Like many animals, bilateral symmetry is built into our bodily structure. Shapes that develop in nature are closely related to motion. Since many human actions – swimming, walking, running, biking – alternate activation of the right and left sides of the body, form follows function.
Bilateral symmetry helps us get around in the world. In the hands of choreographers, dancers can also exploit reflective symmetry in arrangements and group movement.
Laban built reflective symmetry into his spatial scales. Find out more in “His Hand and Head: How Laban Created Movement Patterns.”