Vasily Kandinsky famously wrote that painting is only shape and color. I have always thought this can apply to movement as well.
In art, color conveys mood and feeling. In movement, effort – how a movement is performed dynamically – reveals the mover’s feelings and intentions.
In painting, shapes provide a structure for the composition, allowing the artist to lead the viewer’s eye. In movement, shape provides a structure, allowing the mover to adapt the application of energy to the local environment.
In recent years, shape has emerged as an independent category in movement analysis. In the upcoming MoveScape Center seminar, “Mostly about Shape (and a Little Bit about Effort),” I trace the evolution of various shape concepts from Laban’s early formulations to contemporary notions.
Find out more in the next blogs.