As various parts of the body traverse the kinesphere, the body itself changes shape. As Laban understood, these changing bodily shapes were linked inextricably to effort, to the mental and emotional processes taking place simultaneously in the mover.
This brings us to reason Number Three for studying Choreutics: Spatial forms are evocative.
One need only look at the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the greatest Baroque sculptor, to experience the expressiveness of space. I had the opportunity to see his works during a recent trip to Rome. Art critics write about Bernini’s ability to turn marble into supple skin, to depict tightly coiled muscles, and to capture passionate emotions. They note that all his sculptures look as if they might burst into action at any moment.
When I look at Bernini’s sculptures, I see how he has embedded multiple spatial tensions into all parts of the figures’ bodies. Consequently, while the figures are still, they are alive with motion and emotion.
I am sure that Laban’s background as a visual artist made him acutely aware of the evocative qualities of space. He embedded this awareness in his Choreutic forms. Each mover can unlock the expression hidden in the form by embodying these sequences and bringing them to life. Find out more by participating in the upcoming MoveScape Center Red Thread seminar, “Decoding Choreutics: Part Two.”