The process of performing a lift successfully requires a lot of trust between two people, and there are various degrees of difficulty of lifts that can be tried as the trust gets stronger between the practitioners. However, lifts involve a co-dependent relationship, so each person must feel confident enough to try the lifts, not just the person being lifted or the person lifting the other.
One of the most basic lifts which is good to try when starting out in the partnership is called the pencil lift.
1. Label yourselves A and B, with the taller and stronger person being B.
2. Stand directly opposite each other so you are looking at each other, be no more than a foot away from each other.
3. On the count of three, both bend your knees so you bob down together at the same time.
4. Person A jump directly up in the air with straight legs.
5. When Person A is up in the air, Person B clasp your hands around the back of Person A's thighs so they stop in mid-air and you have A's weight.
From this position, B could walk around still holding A to act as a transition into another move, or A could go over one of B's shoulders. When performing this lift, it is important to breathe at the same time and communicate with one another so that both people bend their knees at the same time. If this does not happen, the lift will not be timed right and it will be very difficult to achieve the lift safely. It is important to have the trust in one another so that both people are okay with the lift at all times, and Person A can be put down safely without injuring themselves or B. Timing is crucial in this lift, and should be observed very closely to ensure the lift goes properly.
Another simplistic lift for beginners starting out doing lifts is the very common 'cradle lift'.
1. Label yourselves A and B with the taller and stronger person being B.
2. Stand next to each other, as if in a line, with shoulders touching.
3. Person B twists round and places one arm around A's lower back.
4. B then threads the other arm through and places it on A's thigh, near to the backs of their knees.
5. Tipping person A back slowly, so B's arms become level, B takes all of the weight of A and holds them whilst standing upright.
6. Person A wraps both of their arms round Person B's back and interlocks their fingers in case Person B drops them.
In this lift, it is important to go slowly, so that A's weight is transferred gradually rather than all at once (similar to the 'place, press, push' exercise), which may hurt B's neck or back. Again, communication is key and should only be done if each person feels confident enough to do it. If a high level of confidence is achieved, a natural progression may be for A to try jumping into B's arms, if both partners are strong enough.
In the video below of two physical theatre students, they perform several different lifts, and demonstrate good technique for illustrating how important timing is to get a successful lift. Some of their lifts are more advanced, and are lifts that can be tried later on, when the basic lifts are complete.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CltJkZcrFiM
If done correctly, lifts can be very impressive and are often simple to do once the lifting techniques are perfected, such as timing, communication and breathing. The two exercises listed are very simplistic, but other, more daring lifts can be attempted at a higher confidence level. My physical theatre partner is Troy, and he is extremely strong and very capable of being able to hold my weight, and I trust him not to drop me. We have a very strong bond, so although we started off with the two lifts mentioned, we soon progressed to other lifts involving hand stands and jumps. Doing more complicated lifts requires the lifting techniques to be perfected, otherwise a lot can go wrong, so we continually talk about transferring our weight, breathing and timing when doing the preparation for the lifts, the transitions out of the lifts and the lifts themselves.
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