Anything a human being can do involves effort. And because we can do so many different things, human effort appears almost infinite. Nevertheless, Rudolf Laban detected limits.
These limits have to do with the sequencing of dynamic qualities and combinations. He notes that “effort follows certain rules, because the transitions from one effort quality to another are either easy or difficult.”
While Laban affirms that “Man has complete freedom in his choice and employment of action-moods,” he also adds that “In ordinary circumstances, no sane person will ever jump from one quality to a complete contrast because of the great mental and nervous strain involved in so radical a change.”
Recognizing these limits allows for the practice of smooth effort transitions. Creative examples of a modulated sequences of effort change can be found in Laban’s masterwork, Choreutics.