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MOTIF ISSUES FROM

THE LANGUAGE OF DANCE® ASSOCIATION
Issue No. 20 June 2003

The following items have arisen during Language of Dance<s> 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, Wll 3TD; fax on: 020-7792-1794; email: info@lodc.org

1. AUTOMATIC CANCELLATION RULE

1.1 In Motif Notation, the automatic cancellation rule states that once an action has been
completed, it (its result) automatically disappears with the next action. Thus in la the
upward movement disappears with the turning action. If there is a gap, as in Ib, then
no change occurs during the gap. This is true, of course, if stillness fills the gap, Ic.

1.2 If the result of a previous action is to be retained, then a retention sign must be used
and this must subsequently be cancelled. In Id the upward movement is retained
during the turn but disappears with the travelling. Note placement of the information
so that the cancellation of the upward movement is in the same column, i.e. above it.

1.3 When two actions occur at the same time, as in le, in which an upward movement
occurs at the start of travelling, there is the question as to whether the upward
movement should remain for the duration of the travelling or whether it may
disappear. Here nothing about retention or cancellation is stated, it is left open. In If
cancellation is clearly stated; in Ig retention is stated. For the latter, one must look
for subsequent cancellation of this retention.

fi

la Ib Ic Id le 1 if ia

2. FALLING—AN INVESTIGATION

2.1 When falling occurs, how long does it last? How is it cancelled? We will now look
at actions of the center of weight (center of gravity) and see how in Motif retention
and cancellation are handled. Note that the Motif rule is slightly different from the
Labanotation rule because in LN there is no automatic cancellation rule.
2.2 Shifts of Weight As with the examples above, an indication of a shift of weight may
or may not be cancelled with a subsequent movement. The forward shift in 2a may
disappear with the travelling. In 2b cancellation is clearly indicated and in 2c
retention is stated. No cancellation is given subsequently in 2c, so the forward shift
will still be there at the end of the travelling; a cancellation must be indicated at some
point.

2.3 The duration in achieving a shift is indicated with a duration line. In 2d the forward
shift occurs rather gradually.

•2.4 Center of Gravity Leading The passing state of the center of gravity leading, 2e,
can also occur gradually or more swiftly. This leading of the center of gravity results
in a slight falling movement called a tombe in dance. In 2f there is a slow tombe into
a step on the left foot. In 2g the same happens much more rapidly. At the end of the
passing state bow the action of the center of gravity leading (the tombe) is finished.

T T T
Q d b
1 Al ol

1 i)
•
2a 2b 2c 2d 2e 2f 2g

2.5 Center of Weight Falling In true falls, balance is

lost and the performer experiences the
uncomfortable state of real loss of balance. This
may be caught and balance restored or arrival on the
floor will end the falling state. Indications of falling,
of true loss of balance, follow the same rules as for
shift of the center of weight. In 2h there is falling at
the start of the forward path. Nothing is stated about 2h 2i 2j
whether the falling should continue or not, 2i. In 2j
we are told the falling action takes longer to achieve, but again, it is left open as to
whether it should continue or not.

2.6 Cancellation of a True Fall In 2k the state of falling is to be retained. Cancellation,

returning to center, is given at the end of the path. In contrast, the falling start to the
sideward path, 21, is very soon cancelled. In 2m falling continues until near the end
of the path. The performer does what is needed to arrest it. A brief falling, which
almost immediately disappears, such as a stumbling fall, is shown by using the
passing state bow, as in 2n. The falling forward to floor level in 2o is not cancelled
but ends with the torso on the floor, the hands also taking weight. The falling has
gone as far as it can go—no further falling is possible.
 BULLET-IN-STEAD! No. 20, June 2003

A
At>

2k
l[
21
l[
2m 2n 2o

3. A DANCE FALL—CENTRAL FALL

3.1 In dance there are many forms of 'falls' where the body is lowered rapidly to the
floor. The overall expression may be of a fall but in fact at each point the center of
weight is above a point of support, the progression usually passing through kneeling,
sitting and lying. In structured notation this sequence can be written out in detail but
for Motif an indication of this 'central' fall is needed.

3.2 Ex. 3a is the established Motif symbol for a true fall, i.e. "not in balance." Ex. 3b
indicates a central fall in place, i.e. 'crumpling up' and landing on the same spot. The
arrow, derived from the use of a forward pointing arrow to indicate motion, the
direction of progression, is placed within the direction symbol in combination with
the black circle, the symbol for
center of gravity. 3c makes use of
the 'any' sign to indicate a central
fall in any direction and 3d shows a
central fall to the right. 3a 3b 3c 3d •

3.3 Cancellation of a Central Fall A central fall arrives on the ground, thus some
indication of a new support(s) is desirable. If the general cancellation sign is used, the
reader is free to find an ending that suits the overall style of the sequence in which the
central fall appears. Thus cancellation follows the same rules as given above.

