Moon Walking

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Practice physical coordination and synchronized timing in triads.

Use it when: Use during active physical warmups when participants have consented to light physical contact and seek an energetic cooperative drill.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have back, arm, wrist, or joint concerns, when floors are slippery, or when physical contact is unwelcome.

Group arrangement: Triads (teams of three). If the room total is not divisible by three, assign remaining individuals (one or two) as cadence callers and safety spotters alongside existing triads.

Timing: UWT suggested 10-minute plan fitting the Playmeo 5 to 15 minute band.

Materials and tools

• No special materials.

Before participants arrive

1. Ensure a clear, level, non-slip floor with at least two meters of clearance around each triad.

Say this to open

We are going to do a movement stunt called Moon Walking. In groups of three, two people will assist a partner to jump with extended hang time. Taking the jump or spotter role is entirely optional, and anyone can choose to act as cadence caller instead.

How to run it

1. Demonstrate grip and verbal count 3 minutes

   Form triads. Assign any extra participants as cadence callers. Demonstrate with two volunteers. The jumper places hands on their hips. Each spotter grips one of the jumper's lower forearms with two hands. Call 'Ready, set, jump.' On 'jump,' the center person springs upward while spotters smoothly lift upward along the vertical line and guide a soft, two-foot landing.

2. Practice low initial jumps 3 minutes

   Triads choose an initial jumper. Triads practice one low test jump using the verbal cadence 'Ready, set, jump.' Side assistants must lift straight along the jumper's vertical line without pulling outward or yanking upward. Run two or three practice jumps with this initial jumper.

3. Rotate roles across partners 2 minutes

   Prompt triads to swap positions so a second person takes the jumper role if they wish. Run two jumps. Swap once more so the third partner can jump or opt to pass. Ensure assistants bend their knees to absorb and guide the descent.

4. Debrief the coordination 2 minutes

   Gather the room in a circle. Ask two reflection questions. Take two or three brief observations from volunteers to conclude.

Debrief questions

• What specific cue helped your triad match the jump and the lift?
• What physical adjustment did spotters make between the first attempt and subsequent attempts?

Finished output: Completion of synchronized assisted jumps or active spotter participation across all triads.

Remote

Moon Walking cannot be run online because it relies entirely on physical lifting and manual spotting. A different non-physical rhythm game must be substituted for fully remote groups.

Hybrid

Moon Walking cannot be run as a unified hybrid activity. In-person participants can complete the physical jumps in room triads, but remote attendees cannot participate in or duplicate this stunt.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may choose the non-contact cadence caller or safety observer role instead of jumping or lifting.
• Anyone may release grip or step away from a jump at any moment without providing an explanation.

If the session gets stuck

Spotters lift unevenly or pull outwards, causing the jumper to tilt.

Pause the group. Direct spotters to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the jumper and push straight upward along the vertical line.

A participant prefers not to jump or receive physical touch.

Immediately assign them to direct the count, call the cadence, and observe floor clearance for their team.

Terms used here

• Hang time: The brief feeling of buoyant suspension at the peak of an assisted jump.
• Ready, set, jump: The standardized verbal countdown used to synchronize the jumper's leap with the assistants' upward lift.