Tutting: Arm Geometry with Right Angles

Tutting is a style related to popping that draws shapes with arms and hands at 90-degree angles; the name refers to the side-view figures in Egyptian art. It's a low-intensity activity that demands precision, memory and fine control.

How to play

1. Demo and context: the link to popping and to Egyptian profile paintings (2 min).
2. Base shapes: box, step and frame with forearms and wrists, aiming for clean angles (6 min).
3. Each student sketches four shapes in sequence on a sheet of paper, like comic panels (5 min).
4. In pairs, each person teaches their sequence and the partner performs it to music, one shape per beat (8 min).
5. Final round: pairs show the combined sequence and the class guesses which shape came first (4 min).

Rules

• Shoulders relaxed: angles come from elbows and wrists, no tension in the neck.
• Stop if your wrists start to hurt.
• Hold each full shape for one beat before moving to the next.
• Clarity counts more than speed.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited leg mobility: the whole activity works seated with no changes.
• Students with visual impairments: the partner places their arms into the shape with touch and names it.
• Wrist injury: work only with elbows and shoulders, hands open and relaxed.

Learning goals

• Perform shapes with clean angles and clear transitions.
• Turn a paper design into movement.
• Know where tutting comes from within the popping family.

Equipment for a class of 25

• speaker: 1
• sheets of paper: 30
• pencils: 30

Teacher tip

This works great in a classroom without moving desks, standing next to the chair. The common mistake is angles drifting open to 120 degrees: have students check themselves in the window reflection.

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