Space may be the final frontier on Star Trek, but it is the first frontier in human life. Access to space (and the desirable things in the surrounding environment) motivate the infant’s movement development.
There is a classic sequence, from rolling to lifting the head, to sitting, crawling, cruising, and walking. At each juncture the child encounters another plane – the horizontal, the vertical, and finally the sagittal – developing a cognitive map of the territory through which he/she can move.
Space gradually acquires a meaning that is emotional as well as cognitive. Feeling “low” is different than being “high.” We are challenged to “face up to facts” In other instances, we may just want to “put things behind us.”
Personal space, which Rudolf Laban called the “kinesphere,” is not merely an empty void, it is treasure trove of thoughts, feelings, and memories.
Find out more in the upcoming MoveScape workshop, “Exploring Your Kinesphere: A Personal Journey.”