Dribble Dance: Basketball Routine in Canon
Groups of five create a 32-count routine with basketballs, dribbling to the beat and combining hand switches, dribbles around the body, and passes, with one section in unison and one in canon. Students work on ball handling, rhythm, and choreography.
How to play
- Every student has a ball, spread around the court. For 4 minutes, practice to music at about 90 beats per minute: one dribble per beat with the right hand, the left, crossovers, and between the legs.
- Form groups of 5. Teach a shared 8-count block: 4 right-hand dribbles, 2 crossovers, and 2 low dribbles into a pose (3 minutes).
- Each group creates two more 8-count blocks with at least one pass between teammates and one dribbling turn (6 minutes).
- Groups put the structure together: shared block in unison, their own blocks in a 2-count canon, and an ending where every ball stops at once (5 minutes).
- Rehearse twice with music (3 minutes); if a ball gets away, the dancer who lost it picks it up and rejoins at the next block.
- Each group performs while the rest of the class stands in a semicircle (3 minutes); the main goal is for the dribbles to sound together.
Rules
- Always dribble inside your group's space, at least 10 feet from other groups.
- Make eye contact before every pass and keep passes low.
- On the whistle, everyone holds the ball with two hands.
Variations
Easier
Dribble with the dominant hand only and no passes, using one shared 8-count block.
Standard
Three 8-count blocks, hand switches, one pass, and a canon section.
Harder
Add two-ball dribbling or a chain pass through all five dancers without losing the beat.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: dribble beside the wheelchair and receive passes at chest height; the group can use softer balls.
- Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: choose music with a heavy bass that can be felt as vibration, and have a partner tap the beat with a foot.
- Skill level: students with less control dribble with one hand on the spot.
Learning goals
- Dribble to the beat of the music with both hands.
- Compose a routine with unison and canon using equipment.
- Coordinate passes and movement with the group without losing the rhythm.
Equipment for a class of 25
- basketballs: 25
- music
- portable speaker: 1
Teacher tip
Start with a slow beat; fast songs lead to loose balls and frustration. Pump up the balls ahead of time and pull any that bounce poorly.
PatioLab has "Dribble Dance: Basketball Routine in Canon" and 3999 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for Middle School
1-2-3 Touch Cooperative Rally
Two groups of three, one on each side of the net, work together to keep the longest rally possible in three phases: one touch, two touches, and three touches per side.
1-on-1 Mini Volleyball Up and Down the River
One-on-one mini volleyball duels on 3 x 3 m courts under a rope 2 m high, using a receive, self-set and send rule.
1-on-1 Self-Pass Volleyball
One-on-one games on narrow 10 x 20 foot courts where each player must self-pass before sending the ball over.
1-on-1 Side-Step Square Duels
In pairs, inside 5 x 5 m squares, an attacker holding a football tries to get from the starting side to the far side without the defender pulling a flag.
1v1 Four-Gate Soccer Duels
In a square with a gate on each side, two players go head to head and score by dribbling through any of the four gates.
2-on-1 Fast Break with a Chasing Defender
Two attackers push a fast break against a defender waiting at the basket while a second defender chases from behind with a few yards' head start against them.