Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Tune In: Partners warm-up

20 minutes

Find Out: Exploring conflict through movement

30 minutes

Take Action: Communicating a message through dance

5 minutes

Reflection

Tune In: Partners warm-up

Step 1

Invite students to find a partner. If there are uneven numbers, one group can work with three students, or else you might decide to join in. There should be one leader and two followers for each activity if using a group of three configuration.

Explain that this activity is about exploring leading and following; however, unlike in ballroom dancing, they are going to do it without touching one another.

Step 2

Have students stand in a neutral position, facing one another. Each pair should assign a leader. They will have a chance to swap over.

Step 3

The leader will slowly move their arms and body in a way that the follower can mirror. They should mirror each other for 90 seconds, then swap over.

Step 4

Go back to the original leader. This time, the leader should pull or tug at the follower using invisible threads. The follower's job is to try to move specific body parts in response to the leader's movements. Movements should be slow and stylised. They should do this for 90 seconds, then swap over.

Step 5

Go back to the original leader. Finally, the leader should use pushing or guiding movements to encourage the follower to move their body around the space or through the various levels and planes. The follower should do their best to tune in to the leader's intentions and respond naturally. They should do this for 90 seconds then swap over.

Step 6 (optional)

If you have a mirror in your room, you might like to also practise a puppet-style movement where the follower is on a low level and the leader on a high level standing behind the follower. Both face the mirror. The follower should respond to the leader's hand movements as if hanging on marionette strings. They should do this for 90 seconds then swap over.

Step 7

Finish with a discussion about what it felt like to lead and follow. You could explore these questions:

Did you find it easier to be the follower or leader?
Did your movements come intuitively?
How important was eye contact?
What was the most challenging activity, and why?
What was the easiest activity, and why?

Find Out: Exploring conflict through movement

Safety first: The following activities may be triggering for some students. Consider your group before using them with your class. You may like to offer permission for students to leave the room if they feel this is too much for them or to manage their emotions in whatever way they need to.

Step 1

Play this video:

Domestic Abuse Short Film – Break The Routine (60 second version) (https://youtu.be/aoU3DXapsWo)

Invite students to reflect on the content and message of the video (domestic violence) and examples they saw in the clip where a leading and following dynamic was used. For example, did they see examples of mirroring, pulling, pushing or puppeteering?

Hot tip: Some students may wish to demonstrate or try out some short sequences.

Step 2

Explain to students that they will be creating their own movement sequence that shows conflict and uses the leading and following strategies they practised earlier. They will also need to incorporate the use of various levels (e.i. high, medium and low). They will be working with their partners or groups of three.

Step 3

Explain that the conflict they witnessed in the previous video focuses on domestic violence, and it is quite a common topic for male-female partner dances.

Today, however, they will be set the challenge of choreographing a movement sequence that shows conflict between strangers or friends of any gender, culminating in a coward punch. The piece aims to raise awareness of the coward punch and prevent future incidents.

Step 4

Play this video:

JAIDEN'S DAD (https://vimeo.com/669710752) Password: CowardCool

Invite students to share their thoughts about the video and how they might use parts of the story to inform their dance.

Take Action: Communicating a message through dance

Step 1

Students should first decide on the following story elements of their dance:

Who are the two (or three) characters?
What is their relationship with each other?
Where and when is the event set?
What happens?

Step 2

Students can then work on the creative elements of their dance:

How will they create tension and relationship dynamics using levels and space?
How will they use facial and body expressions to represent emotion?
How could they make the dance metaphorical, rather than literal?
What will be the timeline of their dance?
What music will they use?
We recommend any of the following tracks, but you might like to provide a different song or allow them to choose their own:
- Heartbeat scary music SOUND EFFECTS (https://youtu.be/3LEJGxXzuAE)
- Woodkid - Run Boy Run (Official HD Video) (https://youtu.be/lmc21V-zBq0)
- Eminem - Respect The G.O.A.T. (2019) (https://youtu.be/19aW1WV1VY4) - language warning
- NF - Hate Myself (Audio) (https://youtu.be/1f6F7tGDcQw)
- DOROTHY - Wicked Ones [Official Video] (https://youtu.be/AW4vejDcVe8)

Including the coward punch into a movement sequence might be challenging for some students. Allow them to explore other types of conflict scenarios through movement or focus instead on workshopping short sequences that include leading and following.

Step 3

Now students can begin to workshop and rehearse movement sequences. Students should aim to achieve the following in their choreography:

use of levels
use of various leading and following techniques
conflict should be clearly represented
there should be a clear story
there should be a clear message.

Learning extension: students could create an alternative ending or explore how empathy could resolve the conflict. Students might like to record their work as they go or during the performance so that they can watch back and consider the leading and following dynamic from a viewer's perspective.

Step 4

Invite students to share their dances with one another and provide constructive feedback using the following stems:

I really liked...
I noticed how you...
Next time, would you consider...?

Reflection

Gather students into a circle and discuss how they found the process of choreographic conflict in the form of partner dancing. You might like to explore these questions:

What did you learn today?
What challenged you?
Was it more or less challenging to use a leading and following technique, rather than a synced sequence?
Did you prefer working in pairs or would you prefer a larger group to tell this story through movement? Why?

Coward Punch - Conflict In Movement

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