust and curiosity. This can also be managers and team builders who focus on creating workplaces where there is team spirit, psychological safety and job satisfaction in everyday life and in times of change and the development of new ideas and concepts.

BREAKING THE ICE : A PLAYFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL INTERACTION

OUR SOURCES

THANK YOU

In this book, you will find a collection of the best icebreakers we know.

We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to getting this

Some of them we have composed and developed ourselves, others have

book made. Thank you for so generously donating your games, songs,

been devised by colleagues from near and far, and by fellow students

beats, and ideas, and for making them available for even more people

and teachers from our time at The Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus.

by allowing them to be a part of this book. We would also like to thank

However, some of the icebreakers in this book are of uncertain origin.

everyone who has helped us find the right writers and composers, as

Even after intensive research and attempts to track down all of the

well as those who have contributed with proposals for simplifications

creators of these icebreakers, we have not managed to find their origins.

and progressions.

We believe that they were born from tradition and culture, and that many people will be able to recognize them in their different versions. A few were concieved at The Center for Rhythmic Music and Movement in Silkeborg, Denmark, where Lena Gregersen, Torben Jensen, Leif Falk and many others have exibited strong commitment to the development of new teaching methods. These people view music as a way for people to get together - a way of spending time together. Other icebreakers are

Thank you to The Danish Arts Council for awarding us the grant to make this project possible. Thank you to Kirsten Windfeldt Jensen for feedback during the final write-up processes.

Special thanks to Annelise Fuglsberg and Troels Mørkenborg for creating a a knowledge-sharing network about icebreakers in Aarhus.

known across Europe, and perhaps in more remote parts of the world.

Finally, we would like to express our

Icebreakers have probably arisen from natural needs long ago, and have

heartfelt thanks to Lena Gregersen from

since been continously developed by people

The Royal Academy of Music: You were

adding their own personal touches. It may even

the one to introduce us to icebreakers in

be the case that one and the same guiding

the first place, taught us and guided us

principle has hatched several icebreakers

during our studies at The Royal Academy,

reminiscent of each other, quite independently

and advised and helped us during the

of time and place.

work on both of our books.

BREAKING THE ICE : A PLAYFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL INTERACTION

73

BREAKING THE ICE A PLAYFUL APPROACH TO SOCIAL INTERACTION BREAKING THE ICE IS A BOOK FILLED WITH ICEBREAKERS. GAMES AND EXERCISES THAT BREAK THE ICE AND BRING PEOPLE OF ALL AGES CLOSER TO EACH OTHER. ICEBREAKERS CREATE NEW UNIFYING EXPERIENCES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. ICEBREAKERS PROMOTE POSITIVE ATMOSPHERES AND STRENGTHEN SOCIAL TIES WITHIN A GROUP BY MAKING USE OF MUSIC AND GAMES.

PUBLISHED BY POSTYR EXPERIENCE WITH THE SUPPORT OF:

978-87-997511-2-9 9 ISBN 788799 751129