New
New
Year 6

Contact work: counter balances

I can collaborate with a partner/group to counter their weight safely.

New
New
Year 6

Contact work: counter balances

I can collaborate with a partner/group to counter their weight safely.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: controlling the force applied to an action will lead to successful counter balances and counter tension balances.
  2. Think: exploring alternative ways of creating counter balances and counter tension balances involves decision making.
  3. Feel: careful planning of counter balances and counter tension balances demonstrates responsibility.
  4. Connect: all types of counter balances and counter tension balances require careful collaboration.

Keywords

  • Contact work - a choreographic relationship that involves touch

  • Counter balance - equalling the weight of others by using a pushing force

  • Counter tension balance - equalling the weight of others by using a pulling force

Common misconception

Counter balances should always involve pushing against our partner's hands.

We often start by connecting using our hands. Once skilled at countering our partner, we can find different points of connection or use different levels or directions to make our combined shapes more interesting and creative.


To help you plan your year 6 physical education lesson on: Contact work: counter balances, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Pair pupils so that they are of a similar height and build.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Suggested music.additional materials: suggested music

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Which word reflects a dynamic quality?

leap
Correct answer: explosively
pirouette

Q2.
What is negotiation an important part of?

rehearsing
Correct answer: collaborating
performing

Q3.
When working together, what do safety and accuracy demonstrate?

focus
creativity
Correct answer: responsibility

Q4.
What do expressive skills enable a performer to do effectively?

Correct answer: project
turn
balance

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What is shared when you perform a counter balance?

space
Correct answer: weight
eye contact

Q2.
What force is applied when performing a counter tension balance?

pushing
Correct answer: pulling
gravity

Q3.
How can you demonstrate responsibility when performing a counter balance?

rising and lowering
pulling and pushing
Correct answer: planning and care

Q4.
What can expressive skills add to a performance?

Correct answer: mood
accuracy
timing

Additional material

Download additional material