Strut Your Stuff and Rhythmic Challenges

Presented by Liz Butts, M.S., M.Ed.

Instructor at the University of West Georgia

 Plan a Spring date with the PTA/PTO for a chance to “strut your stuff”

 Throughout the year of instruction make notes of the best skills/activities, etc. that could be easily demonstrated given your facility space as well as the students who best demonstrate the skills or have the most evident enthusiasm. This can be a motivator for students!

 Involve students as much as possible in selecting a theme or idea for the program. Ownership creates enthusiasm and pride plus provides valuable opportunities for leadership and cooperation!

 Student demonstrations do not need to be synchronized or choreographed. Let the students create their own routines or add their own “spin” on skill demonstrations.

 Keep the demonstrations brief, rotate groups in and out and always use music if possible.

 Three ring circus style programs are entertaining and good ways to involve many students if the space is large enough. Groups of students can perform different skills in two to three areas with students moving around the perimeter or up and down isles. Streamer locomotor movements are especially colorful and lively for the perimeter areas.

 It helps parents understand developmental progression of skills if you use different age levels demonstrating similar skills at different levels.

 Make sure the music is appropriate, of course! And, try to have a music theme using a common theme song between demonstrations while student groups change out. Always avoid silence that creates awkward moments.

 Involving the parent/audience if possible for at least part of the program creates enthusiasm and excitement with parents getting an opportunity to share the experience! Plan the actual program so that students and demonstration groups are by classes so that practice is minimal and done during the regular class period.

 Teaming up with classroom teachers for reinforcing across the curriculum learning can lead to themes and ideas for developing programs and gain favor with administrators and faculty as well as reinforcing the academic value of “education through the physical”.

Field Day “Struts”

 Field Day is another perfect opportunity for “strutting your stuff”!

 Think outside of the typical field day box or add to it with class demonstrations for parents/teachers.

 Create a field day theme that provides for special instruction.

 Example: Play from the Past Field Day – During regular physical education class teach students old fashioned recreational games such as: hopscotch, Chinese jump rope, jacks, marbles, yo-yoing, horse shoes, washer tossing, croquette, along with the traditional sack races. On field day invite parents and grandparents to come and play rotating between game/activity stations while. Play oldies music. This can also be a social studies learning across the curriculum school-wide experience.

 Example: Cooperative/Initiative Field Day twist– Rather than focusing entirely on the traditional competitive field day, incorporate stations of different cooperative initiative activities that students have experienced during the year as a way of demonstrating and engaging parents and teachers. Rhythmic Challenges – You Do Not Have to Dance!

The following “tips” are from a non-dancer who has successfully incorporated rhythmic activities at all ages.

 Listen for appropriate music. Absolutely critical that you select age appropriate music with lyrics that do NOT contradict the positive messages of health and well- being!

 Select music that has a steady 4/8 count beat.

 Forget the idea that everyone has to be doing the same thing! Choreographed routines are not always essential!

 Buy lummi sticks – basic ½” -3/4” dowel sticks cut into 16-18” pieces

 Buy tinikling pipes – basic PVC piping 11/2” to 2” diameter – too small sags and too big is heavy, hard to manage and scary!

 Buy 2 X 4s cut into 24-30” pieces

 Make streamers – buy bright colored surveyor’s tape, dowel sticks cut into 16-18” pieces, small eye hooks and fishing swivel hooks; screw eye hooks into sticks, hook on swivel hooks and tie bright colored surveyor tape streamers (easy to replace)

 Essential to have jump ropes, bean bags, bouncing balls and hoola hoops!

 Ultimate goal: students will be able to create their own rhythmic skills/moves and routines using various manipulatives

 Important: SAFETY first – all students must understand proper handling, respect for personal space, locomotor and non-locomotor limitations

TINIKLING: (Traditional dance from the Philippines using bamboo poles)

 Tinikling teaches communication, cooperation and requires synchronized rhythm!

