STOMP Body Percussion

STOMP body percussion is high-energy rhythm-making where your body is the only instrument. Claps, clicks, stamps, steps, thigh slaps and chest taps all come into play, plus a bit of vocal percussion. Inspired by stage shows that turn rhythm into pure theatre, a group layers these sounds into tight, punchy grooves, with plenty of movement and attitude.

A surprising range. A flat clap cracks like a snare, while a cupped clap is deeper and rounder. Thigh slaps give a warm thud, chest taps a low boom and a good stamp is your bass drum. Finger clicks sit on top like a hi-hat. Then there's your voice, with booms, hisses, clicks and chants that edge into beatboxing territory. Mix them all up and you're a one-person drum kit. Put a group together and it's an orchestra.

Humans have been making music with their bodies for about as long as they've had bodies. Gumboot dancing from South Africa uses stamps and slaps on wellington boots. Stepping, a tradition of African American university groups, turns stamps, claps and chants into thunderous routines. Flamenco has its own lightning-fast clapping called palmas. Stage shows have since pulled all of this together and given it a serious dose of swagger.

Your Activity Leader gets everyone warmed up with simple claps and stamps to lock into a shared beat. Then you learn patterns by copying, usually through call and response, where the leader throws a rhythm out and the group fires it back. The group splits into parts and layers them up, and suddenly it sounds huge. Stepping and movement come next, building into a short routine you'll be weirdly proud of.

Absolutely. There's no kit to learn and nothing to read, so everyone starts on the same page. It's brilliant for co-ordination, listening and teamwork, and many people find it a great way to shake off the day. Expect a few tangled hands at first. By the end you'll be clapping on the off-beat without thinking about it, and possibly drumming on every table you pass for the rest of the week.

You might also like Junkyard Percussion, Capoeira and Swing Dance.

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