Now more than ever, we need room to move. Fortunately, the kinesphere is always with us. “Kinesphere” is the name Rudolf Laban coined for the spherical bubble of empty space surrounding the body. The “kinesphere” is defined it as the space that can be reached without taking a step. You don’t have to go anywhere to enjoy it, for as Laban noted, “We never leave our movement sphere but carry it always with us, like an aura.”
To help the mover explore his or her kinesphere, Laban created imaginary landmarks in this empty bubble of space. He called these landmarks “signal points.”
There are 12 of them, equidistantly spread across the surface of the kinesphere.
There is magic in the number 12 – 12 months of the year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 Labors of Hercules, 12 Knights of the Round Table, etc. For Laban, 12 is magical because there are 12 tempered semitones in Western music. These 12 notes are the raw material for musical melodies and harmonies.
Similarly, Laban uses the 12 signal points of the kinesphere as raw material for composing movement melodies and harmonies.
At the moment, our movement is public spaces is constrained. But we are free to explore the harmonic possibilities of our own kinespheres. Take a guided tour in the upcoming MoveScape Center course, “The Movement Harmony Project Part 1, Space Harmonies.”