Bare Bones Dance Company

GCSE Level Lesson Plan

Magnification
Choreographer: Garry Stewart

Objective To introduce some of the creative ideas behind Magnification

by Garry Stewart
Key Elements • The relationship of dance to music
• Introduction to contact improvisation
Activity Outline • Warm-up based on travelling through space and response
to a range of dynamic stimuli
• Basic principles of contact work
• Creative Task based on relationship between music and
dance, improvisation, contact
• Cool Down and Reflection
Key Words Relationship of music and dance: correlation, visualisation,
identification or enhancement of mood or character, narrative,
mutual coexistence, disassociation, juxtaposition

Musicality: texture, dynamics, style, structure, rhythm

Choreography: Improvisation, Structuring, Refining,

Relationship: body part to body part, complementary and

contrasting relationships, person to person, inter-action
Bare Bones Dance Company
GCSE Level Lesson Plan

Magnification
Choreographer: Garry Stewart
Warm-Up Focus on travelling through space and weight-
bearing movements such as press-ups, half
handstands, rolling into and out of the floor. Assign
movements a number and call as participants start
walking in space and then build to running. Add
other moves that will encourage the group to move
in a more grounded and physical manner.

Introduce a range of qualities or sounds that will

affect the way they are moving to encourage them to
vary dynamic response.

Main Activity Pull – In 2’s

Introduction to Demonstrate in a circle with two people facing each
contact work other, holding wrist-to-wrist, leaning back supporting
each other’s weight. See how far they can bend
through the knees and come back to standing
maintaining straight arms and holding each other’s
weight. Repeat with opposition single hands and
back to back.

Start back to back and see if by moving to touch

shoulder to shoulder, partners can make a complete
circle to where they started - back to back.

Push
Back to back
One Shoulder to shoulder
Try pushing each other across the space
maintaining the contact point

Creative Task Manipulating Body Parts

In twos – Mover and Manipulator
Stand opposite a partner, one manipulates joints
and body parts and the other reacts by moving,
leading with that part. Swap around.

Repeat; as the mover reacts ask them to create a

sound that resembles how the body part might
sound when moving. Play with exaggerating these
sounds. Change roles.

Repeat taking in turns, one move each, keeping the

sounds going. Try moving with a range of dynamics
and styles, such as slow motion, short and sharp
Try a new starting point:
Overlapping, facing front
The floor
An intertwined, statue shape

Set a duet of around 8 movements each. Try with

and without the sound. Vary dynamic.

Show duet to another duet for peer feedback

Ask each duet to interject with 3 gestures such as:

A sharp look in the same direction
A short, sharp jab of the elbow or knee