Form and Color in Painting and Dance

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Carol-Lynne Moore

The artist Wassily Kandinsky and the dancer Rudolf Laban were contemporaries and moved in the same bohemian circles in Munich in the early 20th century. Interesting parallels run through their theoretical works.

Kandinsky observed that “painting has two weapons at her disposal: 1) colour, 2) form”. He goes on to note that there is an “essential connection between colour and form”.

An analogous delineation of elements can be found in Laban’s notions of effort and shape. Effort – qualities of dynamic energy – give expressive color to bodily actions.… Read More

Dancing from Mood to Mood

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Carol-Lynne Moore

According to Rudolf Laban, “The dancer moves, not only from place to place, but also from mood to mood.” His perceptive comment illustrates a point that neuroscientists are beginning to recognize – nothing is purely mental or purely physical. Bodily movements accompany thoughts and feelings; and thoughts and feelings accompany movements.

In his unpublished papers Laban also observed, “inner becomes outer and outer becomes inner.” That is, movement not only reflects what a person is thinking and feeling, it also affects one’s inner psychological state.… Read More

Rudolf Laban, Revolutionary

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Carol-Lynne Moore

Around 1913, a visual artist named Rudolf Laban gave up painting to pursue a career in dance.  He admitted he seemed to have chosen “the most despised profession.”  At the time, dance was the poor relation of all the other arts.  Laban set out to change that.

Over the next 25 years, he performed, choreographed, and taught – activities familiar to most professional dancers.  But Laban’s efforts went beyond this.  He wrote about dance, he organized a dancers’ union, he initiated dance conferences, and he inspired a populist dance movement for amateur performers.… Read More