Shakespeare praised man’s “infinite faculties”. But human beings are constantly in danger of coming apart. Whether we bifurcate the individual into body and mind or even greater divisions (ego, ID, superego; thinking, feeling, sensing, intuiting, etc.), keeping it together is a uniquely human challenge.
Body movement is one medium through which these divisions can be unified. Laban created physical practices to facilitate the integration of man’s infinite faculties. This part of Laban’s work is known as “choreutics” or space harmony. Laban characterizes his choreutic exercises as “attempts to stop the progress of disintegrating into disunity”.
Laban’s space harmony sequences trace large symmetrical patterns through the kinesphere, or the space around the body. In conventional embodiment, the right or left arm leads, sweeping through three-dimensional space. This limb action must be coordinated with steps and support through the lower body. This necessitates flexion, extension, and rotation of the spine and changing patterns of counter-tension through the whole body. Laban’s choreutic sequences are “harmonic” because they demand coherent coordination among all the different parts of the body.
To the post-modern eye, this coherence appears simplistic. Post-modernity demands specialization and this is reflected in complex use of isolated body parts in post-modern dance forms. The wit and virtuosity of fractionated movement in hip hop is fascinating and fun. Nevertheless, there is virtue in whole body movement.
So if you are reading this while sitting at a computer, stand up. Stretch. Do a lunge. Make a big shape that involves your whole body. Better yet, come to the Tetra and learn some of Laban’s choreutic exercises. There is more to these than meets the eye!
For the early registration discount, register for Tetra by March 1.