Canon Lab: Simple, Ripple and Block Canons
In groups of five, students learn a shared 16-count phrase and transform it with three kinds of canon: simple, ripple, and block. Students work on rhythmic accuracy, remembering the phrase, and the visual effect each canon creates.
How to play
- Teach the whole class a 16-count base phrase (4 minutes): 4 steps forward, an arm circle, a turn, a drop to low level, and a rise. Run it with and without music.
- Form groups of 5, each in a space marked by 4 cones. Simple canon (4 minutes): two subgroups, the second starts 4 counts after the first.
- Ripple canon (4 minutes): all five stand in a line and each dancer starts 1 count after the one before, like a wave. Also try rippling from both ends toward the middle.
- Block canon (5 minutes): split the phrase into four 4-count blocks; each dancer performs them in a different order, and everyone matches up only on the last block.
- Each group picks the canon that works best, chooses a formation, and runs the full phrase twice (3 minutes).
- Groups perform two at a time; watchers guess which canon was used and whether the ending was clean (2 minutes).
Rules
- Keep at least an arm's length between dancers in the ripple line to avoid hitting each other on turns.
- Lower to the low level by bending the knees; never drop to the floor.
- If you get lost, freeze and rejoin at the start of the next block.
Variations
Easier
Simple canon only, 8 counts apart, with the teacher counting.
Standard
All three canon types with the 16-count phrase and a final group choice.
Harder
Combine two canons in one performance and finish with 8 counts in unison.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: adapt the phrase to arms and torso and let that student's entrance cue the start of the canon, giving them a key role.
- Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: the dancer before them in the ripple gives a shoulder tap, or use a hand signal to cue the entrance.
- Skill level: students who struggle dance only blocks 1 and 4.
Learning goals
- Identify and perform simple, ripple, and block canons.
- Keep your own tempo even when the rest of the group is doing something different.
- Evaluate the visual effect of each canon in a dance piece.
Equipment for a class of 25
- music
- portable speaker: 1
- cones: 20
Teacher tip
The usual mistake is the later dancer rushing to catch up with the first one; insist that everyone keeps their own timing.
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