By imagining the room as a balanced scale, children learn how their position affects the overall picture, a key skill in staging and performance.
1. Set up the game
Explain that the floor is now a plate on a scale.
Tell the children that for the plate to stay balanced, everyone must be evenly spaced around the room.
2. Count down
Ask the children to walk around the space.
Begin counting down slowly from ten to one. By the time you reach one, the children must stop and find a space that keeps the plate balanced.
If the space is not balanced, discuss how it could be improved and move people if needed.
3. Repeat
Repeat the activity several times.
Once confident, challenge the children to keep the space balanced while continuing to move.
Use questioning to help children reflect on what makes a balanced space. This game links strongly to stage positioning and ensemble movement. Encourage children to notice gaps as well as crowded areas.
Lucy Quick, Principal of Perform.
