Laban’s notation merely describes the spatial path of bodily actions.  In contrast, Space Harmony prescribes sequences of directional change, which Laban called “scales.”

Laban’s Choreutic scales are patterns based upon joint structure, bodily proportion, range of motion and the necessity of maintaining bipedal balance as we move through the gravitational field of our environment.

At the most basic level, Laban’s scales address orientation to space through three body axes – vertical, horizontal, and sagittal – and the motions used in attack and defense. … Read More

Laban’s initial work focused on creating a way to record dances in symbols – Labanotation/Kinetography was the result.  Analogous to musical notation, this way of looking at movement serves to make a record of the visible structure of movement that can be read and reproduced.

To do so, the notation indicates the parts of the body that are used, the directions and spatial paths they follow, and the duration of these actions. It differentiates among weight-bearing and non-weight bearing actions, with close attention to where a movement is initiated.… Read More

Laban primarily used the octahedron, cube, and icosahedron as movement models.  However, geometrical models are usually sold in sets that feature all five Platonic Solids, including the tetrahedron and dodecahedron.

For movement study purposes, you need “skeletal” models; that is, models without solid faces.   Skeletal models consist only of edges and corners, such as the Platonic Solids shown in the accompanying illustration. These models make it possible to see into the interior space of these regular three-dimensional forms.

You can find kits for building skeletal polyhedral among educational children’s toys, such as Zometool. … Read More

Laban recognized that movement is a psychophysical phenomenon involving both body and mind.  Understanding Laban’s notions of space harmony also requires both physical and mental effort.

In the upcoming MoveScape Center workshop, “Harmonics of Space,” we approach Laban’s space harmony scales using both body and mind.  We explore how Laban created a comprehensible geography of movement space, and then employed consistent design principles to create elegant, “harmonic” sequences of directional change.

To support our mental efforts, I recommend working with visual, three-dimensional models. … Read More

Laban developed spatial sequences known as “scales” using both the octahedron and cube. His major harmonic scales, however, unfold within an icosahedron.  There are many reasons why Laban preferred this three-dimensional form as a virtual geography of the kinesphere.

The icosahedron is more spherical than either the octahedron or cube.  The oblique lines of motion defined by the edges and transverse rays of the icosahedron are “those which we most easily distinguish when seeing and experiencing movement,” according to Laban.  Moreover, there is a strong correlation between “the angles of the icosahedron and the angles occurring in the movements of the body in normal everyday use.”… Read More