Rudolf Laban was crazy about symmetry. His first career as a visual artist spanned the period from 1899 to 1919. During this period, Art Nouveau, with its focus on two-dimensional pattern, was in fashion. Surviving works show that Laban worked in this style and was familiar with symmetry operations as a means of generating pattern.
When Laban turned his artist’s eyes to dance, he realized the power of symmetry for generating three-dimensional patterns. Virtually all his Choreutic forms and scales are highly symmetrical.
In “Bringing Choreutics to Life” we will look at Laban’s use of symmetry from two perspectives. First, understanding the underlying pattern makes it much easier to remember the sequence of movements in choreutic forms. Secondly, the symmetry of Laban’s mobile oscillations foster an enhanced sense of balance in three-dimensional space.
Choreutics is exercise for the body and the mind. Find out how in the forthcoming Octa seminar, “Bringing Choreutics to Life.”