In discussing the actor who is an artist, Laban writes “this kind of performer concentrates on the actuation of the inner springs of conduct preceding his movements, and pays little attention at first to the skill needed for presentation.” In other words, this actor focuses on the inner intention to move.
For Laban, this inner intention manifests through visible behavior as EFFORT. Effort reveals itself as a fighting or indulging attitude towards one of the four motion factors of flow, weight, time, and space. These attitudes color the way a given action is done, imparting a perceptible quality and making movement meaningful.
As human beings, we can exercise a great deal of conscious control over how we move. We can learn to make a physical effort – to be gentle and to push harder, to move quickly and gradually, to control and focus our motions or let them flow freely and indirectly. We can put on a good show.
Without linking thought, feeling, and action, however, movement becomes mechanical. From Laban’s perspective, meaningful effort requires inner participation.
Activate your inner springs of motion in the upcoming Red Thread workshop, “Exploring the Dynamosphere,” July 22-23, in New York City.