Contact with Consent: A Touch Traffic Light in Duets
An introduction to contact improvisation centered on consent: before starting, each person uses a traffic light of cards to show which areas they are OK being touched on and whether they prefer to work without contact. Duets explore simple contact points (hand, back, shoulder), and there is always an equivalent no-contact option.
How to play
- Explain the traffic light: green (contact OK on hands, arms, shoulders and back), yellow (hands and forearms only), red (no contact); everyone keeps their card visible and may change it at any time (4 min).
- Duets with the same color, or the more restrictive of the two: palm to palm, one leads and the other follows with eyes open; red pairs do the same with palms a hand's width apart (5 min).
- Rolling point of contact: the contact point travels from hand to forearm to shoulder without separating; yellow pairs stay on hands and forearms and red pairs follow the point with their eyes from a distance (6 min).
- Back to back seated on mats: feel each other's breathing and sway together without taking weight; red pairs sit side by side with their backs to the wall and sync their breathing (5 min).
- Closing circle: each student says which color they had and whether they would change it; remind everyone that saying “stop” is always valid (5 min).
Rules
- Anyone can say “stop” or change their card without explaining, and it is respected immediately.
- Never touch the head, neck, chest, buttocks or groin.
- Nobody takes anyone's weight in this session: only light contact.
- The teacher forms pairs based on the colors, never through group pressure.
Variations
Easier
The whole session uses only palm contact or distance work.
Standard
Three phases of progressive contact with a no-contact option in each one.
Harder
Green duets improvise for two minutes linking all three phases to music, without talking.
Adaptations
- Autism or tactile hypersensitivity: red or yellow is suggested and each phase is explained ahead of time.
- Visual impairment: palm work is very accessible; in the no-contact version both partners hold a short stick.
- Limited mobility: the duet works with the wheelchair user and contact happens at arm and back height.
Learning goals
- Understand and practice consent as the basis of partner bodywork.
- Explore listening through contact or its distance alternative.
- Communicate one's own limits and respect other people's.
Equipment for a class of 25
- yoga mats: 15
- colored cards: 30
Teacher tip
Carry a card yourself to normalize the gesture. If the group is new to this, start everyone on yellow and expand in later sessions.
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