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MOTIF ISSUES FROM

THE LANGUAGE OF DANCE® ASSOCIATION
Issue No. 16 June 2001

The following items have arisen during Language of Dance® courses. If you have any
comments on these discussions or wish to submit items to be discussed here or teaching ideas,
they would be very welcome. Please write to: Bullet-In-Stead!, Language of Dance® Centre, 17
Holland Park, London Wl 1 3TD; fax on: 020-7792-1794; email on: info@lodc.org

1. Motion Versus Destination

1.1 We always say that our Labanotation system describes movement, that a position is a
movement that has come to rest. Note that in Motif Description use, interpretation of
direction symbols is free at first, gradually becoming more specific. In Labanotation a
direction symbol states a destination, some kind of spatial change, a movement has to
occur to arrive at the stated destination. What this movement is depends on the previous
destinational point. Let's take two examples. In la, the right arm starts up and moves
to the side middle point - the destination; the motion, the movement, that takes place is
one of descending on the natural lateral arc, illustrated in Ib. In Ic, the arm starts
forward middle and moves to the side middle destination. Here there is horizontal
motion on the natural arc, illustrated in Id, seen from a bird's-eye view. The advantage
of destinational description is that, at any point, you can pick up a score, know where
you are, and start reading from there.

t>
la lb Ic Id

1.2 Speaking of motion and destination, here is a bit of history. Laban was so keen that the
notation should show movement from the body's perspective that he did not want Front
signs (orientation of the performer to the room or stage) to be include in a score. In his
usage at the start you stated your facing direction, after that, if you read each degree of
turning, right or left, correctly, you would arrive at the correct facing direction at the end.
When a score extended over several pages, it became a problem to know where you
should be facing, you could not pick up a score in the middle and know your orientation
in the space. In New York, at the Dance Notation Bureau, because we were writing
professional theatre choreography, we had to be able to tell at any point where the
performer was facing on stage. In 1947 I brought this problem to Laban, he understood
our need but, in order not to change his initial idea of placing emphasis on the body
movement, he insisted that we place the orientation indications outside the staff on the
left; thus they were separated from the movement description.
1.3 Back to our theme. In order to indicate motion without destination, we made use of
path signs for gestures. Ex. le, shows a straight (vertical) path downward for the right
arm. We do not know where the arm starts, so it might make any of the vertical paths
 BULLET-IN-STEAD! No. 16, June 2001
illustrated in If. In Ig, the starting point is given, the placement of this vertical path is
now clear. In order to perform it, the arm will have to bend somewhat, the hand being
the extremity which follows this downward path. Ex. Ih, illustrates this straight path.
What is not known is the distance - how far down does the limb move? Because this is
not known several arrow heads are given in the drawing. If it is very far, the shoulder
and then the body will have to be brought into play. This motion description shows no
destination. Note that, because the arm has been designated in le and Ig, the path sign
cannot be for the body-as-a-whole.

1
T ds& I i T
I
A i ^ i l \^ ^

le If If le If

1.4 Observe the difference between Ib, and Ih. Ex. Ib, lowers on a curve; Ih, lowers on a
straight line. As mentioned, to achieve the straight line for the hand, the arm must bend.
Another example: in li, the arm moves on a horizontal arc to the right diagonal
destination, illustrated in Ij. From the same starting position, in Ik, the extremity
(finger tips) move on a straight horizontal path to the right, illustrated in 11. Again,
without some indication of distance, we have no idea of how far the sideward path
should go. We also see the difference between motion on an arc, and motion on a
straight line.

li II li Ik
El
2. Pure Motion
2.1 Can the curved motion of Ib, that is, sinking on the periphery, be indicated in notation
without stating a destination? Can the curved form of the movement occur for its own
sake with no amount stated? Can the curved horizontal motion of li, be written without
stating a destination? i.e. Can curved versions of le, Ig and Ik occur without
destination? Yes! But through another form of movement analysis. Before embarking
on this, it is important to remember that this investigation has particular value in relation
to movement exploration and understanding, to awareness of what is happening; it is not
usually appropriate for detailed descriptions of specific structured movement.
2.2 Indication of Global Motion

For this exploration, get into another gear, forget about directional points, the movement
is the thing! If one thinks of the earth's surface and relates it to the kinesphere around
each person, then motion moving latitudinally would be clockwise, as in 2a, or
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anticlockwise, as in 2b. Longitudinal motion would lower as in 2c, and rise as in 2d. In
this system of analysis, the sign for clockwise motion is 2e, for anticlockwise it is 2f.
Rising is indicated by 2g, and sinking by 2h.

Latitudinal Longitudinal

motion motion rising sinking

clockwise anticlockwise motion motion
2a 2b 2c 2d

Y
2e 2f 2g 2h

2.3 Motion may move clockwise and also rise as indicated in 2i. Ex. 2j, shows sinking
anticlockwise. Rising anticlockwise is given in 2k, or it may move clockwise and be
sinking, as in 21.

2i 2j 2k 21

2.4 Spoke-like Movements

Still to be accounted for are the spoke-like

movements which move from the centre of the
globe (or kinesphere) outward or those that
move in toward the center. These movements or
can best be understood when considering a
sliced orange, 2m.

2.5 No matter where you cut it latitudinally the segments 'spoke'

outward horizontally. The sign for an outward motion is 2n,
note how the arrow points away from the base of the sign; the
sign for an inward movement is 2o, in which the arrow points 2n 2o
in toward the base of the sign. By nature spoke-like
movements are straight paths.

2.6 Spoke-like movements combined with rising or sinking

produce a straight pathway for the extremity. With clockwise
and/or anticlockwise motion they will produce a curve. Ex. 2p,
indicates outward and rising motion which will involve some 2p 2q
extending; 2q, is the reverse - inward and sinking. These are
still general statements, the degree of rising, the degree of
 BULLET-IN-STEAD! No. 16, June 2001

outward motion may vary, emphasis here is on the type of motion, not on any specific
degree.

2.7 Curved three-dimensional movements occur when three of

these possibilities are combined. In 2r, there is outward,
rising clockwise motion; 2s, shows an inward, sinking 2r 2s
clockwise motion. These motions are basically spiral paths.

3. Timing
3.1 The following examples combine these possibilities with indications of timing. The
symbol is placed within a rectangle, the length of which gives the timing. In the
relatively slow movement of 3a, the sign for rising motion has been placed in the center
of the timing indications; in 3b, the movement takes half as long. A fairly quick
clockwise motion is shown in 3c, while 3d, shows a very quick accented clockwise
rising movement for which no timing rectangle is needed. An outward spoke-like
motion is shown in 3e, while 3f, states a fairly quick clockwise inward motion. These
actions can of course have metric time values.
3.2 Not stated are the starting point or the destination. These must be given in the standard
manner. The distance covered is not indicated, this must be added by other means,
usually, if needed, in terms of an established system of degrees.

A
X

3a 3b 3c 3d 3e 3f

3.3 In 3g, the forward traveling is accompanied by a rising right arm

gesture. This is followed by a sinking gesture while the left arm
rises. Then both arms move clockwise before gesturing in a spoke-
like manner in toward the body (the center).

3.4 To conclude, these forms of motion provide wonderful exploratory

material, they help to develop a sense of motion in contrast to the
destinational focus which we inherited from Laban and which is so
often the form of description encountered.

3g

ISSN: 1464-474