Follow Your Nose
Follow Your Nose is a physical exploration exercise in which players literally lead with their nose as the point of initiation for all movement through the space. By designating a single body part as the physical driver, the exercise disrupts habitual movement patterns and develops kinesthetic awareness, physical specificity, and the discovery of how a small physical choice can alter an entire physical identity.
Structure
Setup
All players stand in an open space. The facilitator explains the initiating body part -- in this version, the nose -- before movement begins.
Progression
Players begin moving through the space, led entirely by their nose. The nose goes where the body follows. If the nose tilts upward, the whole body lifts. If the nose dips toward the floor, the body follows. If it turns sharply left, the whole organism pivots there.
The facilitator observes as different physical archetypes emerge naturally from the constraint: some players discover authority, some discover vulnerability, some discover an animal quality, some discover something like sorrow or searching.
After three to five minutes leading with the nose, the facilitator may shift to a different initiating body part (the sternum, the chin, the pelvis, the left knee) and observe how the physical identity changes with each new driver.
Conclusion
The facilitator brings the group to stillness, then invites them to return to neutral movement and notice the difference. A brief debrief on what each body part produced -- what character or emotional state emerged -- follows.
How to Teach It
Objectives
Follow Your Nose develops body-led character, physical specificity, and the awareness that physical choices precede character choices rather than following from them. The exercise trains improvisers to discover character through the body rather than imposing it from the mind.
How to Explain It
"Let your nose be the first thing that moves. Everywhere it wants to go, the rest of you follows. Don't think about it -- just let the nose lead."
Scaffolding
Begin with slow exploration before adding speed or interaction. Once players have felt the constraint, invite them to make brief eye contact with each other while leading with the nose and notice what relationship emerges from the physical configuration.
Common Pitfalls
Players sometimes lead with their eyes while technically aiming their nose. The coaching note is that the nose is a physical point in space, not a concept -- the tip of the nose is the leading edge of all movement, and the body orients entirely to follow it.
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Related Exercises
Follow the Follower
Follow the Follower is an applied improv exercise in which a group sits in a circle and simultaneously makes sounds and movements while attempting to mimic everyone else -- with no designated leader and no pre-assigned role of follower. Because everyone is following everyone at once, leadership emerges organically from small initiations that the group collectively amplifies. The exercise makes visible how group behavior self-organizes without authority, and how individual actions propagate through a collective system.
Follow the Leaver
Follow the Leaver is a group movement exercise in which players move freely through the space and, when one player decides to leave the room or move to a specific location, all other players notice and follow -- without verbal communication or explicit announcement. The exercise develops peripheral awareness, ensemble attunement, and the ability to read and respond to a subtle behavioral cue rather than waiting for an explicit instruction.
Leading with Body Parts
Leading with Body Parts is a physical character and presence exercise in which participants walk through the space leading with a designated body part -- the nose, the chin, the chest, the knee, the pelvis -- and observe how leading with each part generates a distinct physical character, quality of movement, and emotional tone. The exercise demonstrates that character lives in the body, and that specific physical choices produce specific psychological and emotional realities.
You
You is a circle exercise in which players point at another person and say "you," passing focus around the group with clear eye contact and decisive gestures. The exercise trains the habit of making specific, committed choices about who receives an offer. It builds directness and the ability to give and receive attention cleanly.
Character / Scene Walkabout
Character/Scene Walkabout is an exercise in which performers walk through the space and, on a signal, immediately enter a scene with whoever is nearest. The random pairing and instant commitment prevent over-planning. The exercise builds comfort with initiating scenes with any partner and develops quick character choices.
Sound Follow
Sound Follow is an exercise in which one player creates a continuous vocal sound and the rest of the group follows that sound with their bodies, allowing the sound to dictate their movement, tempo, and energy. The exercise trains the connection between auditory input and physical response.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Follow Your Nose. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/follow-your-nose
The Improv Archive. "Follow Your Nose." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/follow-your-nose.
The Improv Archive. "Follow Your Nose." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/follow-your-nose. Accessed September 29, 2026.
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