Entrances and Exits: Opening and Closing a Dance

Groups of five design how their dance starts and ends: the entrance from the wings, the opening pose, the closing pose, and the exit. Students work on staging, using performance space, and stage presence in front of an audience.

How to play

1. Use cones to mark a 26 x 20 ft stage with two side "wings." Spend 2 minutes explaining four kinds of entrances: all together, in canon, from opposite sides, and one dancer who calls in the rest.
2. Form groups of 5. They use a 16-count phrase they already know or create one in 4 minutes from simple steps.
3. They design the entrance (8-16 counts) and an opening pose where the audience can see everyone (4 minutes).
4. They design the closing pose and the exit (8-16 counts): leave in canon, all at once, or leaving one dancer alone on stage (4 minutes).
5. They rehearse the whole piece twice in a row: entrance, phrase, ending, and exit (3 minutes).
6. Each group performs on the stage while the others sit as the audience (5 minutes). Applause comes only after the last dancer exits.

Rules

• Enter and exit only through the marked wings.
• On running entrances, slow down before center stage to avoid collisions.
• Hold the opening and closing poses perfectly still for at least 4 counts.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: widen the wings for easy wheelchair entry, and the student can be the center of the opening pose.
• Shy students: enter with the group rather than solo, and place them in the second row of the pose if they prefer.
• Skill level: groups who struggle walk in.

Learning goals

• Design the opening and closing of a dance piece.
• Use performance space with the audience's point of view in mind.
• Stay focused and keep stage presence throughout a performance.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 10
• music
• portable speaker: 1

Teacher tip

Endings often fall flat because the group laughs or relaxes too early; rehearse the final pose and count 4 out loud. Remind them the audience must see every face in the opening pose.

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