Crew Battle with Judges: Criteria, Rounds and Respect

A team battle in the hip-hop tradition, with a student panel judging on public criteria. It practices improvising under pressure and the most important part of any battle: respect for your opponent.

How to play

1. Battle rules and judging criteria: foundation, musicality, creativity and attitude; written on the board (4 min).
2. Crews of five prepare two short entries: one solo and one group (10 min).
3. Round one: four crews in two battles; each entry lasts eight eight-counts and crews alternate (10 min).
4. Round two with new matchups; the three-student panel rotates every battle (10 min).
5. Verdict: judges point to their pick at the same time and give one reason per criterion (6 min).

Rules

• No touching your opponent or getting in their space: this is a dance battle.
• Burns are only gestures about the dancing, never about someone's body, clothes or person.
• When it's over, each crew salutes the other.
• No floor tricks that haven't been practiced in class first.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with stage anxiety: dance in group entries or sit on the panel.
• Limited mobility: the crew builds that student's entry at their level, and judges score musicality the same as everyone else.
• Deaf students: the panel gives a visual signal to start and end each entry.

Learning goals

• Improvise and compose under time limits.
• Judge others with clear, well-argued criteria.
• Stay respectful in a head-to-head situation.

Equipment for a class of 25

• speaker: 1
• whiteboards: 3
• markers: 3
• masking tape: 1

Teacher tip

Tape a circle about 4 m across as the battle zone. Common issue: judges vote for friends, so require every reason to cite a criterion.

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