(The following passage continues the introduction to Rudolf Laban’s ideas about human effort. It is taken from my forthcoming book, Meaning in Motion: Introducing Laban Movement Analysis.)
Because movement is a psychophysical phenomenon involving the whole person, how someone moves reveals something about how they are feeling. The individual’s inner attitudes become visible through effort. Rudolf Laban characterizes these inner attitudes as “fighting or resisting” and “indulging or yielding.”
Movements are bound to evolve in space as well as in time, and in this evolution of movement the weight of the body is brought into flow. These four elements – Space, Time, Weight, and Flow – are the building blocks of Laban’s effort taxonomy. They are the four motion factors towards which the mover adopts a fighting or indulging attitude, as follows.
Space is the effort exerted to aim and orient movement. A fighting attitude is expressed in direct motion, in which linear aim with a singular focus is noted. An indulging attitude is expressed as indirect action, in which curvilinear plasticity and continuous changes in the direction prevail.
Time is the effort exerted to pace the movement adroitly. A fighting attitude is expressed as sudden action, in which quickness and acceleration are noticeable. An indulging attitude is expressed in sustained movement, producing a lingering action in which deceleration prevails.
Weight is the effort exerted to apply the right amount of pressure. A fighting attitude is expressed as strong weight, in which firm pressure and forcefulness prevail. An indulging attitude is expressed as light weight, in which delicacy and a gentle touch are noticeable.
Flow is the effort exerted to control movement. A fighting attitude is expressed as bound flow, in which the motion is restrained and easy to stop. An indulging attitude is expressed as free flow, in which the action is relaxed and difficult to stop.