Move It, Name It, Tell It

Educators can use this activity to explore dance, by having each student create their own signature "move" that they teach to the class.

Materials Needed: Music, speaker, open space for movement exploration

1. Gather everyone in a circle—this is the “cypher.” Invite students to explore any movement they feel like: big, small, sharp, smooth, silly or serious. Give them a beat (play music or count off a rhythm) and remind them there’s no “wrong” way to explore movement. Encourage them to let loose and have fun!
2. As students move freely, share examples of classic hip-hop dance steps with unique names (like the “Cabbage Patch,” “Cat Daddy,” “Roger Rabbit” or “Running Man”) to inspire their creativity. Emphasize that these steps started as individual expressions and evolved into iconic moves.
3. After freestyling, divide the class into pairs or small groups and ask students to share a “signature move” with their group. This can be a movement they discovered while freestyling or something else, like an arm sweep, a stomp-spin or a shoulder shimmy.
4. After they’ve shared, tell each group that they will collaborate to create a single new step. It can be as simple or complex as they want and can be inspired by their group’s signature moves.
5. Once the group agrees on a step and practices it a few times, ask them to give it a name that captures the essence of their move.
6. Bring everyone back to the cypher circle. Groups take turns sharing their new step and its name with the class. The focus is on having fun and celebrating creativity. After each share, the group can lead the class in trying out their new step together.
7. End with high energy by having students freestyle one last time, incorporating the new steps they’ve learned and shared. Celebrate each contribution with snaps, claps or a group “Yeah!” to wrap up the session on a positive note.

Reflection Questions:

• How did you work together to create your new dance step?
• How did naming your movement change the way you performed it?
• If you could expand your dance into a bigger story or theme, what would it be about?