Bare Bones Dance Company

GCSE Level Lesson Plan

Container
Choreographer: Rui Horta

Objective To introduce some of the creative ideas behind Container by

Rui Horta
Key Elements • Space and Spatial Design and its relationship to action and
dynamic
Activity Outline • Warm-up based around delineated spatial designs
• Taught task – learning a unison repertoire sequence
• Group Creative Task – based on travelling across linear
space
• Duet Creative Task – based on working in confined space
• Cool Down
• Reflection
Key Words Space: marking territory, claiming space, moving in and out of
the floor, timing, change of direction, variation of size, level,
direction and pathway orientation in the stage space

Choreography: improvisation, structuring, refining,

Bare Bones Dance Company
GCSE Level Lesson Plan
Container
Choreographer: Rui Horta
Warm-Up Map out a floor grid with students using tape – 4x4 Masking
grid with 16 squares tape
Use gridlines as pathways – ask students to walk
along pathways, changing directions when choose,
build in speed and style of walking – backwards,
hopping, hands and feet, floor-based.
Begin to focus on travelling with a range of levels,
using rolling into and out of the floor and movements
that shift forward or backwards in a linear fashion.
Add other moves that will encourage the group to
move in a more grounded and physical manner.

Main Activity
Moving to counts
Introduction
Call 2,4 or 8 counts and ask students to travel to a
corner of a square, along a line, in the designated
amount of counts.
Begin to introduce variations including travelling on
the diagonal across the square, and encouraging
them to jump or run to get there in 2 counts.
Challenge them on how far they can they get in 8
counts, can they cover from one side to the other of
the large square. Encourage some of the warm-up
movements into their journeys.
Learn the ‘spider move’ of mapping out space,
across the squares – integrate this as a choice
move to do at any time. If doing as a whole class, Download
allow everyone a space around the edges so that video clip
they can enter and exit the space in smaller groups.

Taught Task Watch the unison phrase of 6 in a line – learn unison

phrase of moving across the space. Adapt
movements dependent on group and individual Download
abilities. If working as a whole class, assign smaller video clip
groups of 5 starting points around the square and
take in turns, once the material is learnt.

Choreograph own line of movement using material

Creative Task from warm-up, the unison sequence and own
moves.
Ask the groups of 5 to work together to see if they
can arrive at the end of the line at the same time.
Try to get it so that the group arrive at the same
time.
Experiment with the groups travelling 5 at a time,
and then with individuals from all around the square
choosing a time to start. Interject this with running
back across the line back to their starting point.
When they are not moving, ask students to watch for
special moments and discuss at the end.

In 2’s