Equipment: PVC pipes – 1” to 1.5” in diameter & 7-8’ in length and 2.5-3’ 2X4 boards (2 pipes & 2 boards per set)

Minimum number of students: 3 (2 strikers & 1 jumper)

Rhythmic count: basic 4 count works best with steady 8 beat music (Cues: down – down – in – in) (Traditional beat is a 3 count beat with cues: down – down – in) Basic jumps: double straddle jump (Cues: in – in – out – out) or side step hops (With right side to poles hop in with right foot first, hop in with left, hop out with right and hop in place, hop back in with left, hop in with right, hop out with left and hop in place and repeat) (Cues: in- in – out – hop)

Tinikling Teaching tips:

 Before allowing students to use the pole sets, have students practice the beat with their hands by striking knees twice and clapping twice with a steady pattern to music.

 Have students practice jumping footwork without the poles. Use gym lines, jump ropes and stationary poles initially.

 Teach students to keep their thumbs parallel with the pipes to prevent thumb “smashing”!

 Strikers should have the 2x4 boards about 6” forward of the pipe ends to allow room for their hands.

 Strikers should only slightly raise the poles when striking. (Students tend to raise them too high.)

 This rhythmic activity teaches cooperation as students learn to strike together with the beat and attempt to help not hinder their jumping classmates.

 Rotate striking and jumping frequently to avoid fatigue and keep students actively moving.

 This is an excellent station activity.

Challenges:

 After students master the basic jumps, allow them opportunities to explore new ways of moving in and out of the poles. They can even turn cartwheels in and out of the poles.

 Add partner tricks and manipulatives of all kinds with balls, bean bags, hoola hoops, lummi sticks, streamers, etc. Students will amaze you with their creativity! LUMMI STICKS:

Equipment: dowel sticks – 2 per student

Teaching Tips and Challenges:

 Using steady 8 count music, have students begin by exploring/creating basic patterns with a partner while sitting. Encourage them to think of new positions and new ways to keep the beat using their lummi sticks.

 After students establish sitting skills, have them stand and add new moves while standing stationary.

 The last challenge is to have students move with a partner or within small groups keeping the rhythmic pattern. This activity adds an extra skill level when combined with tinikling and long jump ropes.

STREAMER RHYTHMS:

Equipment: ½” to ¾” dowel sticks cut into 12” lengths; small eye hooks inserted into one end of each dowel; fishing swivels connected to the eye hooks; 3-4’ lengths of bright surveyor tape tied to the fishing swivels

Activities: Lower elementary students especially benefit from this type of rhythmic activity.

 Using steady beat 8 count music; have students move within their own personal space performing various non-locomotor and locomotor skills.

 Movement skills can be exaggerated and students are motivated to move more with the streamers than without them.

 Depending upon the number of streamers, it is excellent for large or small groups or stations if streamers are limited. Streamers provide color for programs and demonstrations.

SPORT MOVEMENT CHOREOGRAPHED ROUTINES:

Teaching/Choreographing Tips:  Music selection and patterning – Select appropriate music with steady 8 count beat (instrumental only is really best). Using paper and pencil, chart the music pattern with one strike for each 8 count beat. Identify how many 8 count strikes you have in the introduction, the repeated chorus or main refrain, and the verses by making separate rows for the 8 count beats. You should end up with a chart of the music pattern.

 Sport movement choreographing – identify desired sport movement skills that can be performed in 4 or 8 count steps (Example: basketball layup shot – left, right, left, up for 4 counts) Students can enjoy the challenge of coming up with the sport skill moves and trying to fit them into the pattern so that the introduction involves a certain set of moves, the chorus involves repeating a different series of moves and the verses another series of moves. Moves can involve jumping, sliding, crossovers, simulated throwing, passing, shooting and movements in various directions at different levels. This type of sport rhythmic training has been successful with upper elementary, middle and high school students and even football teams.