Laban first perceived effort mutation among the eight basic actions employed while working. These changes occurred as spontaneous replacements of one effort quality with another, for example, resulting in Punching become Pressing or Floating becoming Flicking.
In studying expressive actions, Laban began to perceive how the motion factor of Flow changed an action.
For example, he writes: “When Flow replaces Weight, the drive becomes ‘vision-like’, because it is now not supported by active weight effort and is therefore reduced in bodily import.”
“When Flow replaces Time, the expression becomes “spell-like,” and the movements radiate a quality of fascination.”
“When Flow replace Space, bodily actions are particularly expressive of emotion and feeling.”
Find out more about these transformative experiences in “Effort Mutation: Exploring Organic Changes in Movement Moods,” the new MoveScape Center workshop starting in October.