4. GRAVITY: ITS DOMINATION

4.1 In looking at the movements listed in the basic Alphabet, we find that most 6f them
are actions that we can start and stop at will. The following discussion highlights the
actions where we do not have control. We also consider the question, what is one
movement?

4.2 The path of 4a is a single event but to achieve it, many steps
need to be taken. Is each step a separate movement? Each
transfer of weight a separate event? For each step the hip,
knee, ankle and foot joints need to articulate, so how many
T
a
actions are involved? In stepping the articulation of the leg
joints can be exaggerated, often with comic effect. When ,1
travelling, the actions of the legs, the foot work, can be 4a 4b
featured, the travelling itself becoming almost incidental.
 BULLET-IN-STEAD! No. 20, June 2003

What movement factor comes into play, then, -to make travelling a single activity?

4.3 If travelling is seen as a movement of the body-as-a-whole—the center of gravity

moving through space—then its nature as a single event can be understood. In 4b the
weight shifted forward leads into the forward travelling.

4.4 We think of a spring or a jump as being a single event, but

the pull of gravity actually makes it a two-part movement— T
the upward spring and then the return to the floor, 4c. Here a
you spring up from where you are without any overt
preparation. If there is a preparation, such as a step, a spring A A
1
can be experienced as a three-part action, 4d. The last part I 9
of the action is involuntary in that gravity takes over and 4c 4d 4e
there is no choice but to land. That is, unless like Peter Pan
we are able to take off and soar into the air forward and upward, as in 4e.

4.5 When the centre of weight is no longer above a point of support, gravity dictates what
happens next, pulling us down to the floor, 4f. A specific action must take place to
prevent crashing to the floor. This may be giving the center of weight a new point of
support by taking a long step, as in 4g, or by being caught by a partner, as in 4h and

4f 4i

5. DYNAMICS—AN INVESTIGATION

5.1 During recent Language of Dance Courses, the presentation of dynamic elements has
shown that, while the syrrfbology is simple, understanding and mastering the
performance of each has not been so easy. While in-person presentation is obviously
desirable, we will try here to convey various ideas and images that may help in getting
the concepts into the body.

5.2 Accents Adding an accent to a movement would seem simple enough. In mu'sic a
note is accented by striking it more sharply, i.e. with slight added strength and a
clipped suddenness. For dance an accent may be slight—a
light accent—or it may be strong. The sign is like a wedge
pointing in toward the movement it describes. Ex. 5a *\ ^ P
indicates the signs for a slight accent; 5b shows a strong 5a 5b
accent.

5.3 In dance an accent may occur at the start of a movement, during the movement, or at
the end. Ex. 5c indicates an action, i.e. any action. In 5d the accent is shown to occur
at the start of the movement, hi 5e the accent occurs during the progression of the
Movement, while in 5f it occurs at the end. Ex 5g shows a series of accents.
 BULLET-IN-STEAD! No. 20, June 2003

5c I 5d If 5e I 5f ( 5g I

5.4 The difference between a slight accent and a strong accent is the degree of energy
used. When used for a hand clap, one can hear a slight accent, but as a rule a clap
requires a loud result, therefore strength. When no parts of the body are being
contacted, the accent is in the movement itself. For the simple action of 5c, the
movement normally begins with a comfortable level of energy and continues at that
level without change. Let us compare the differences between 5d, 5e and 5f.

5.5 For the following movement explorations take a simple horizontal arm gesture, such
as the right arm beginning side middle and passing through forward middle to the
other side. Starting with 5c, the movement begins and ends with the same degree of
energy and progresses at the same speed. In 5d the movement begins with an accent.
This is often experienced as an impulse, a sudden burst of energy that propels the
movement on its way. It can be likened to an electrical pulse. Initially this burst of
energy will give the movement speed, therefore more distance will be covered at the
start, but the movement immediately returns to a steady pace.

5.6 For 5e the accent occurs in the middle of the progression of the movement. Starting
at a steady pace, the arm progresses through space until a sudden burst of energy—the
accent—propels it momentarily on its way. Briefly, distance is covered more rapidly,
but the formerly established speed and level of energy is quickly resumed.

5.7 An accent at the end of a movement produces an impact. If one looks at the hand
clap, the clap itself—the accent—is the termination of the movement. When there is
no hand or object to clap, as in 5f, the arm gesture must come to an abrupt stop at the
point of the accent. There must be inner control to stop the flow of movemeiit at the
desired point in time. It may help to imagine an object there, which "ybu would
normally hit at the end of the movement.

5.8 If several accents occur during the same movement, as in 5g, it may help to think of
'batting' a small object on its way along the path of the movement, a lesser or greater
degree of energy being used as denoted by the white or black accent signs.

ISSN: 1464-474