UBRAEY

JTOT TO L3 Y,

DANCE NOTATION BUREAU, INC. 35 West 20th St., N. Y. C.

(cY 1958 Dance Notation Bureau, Inc.

FROM THE DESK OF: ANN KUTCHINSCN April 195&

TO: ADVANCED NGTATCRS No. 2
RE: An " Unsprung" Coupd
Reference t o Normal - ; . . . -
Description for Rotations of Head, etc. •
Suggested Changes: Pins for Positions of the Feet
Unification: Bar lines
* * *

The enthusiastic response to the first issue of the Labanotator shows that it is filling
a need and can provide the means to keep those interested in the future development
of Labanotation in touch with activities elsewhere. Already many replies have fcesn
received regarding the questions raised, and it is encouraging that thece have come
from all over the world -- Couth America, England, Holland, and Hungary, ao well
ao from the U. S.
My thanks to'all of you who expressed such interest in and appreciation for the
Labaaotator. I am starting by presenting the subjects that seem to need immediate
discussion, but will include any category which any of you feel should be given priority.

"Toothpicks at 13 Paces!" (Discussion Regarding an Unsprung Coupe)

Thus Margaret Abbie challenges the statement tha t a coupe is always done with a
slight spring. She presents the following as an example of a coupe in. which thare
is no suggestion of a spring (Ex. a):
My comment on this was that if
the weight does not leave the
t
ground at all, you can't »M,j until
you have finished |]^ . The
same is true on the going out. You
can't start until you have
finished
a) b)
I suggest that the detailed breakdown of the action would be as in Ex. b: the sup-
porting leg flexes as you slide in, so that you have the feeling that it is becoming
a,p£ 2 THE LABANGTATCR No. 2

a gesture although it is not actually one until the *.veight is taken over by the front foot,
The fact that the toe has a spot hold also makes its transition into becoming a gesture
less noticeable. In the second part the same is true; because th-3 toe is already-thers,
the taking over of the weight is done surreptitiously, so that it seems that at the same
moment the foot is sliding cut, but in actual fact the weight must first be taken before
the leg is free to slide, then the supporting leg can lower into the plie" while the free leg
is sliding. It is true that there, are simultaneous actions in the support and gesture,
but the actions are not actually the transference of weight.
Others also mentioned this kind of coup£, but Miss Abbie was the first challenger.

"Reference to Normal" Description for Rotations of the Head, etc.

Before embarking on this subject it might be wise to check what is meant by the terms
"absolute," "relative," and "reference to normal, " in regard to movement notation.
Absolute: For the analysis of movement, absolute means describing a movement by
stating the fixed point to which it travels. This fixed point can be estab-
lished as a space point (direction), or as a body point (direction) — ^ , LU /
Relative: Relative means in relation to the previous position, the movement being
described as forward and downward from that point, sideward and upward
frym the laet position, and so on. •
Reference to Normal: The point in space to be reached is described as a departure -
from the normal position, rather than frum where the limb was
previously, or where it is in relation to direction either from body or space.

The forward symbol shown here states an absolute (fixed point)

in space (established from the body) to which the right arm moves,
taking twj counts. The part is unknown because the previous lo-
cation cf the arm is not stated. ,

L
t
I this example the destination
In
i the same. However, because
is
It•I The path of this move-
ment is different be- .
t starting position is given, the
the cause of the difCsirent

i e
exact
r
path is known. It is in the
relative direction ft, .
start ing p o s iti on. Now
the relative path is |L .

All movement could be described in terms of relative path in space. However, it is

obvious that if each movement description were completely dependent an the previous ;
movement, it would be easy to get lost. Thus for purposes of orientation, reference
to fixed directions in space toward which movement occurs has been established as far.
more practical. Using this fixed pciat orientation, the reader can pick up a score at
any point, find his place, and proceed from there. .
Turns . r

In the early days all indications of turns were given only in degrees, that is, the rela-
tive description. To find where one was facing at any rnven point, the reader had to
work his way back through the score to the beginning. Laban did .not wish at first to
incorporate into the notation a reference to the sta^e, but eventually stage pins,
No. 2 THE LA BA NOT AT OR PageS

which give the fixed points in the room or stage, were introduced, and since then have
been used frequently. While the Bureau still places these facing indications outside the
notation staff, it is the habit of Sigurd Leeder and his associates to use them almost
exclusively inside the turn signs instead of pins for decree of turn.

