Like other physical activities, observing movement is a process that involves effort and recovery. The following excerpt from my book, Beyond Words, describes movement analysis as a process consisting of four phrases: (1) relaxation, (2) attunement, (3) point of concentration, and (4) recuperation.
Relaxation
The initial preparatory stage involves relaxation as the observer strives to “get in the mood” for whatever will come. This takes the form of letting go in order to achieve a state of mind analogous to the “unfocused focus” of the naturalist who “goes alone into a field or woodland and closes his mind to everything but that time and place, so that life around him presses in on all the senses and small details grow in significance” (Wilson, 1986, 103).
Attunement
A second phase in the observation process is attunement. Attunement is to detailed movement analysis what a rough draft is to a finished chapter. Attuning allows one to sense the movement process in a sketchy and general way without feeling pressured to describe these perceptions in detail. We have all been observing movement since we were born. Nevertheless, when we are asked to observe, the process often strikes us as novel and difficult. Attuning allows us to use our senses of sight, hearing, and kinesthesis to establish contract with what we perceive, thus warming us up for more demanding tasks to come.
Point of Concentration
Movement is comprised of multiple, on-going changes in the use of body, space, and dynamics. When we try to pin down what we see, as we do when analyzing movement with the Laban system, the multifaceted nature of the movement can prove to be mind-boggling. For this reason, it is often very useful to choose a single point of concentration and to study that element of movement only. Such concentration sorts the complex movement experience into simpler and more familiar units and keeps the observer from being overwhelmed.
Recuperation
As might be expected, the intense concentration needed for the third phase of the observation process can be quite draining. As a consequence, the observer must build phases of recuperation in, if he or she wishes to keep the powers of perception fresh and acute.
There are many concrete techniques that the observer can use to relax, attune, analyze effectively, and recuperate. Learn how in the forthcoming Tetra seminar. Register by March 1 for the early registration discount.