Incorporating Props into Your Movement Practice

Using scarves, hoops, and other objects to enhance dance.

Movement is an adventure of exploration, connection, and expression. Adding props like scarves, hoops, or other items to your dance or movement therapy practice opens up new ways of exploration and creativity. Not only do these tools add visual and sensory interest to your movements, but they also help to break down mental and physical blocks. Whether dancing for fun, healing, or self-improvement, props can be used to add to the experience, providing a path to increased participation and flow. In this blog, we will discuss the benefits of using props and provide recommendations on how to incorporate them in your conscious dance or movement therapy practice.

The Benefits of Using Props in Movement Practice

Props are not just decorations; they have the ability to redefine the way we experience and perceive movement. Here’s how they contribute to the practice:

Amplifying Expression
Props become body extensions, adding new ways to express feelings and convey story. A scarf swinging in the air can be the symbol of freedom, a hoop circling the body can depict playfulness, and even a simple ball can be a resource for grounding or release.
Promoting Discovery
The physicality of props makes you move in new ways. Spinning may result from holding a hoop, and ribbons can generate flowing, elegant gestures. Props challenge you to think outside the box and develop your movement vocabulary.
Fostering Mind-Body Connection
Conscious movement is actually about being present. The sense information and visual information that you receive from props allow you to be present, so that you can listen to your movements and the emotional undertone of your movements.
Building Confidence
For the self-conscious dancer, props can create a sense of concentration and direction. They redirect attention away from the dancer’s body to the object, creating a sense of freedom to move without fear of being judged.
Encouraging Emotional Release
Props can also be metaphors or symbols of dance therapy. Release could be symbolized by a ribbon, and letting go of tension can be symbolized by tossing a ball. Such objects provide tangible ways to manipulate and act on feelings.

Props to Bring into Your Practice

The great thing about props is that you can make them as simple or as complex as you like. Here are some of the most common and how they will enrich your practice of movement:

Scarves or Ribbons
Soft and flowing, scarves add an ethereal quality to your movements. They’re perfect for practicing fluidity and refinement.
Hoops
Hula hoops encourage playful, round movement with the entire body. Spinning, rolling, or passing the hoop provides kinetic discovery possibilities.
Balls
Balls of different sizes may be rolled, thrown, or balanced, with a haptic element and challenging space and gravity to interact with.
Sticks or Wands
Straight, sturdy props such as sticks or wands provide balance and control. Use them to draw shapes in the air or on the ground, or for rhythmic tapping exercise.
Fabric or Sheets
Larger pieces of cloth, like a parachute or gauze, can be worked with cooperatively in group work or singly for sweeping dramatic movement.

Five Prop-Based Exercises to Try at Home

Ready to include props in your practice? Take a shot at these five exercises to ignite your movement path:

1. Scarf Flow

What You Need: A gentle scarf or strip of material.

How to Practice:

Begin with holding the scarf in one hand. Listen to your breath and have your movement go along with its rhythm.
Practice waving the scarf in the air, making circles, zigzags, or spirals.
Gradually bring in your whole body, allowing the movement of the scarf to guide your movements.
Think about what the flowing movements are evoking—do they feel freeing, calming, or energizing?

2. Hoop Play

What You Need: A hula hoop.

How to Practice:

Start with hooping on your waist, hips, or arms. Notice the sensation of the movement in your body.
Experiment with passing the hoop around your body, rolling it on the ground, or tossing and catching it.
Note how the circular motion influences your energy—does it create a sense of rhythm or flow?

3. Ball Exploration

What You Need: A soft or firm ball, your choice.

How to Practice:

Stand or sit and begin rolling the ball over different parts of your body—your hands, arms, legs, or torso. Sensation.
Proceed to bouncing or throwing the ball, adjusting the tempo based on your mood or the music.
If through feelings, utilize the ball as a symbol of liberation—throwing it to liberate or holding it to nurture.

4. Ribbon Dances

What You Need: A long ribbon or streamer.

How to Practice:

Hold the ribbon in one hand and practice forming different shapes in the air.
Research how your body moves in action—does a large, sweeping movement produce spins or leaps?
Practice synchronizing movements to emotions. For example, angular, jagged movements might represent frustration, whereas curving, soft movements convey tranquility.

5. Fabric Waves

What You Need: A large sheet of lightweight material.

How to Practice:

Start with holding the fabric with both your hands and making wave-like motions. See how the fabric drifts and responds.
Roll the fabric around yourself to get a sense of its weight and texture, then let go with a sweeping motion.
For crowds, work together to lift and lower the fabric, building collective shapes and movements.

Bringing It All Together

Incorporating props into your movement practice offers endless opportunities for creativity, introspection, and connection. These objects serve as bridges—linking the physical and emotional, the tangible and intangible. Whether you’re seeking healing through dance therapy, experimenting with new forms of expression, or simply having fun, props can enrich your experience in meaningful ways.

Then grab a scarf, a hoop, or a ribbon and have body language convey more than can be expressed through words. You will be surprised at the tales, emotions, and ideas that will emerge if you have the props direct the action.