This is a movement session on aspects of tempo and duration. It references  Anne Bogart 's work on Viewpoints. Viewpoints is a system of training and devising mainly for the actor in process, but in  getting to know it I found many useful ideas and concepts that can apply just as well to dance training and process. 

In brief Viewpoints is:

'a philosophy translated into a technique for training performers,building ensemble,creating movement for the stage.'

Anne Bogart and Tina Landau- The Viewpoints book. 

We begin in a circle

• pass a clap round
(let the weight drop through the pelvis and feet so you can pass the clap through your centre to someone else's)

keep the pulse regular through the circle

increase the speed
change direction
send the clap across the circle to someone else

•try using your voice : send a 'ha' along the circle, across it or expand through the space.

back in a circle

• set up a basic pulse that everyone repeats

over 4 beats every participant creates a simple pattern that the whole group picks up and repeats. it can involve body percussion, voice, stomping.... anything that keeps the pulse visually clear for everyone to follow.

on a second round try playing with a rhythmic pattern that explores duration. still working within the framework of 4 beats per pattern, movement can now stretch through more than one beat. it may help for someone to keep the basic beat going, or counting, or neither if the group copes well!

~ the rhythm exercise could be played as cumulative as well, so one person begins setting up the basic 4 beats, the next person creates a rhythm that unisons/counterpoints/highlights duration on the previous one, and one by one all the participants join in the 'jamming' session creating their own variation.

~the movent/rhythms can also be explored moving in space.

• grid work

begin by walking freely in the space, as a group.

set up a tighter parameter by walking along straight lines and changing direction in 90 degree angles (in relation to the walls of the room)

take a different decision in regards to tempo every time you change direction, this can include stopping.

allow very short narratives to emerge and dissolve as you come across people.

start taking in and responding to other people and the architecture of the space.

• in groups of 5-8, people contribute one movement each towards the making of an 'abstract' phrase of movement. (if it doesn't happen naturally encourage the use of different levels/sizes/qualities-impulse,impact,rebound,sustained)

each group shows and tells

• on the grid again each participant explores connecting to other people and creating short narratives using the limited material of the phrase they have created/learnt in their group.

~ the movement can shift in quality, size and duration as required depending on the nature of the interaction it is used in.

• in groups of 2-3 learn 3 very simple lines from the play you are working on that in some way represent the relationship between the different characters.

allow each person in the trio/duet to use the lines freely, so everyone can speak any of the lines as they see fit.

set up a very short improvisation in which the 2/3people interact by using only the movement phrase they learnt/made and the 3 lines.
the range of the text and of the movement are both explored freely.

• we wrapped up by opening the same improvisation to the whole group within the framework previuosly set up on the grid.