“Effort is visible in the action movement of a worker, or a dancer, and it is audible in song or speech,” Laban observes in Mastery of Movement. “The fact that effort and its various shadings can not only be seen and heard, but also imagined, is of great importance for their representation by the actor-dancer.”
Awakening the imagination is an important part of enriching one’s dynamic range. Laban draws a close link between imagination and playing. During play, he explains, the child experiments with all imaginable situations — offense, defence, ambush, ruse, flight, fear — searching for “the best possible effort combination for each occasion.” … Read More