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Contact Improvisation

Eleventh graders explore contact improvisation — improvised dance where partners stay in physical contact and share weight — grounded in communication, trust, and moving slowly to stay safe.

Grade 11Improvisation55 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain contact improv.
  • ✓Share weight safely.
  • ✓Build trust.
  • ✓Improvise with a partner.
Essential Question

What happens when two dancers improvise while staying in constant contact, giving and taking weight? That’s contact improv — how does it work safely?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Contact Improvisation Check

Project each item and have students answer about safe contact improvisation.

🤝 Understand contact improvisationTry it
Answer each question about contact improvisation.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Give and Take Weight

6 min

Two dancers improvise in constant contact, sharing weight — how, safely?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a simple lean-and-support.
  • Ask what keeps it safe.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Wonder.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Contact Improv

13 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Contact Improvisation Check.
  • Note communication.
  • Note going slow.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

15 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Try a slow lean.
  • Share weight gently.
  • Communicate the whole time.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Lean it.
  • Share it.
  • Talk.
4

Perform — Perform

13 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Improvise a contact duet.
  • Stay aware and safe.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Improvise.
  • Be safe.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain contact improv.
  • Say what keeps it safe.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance, HS Advanced).

NCAS
DA:Pr5.1.HSIII

Partner safely with control.

NCAS
DA:Pr4.1.HSIII

Share and support weight.

NCAS
DA:Cr2.1.HSIII

Improvise with a partner.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.HSIII

Analyze partnering.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Contact-improv tip cards.
  • Sentence frame: “To share weight safely, I ___.”
  • Demonstrate slowly.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “communicate first.”
  • Try one slow lean.
  • Check in often.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Explore rolling point of contact.
  • Try a counterbalance.
  • Improvise a longer duet.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🤝Open, matted space
  • 💻Contact Improvisation Check
  • 🎵Music
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

contact improvisationimprovised dance in contactweight sharinggiving and taking weightpoint of contactwhere bodies touchtrustrelying on your partnercommunicationsignaling and sensingcounterbalancebalancing against a partnersupportholding weight safelyimproviseto make up movement
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is contact improvisation?
Improvised dance where partners stay in physical contact, sharing weight.
QUESTION 2
What is the most important part of safe contact improv?
Communication and trust between partners.
QUESTION 3
How should you share weight in contact improv?
Move slowly and stay aware of your partner.

Reflect: give and take.

Have students explain the three keys to safe contact improv: communicate, go slow, and stay aware. A printable contact sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Contact ImprovisationFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Contact ImprovisationQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Contact ImprovisationPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: communication, contact improvisation, counterbalance, improvise, point of contact, support, trust, weight sharing
  1. where bodies touch
  2. giving and taking weight
  3. balancing against a partner
  4. relying on your partner
  5. holding weight safely
  6. improvised dance in contact
  7. signaling and sensing
  8. to make up movement

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is contact improvisation?
  2. What is the most important part of safe contact improv?
  3. How should you share weight in contact improv?
Answer key — Part A: 1) point of contact · 2) weight sharing · 3) counterbalance · 4) trust · 5) support · 6) contact improvisation · 7) communication · 8) improvise
Part B: 1) Improvised dance where partners stay in physical contact, sharing weight. 2) Communication and trust between partners. 3) Move slowly and stay aware of your partner.