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this country will recognize in Labanotation a most uséful and necessary
means for. gathering complete records of singing and dancing peoples.
The interest of.such people would make possible the preparation of a
pamphlet outlining’a-survey coursé in Labanotation specifically suitable
for this type of research >and geared to an immediate practical appli-
cation of this knowledge. Pm

Labanotatieri is much in evidence among dance and music research
students 9 e international scene. To ignore it would indeed mark
us as being “ behind the times”; to accept, foster and. use this practical
_ toot would result in presenting to the body of world culture untold
ichness in recorded dance in our own country and elsewhere. >. _

Lee Reo
A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF MOVEMENT

Movement is, for the average person, an instinctive part of his
activity and apparently without recognisable form or quality. Hence
it seems to defy any formal analysis or even descriptive: classification.
1 think it is for such reasons that, until Laban’s studies, no attempt at a
systematic study of human movement had apparently ever been made.

The scientific approach to such subjects has always, I think, started
with careful observation and description. On the basis of this are
recognised characteristic forms and qualities, which show certain
relationships to each other. At such a stage a formal analysis can be
introduced, which describes in abstract terms these relationships and
may discover new ones. These then have to be translated back into
the reality of the subject, and investigated to discover their meaning.
Observation is followed by theory, whose predictions have to be verified,
leading to further development of the theory. This process can be
well followed in the biological sciences. Here we start with the classi-
fications of Linnaeus and eventually arrive at the modern theories of
evolution and inheritance with their complicated mathematical justi-
fications and predictions. In this light | consider Laban’s work as laying
the foundations of such a scientific study of human movement.

It is the process of formal analysis, its applications and uses, which
is of particular interest to me. A purely mathematical analysis cannot
usually supply of its own accord any fundamentally new concepts. For
example, an abstract study of the combinations of weight, space and
time, which give the efforts, could not of itself lead to the concept of
flow in human movement. However, if we assign abstract symbols to
the basic qualities flow, space, weight and time, we can study the
relationships between these symbols and their combinations, which in
their turn correspond to real movement concepts such as, for example,
the inner attitudes. Many of these combinations have, of course, been
discerned without recourse to any such symbolism. However, as the

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Nadia Chilkovsky.~

 
system gets more complex, it becomes increasingly necessary to forma-
lise in order to obtain an overall and clear picture of its structure.
Combinations, previously overlooked, may be discovered and turn out
to have an important meaning. Certainly I feel sure I have been able
to grasp the concepts formed out of the basic space, weight, time and
flow qualities more easily in terms of such formalism, and perhaps this
approach would help other more scientifically-minded people. It may
be argued that such an approach has little to add to the artistic side
of movement, and with this I am inclined to agree. I have done certain
analytic studies of the possible combinations of musical notes or chords,
and it is not inconceivable that one could in this way sort out the exact
forms of combinations which characterise any particular musical style.
However, I do not think music could be composed in this way by any
mathematician. The analytic qualities must be largely submerged in the
subsconscious of the composer, “‘artistic” or more emotional qualities
being most prominent. In the same way, I feel that such studies can be of
little more than academic value to dance, or movement as an art form.

Movement, though, in contrast to music, is not simply an art form.
It is essential that we control our movements with maximum efficiency
in carrying out our work. Further, the qualities of a person’s move-
ment are inextricably connected with his character, and it is well known

that a more balanced control and appreciation of our movements may |

lead to greater psychological balance. Every task requires its own
particular types of movements. For education in the uses of move-
ment we must be able to record and analyse its qualities and impart
the results of such analysis to other people. It is for this that formal
analysis can be of great value.

In order to correlate movement qualities with other human character--

istics it is essential to have some sort of measurable comparison or classi-
fication, and this is supplied by Laban’s analysis of human movement.
Take an example in my own field of study, genetics, or the mode of
inheritance of a character and its effect. If we were to observe and
classify the movements of groups of closely-related people we could,
using the ordinary statistical techniques of genetics, obtain a measure
of the inherited component in movement qualities. As these movement
qualities can be closely related to character, but are well-defined and
so easily recognisable, we may have here also a clue to the study of the
inheritance of human character. This study, in human beings, has so far
largely eluded any precise analysis. Suppose, for example, we make an
assessment of the movements of two parents and find in one the qualities
weight and space uppermost and in the other those of weight and time.
We may expect to find, on an average, the weight quality prominent
amongst the children, but how will the time and space qualities of the
parents show in the children? Could one be dominant to the other,
might they interact in some way with each other or will simply half the

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ce ee
children on an average have weight and space and the other half weight
and time qualities predominant? These are the types of questions which
could be answered by movement analysis of the children,
This is just one example of the way in which Laban’s work makes
it possible to subject human movement.to scientific analysis.
Walter F. Bodmer. .

MOVEMENT TRAINING IN EDUCATIO
‘The Importance of Individual Movement Charagteristics

one year at the Art of Movement Studio jyét recently com-
pleted, onteis tempted to look backward at the things/which have been
learned and forward to the dimensions of next year’é job in an effort to
foresee how the two will fit together.

It is surely the feeling of the newly-graduated that a tremendous
lot was gained durigg the year of study and that the depth and breadth
of the learning will be revealed in an ever-unfolding process on the job.

In the writer’s case, it happens that next year will offer little or no
opportunity to concentrate on dance. Yet the values of the past year
will surely be evident in the field of general physical education,

During one of his lectures, Mr. Laban discussed the balance between
freedom and discipline as it applies to the teaching of the dance. Much
of what was said is beyond the ssope of this article, but in this concept
one can see significance for both classes in dance and classes in other
aspects of physical education, oN

Perhaps the significance o this ecture became most apparent to
the writer as a result of having’ observéd classes in Lancashire and, the
West Riding and having discussed the ‘principles with the organizers

 
     
  
 

concerned. Some of these tessons were indance, some in dance with -

a dramatic bias, and somé in physical education: but, regardless of the
particular area dealt wjth, it was evident that there was present a
balance between freedgm and discipline. .

This was facilitated by the use of the movement principles—use
of body parts, times weight, space et cetra. The cmmon denominator
for all the activity/was the challenge based upon movement principles,
With such a chgilenge, the teacher was able to release the individual
members of th¢'class to invent or create*movements which had signifi-
cance for them personally. At the same time, the movement principles
involved gave the pupil a framework within which to work: and the
teacher a framework against which to assess the various responses.

This is very significant indeed. For some years now, itNhas been
recognized that concern for individual differences must be ond of the
important educational precepts. However, in classes of thirty tosforty
pupils, the teacher has been faced with the necessity of dealing with
the group. In many cases, the mci that has been done has been to

work at a level which accommodates the pupils of average ability—\

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