Long Rope Show: Enter, Shine, Exit

Each group designs a long rope act of about two minutes with entries, solo and partner tricks and a group exit. It's a collaborative project performed for an audience.

How to play

1. Review front-door and back-door entries and diagonal exits (6 min).
2. Trick menu inside the rope: half turn, touch the ground, one-foot hop, enter as a pair and bounce a ball while jumping (8 min).
3. Groups of seven design their act: opening, three tricks, an everyone-in moment and an exit (12 min).
4. Full run-through with music and a planned turner switch inside the act (7 min).
5. Performances and peer assessment on three criteria: flow, everyone involved and originality (7 min).

Rules

• Every group member jumps and turns at some point.
• Pick tricks the group can actually do; no flips or rolls inside the rope.
• If someone gets caught, stop the rope, reset and carry on without drama.
• The audience sits outside the rope zone.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair users: the act's fixed turner, with a moment cueing everyone's entry.
• Blind or low-vision students: enter with the rope still and voice cues from the turners.
• Nervous students: choose a simple trick and do it with a partner.

Learning goals

• Plan and perform a group long rope composition.
• Link entries, tricks and exits smoothly.
• Assess other groups' work against criteria.

Equipment for a class of 25

• long jump ropes: 4
• speaker: 1
• rubber balls: 4

Teacher tip

Have each group write its script on a sheet; it heads off arguments mid-rehearsal. Small rubber balls or tennis balls work for the bounce trick.

More main activities for High School