Strut Your Stuff and
Rhythmic Challenges
Presented by Liz Butts, M.S., M.Ed.
Instructor at the University of West
Georgia
Planning your strut . . .
• Pick your date and venue.
• Involve students with program planning.
• Have a theme and music theme using music
between demonstrations avoiding awkward
silence.
• Integrate across the curriculum for theme
approach.
• Demonstrate what you DO – your stuff.
• Keep notes for potential student performers.
• Keep performers together by class to avoid extra
rehearsal time.
• Allow for student creativity.
• Forget choreography and synchronization.
• Keep demonstrations brief and rotate groups.
• The three-ring circus approach allows for
different demonstrations.
• Demonstrate developmental progression of skills
using younger and older students.
• Involve parent participants if possible.
Field Day Struts . . .
• Think outside of the typical box
• Example: Blast from the Past field day
 Parents and grandparents play old fashioned
games
Games involved horseshoes, washers,
hopscotch, yo-yoing, Chinese jump rope,
jacks, marbles, croquette, sack races, etc.
Rhythmic Challenges . . . You don’t
have to dance!
• 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 essential!
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)
Tinikling, con’t.
• 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 nonlocomotor 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.
Enjoy “Strutting your Stuff”!