In addition to developing physical skills, Choreutic practice also challenges movers intellectually. It gives us a way to think about space.
Generally, if we think about space at all, we think of it as a void, an empty place. In other words, for us, space is an absence. Laban, on the other hand, asserts that space is a presence, a “superabundance” of potential movements. And he provides a geography to help us visualize the many possible pathways our movements may take.
Cognitive maps of movement space are generally confined to the cardinal dimensions (up, right, forward, etc.) and the cardinal planes (vertical, horizontal, and sagittal). Laban, on the other hand, introduces a host of deflected directions and oblique lines. His Choreutic scales never stay in a single dimension or plane, but shift among these lines and surfaces in complex and highly symmetrical patterns. They ask that we break out of our habits of thought; they become a kind of brain gym.
Why do we need to think about space? Because we live there. If we want to reach up, and something is in the way, we need to deflect our trajectory to reach our goal. Laban gives us all kinds of possible modifications – up and forward, up and to the side, up/across/backward, etc. If, due to injury or disease, our capacity to reach straight up is limited, we need to be able to rechart the path. Laban’s notions provide many options.
In the “Advanced Space Harmony Workshop,” we will be introducing more options for exploring and thinking about space.