Turn to right to This gives the destination clear-

face the audience
(from wherever
you were before).
\n left to face
stage right (from
whatever your
previous facing
ly, though the amount of turn is
not stated and therefore not known
•unless the previous facing is. Ey
direction was). this method multiple tuins are
written by giving the number of
Turn twice to Turn three times times a direction is faced.
face stage right. to face the down-
stage left corner.

Because of Laban's wish to write body indications within the staff, and space indications
(such as relation to the stage) outside the staff, the Bureau has always combined the use
of both descriptions, stating the degree within the turn signs and the direction faced cut-
side on the left. Albrecht Knust also uses both, the only differences being in the symbol
used ( ft} instead of <j> ; Q- instead of o— , etc.), and in its placement on the right of
the staff instead of on the left.
The description of the rotations of the parts of the body -- the head, chest, torse, pelvis,
and arms — has been limited to the degree used rather than the destination. The excep-
tion, it will be noted, is the legs, for which the use of the white pins has been introduced
to indicate facing of the legs in relation to the body.

Rotate the legs out

N
Rotate th legs
3
Rotate the legs in Rotate the legs
1/4 (from where out to face the 1/8 (from where to face front.
they were before). they were before).
Because the white pins are so direct in their description, they are used more often now
than the black pins (degrees of rotation). It is important to remember that these white
pins, when used for rotations of the limbs, do not refer to the stage directions, but re-
late to the body front, right, left, etc. This usage does not conflict with the v;hite pin
in the turn sign in the support column, for there it is describing an action for the whole
bcdy, which must take its orientation from the outside (the stage) and not from itcelf.
Some time ago Knust acknowledged the fact that orientation in turns within the body
would be more easily read if fixed point descriptions were given. Therefore he changed
the interpretation of the black pins in turn signs to mean "in relation to the normal"
rather than in relation to previous facing.

Bureau: 1/3 turn Knust: 1/8 turn right Bureau: End Knust: End
right from previous from normal (no mat- position will M position will
position (whatever) ter where you were)
 Page 4 THE LA3ANOTATCR No. 2

There is no doubt that Kriust's way has decided advantages that encourage its immediate
adoption. However, by using black pins for the amount of rotation from a fixed point, he
has eliminated the possibility of describing these turns in relative terms (1/4, 1/8, etc.).
Therefore the question arises, should the description of movement in relative terms be
completely eliminated for these actions? Will there not be times when this description
is mere desirable? Because the Bureau has akeady used white pins in turn signs for the
legs to mean facing a f ixed body direction, could not this be applied to all parts?

c
Torso twists left Chest twists 1/8 Head rotates 1/4
1/8 from normal right from normal _ right from normal
(from the feet) (from the hips) (from the chest)
The conflict that will occur in adopting this usage lies in the fact that in the past the
white pin placed in these turn signs referred to the facing dir3ction in the room. An-
other indication must be found for describing this facing, if the new meaning is to be
adopted. The symbol for facing is the solution in some cases: o o
but not yet for all. However, a point under discussion which will l£l tQl .
be presented soon is the addition of an indicator which will make the body parts (•) and {»]
"face" a stated direction when necessary. - ' . ' • ;

SUGGESTED CHANGES: ' •' • . . . ... ...

Pins for the Positions of the Feet. The black pin was the first Sign Used for the relation-
ship of parts of the body to each other, and its first
application was for the positions of the feet. However, as notation progressed and the
whole range of relationship pins (position signs) came into use, there has been a:question
as to whether it is actually right to use the black pin (which belongs to the group of low-
level relationship pins) for a movement or position which is better described with a middle-
level pin (or "tack" as some now call it). •
It is Tue that by the time the student learns the range of high level and middle level pins
as well as the low ones, he is able to take this discrepancy in his stride; however, it is
a discrepancy, and one about which many students ask. why not eliminate this by using
"theirs" from the start? This change would have one big advantage: The dual use of Mack
pine I or degrees of turning and circling and also for relationship, which the student en- •
counters almost simultaneously in the early days of his study, will be eliminated.- ;
I • Degrees
1 Fifth Crossing
I^J | • of turn or
position steps
circling
3-rth Knust arid Leeder have agreed to making this change. .

UNIFICATION . - . . - . . ' . .
Count marks: In the last issue the matter of the use of count marks was discussed..
Since then I have received a letter from Maria Szentpal, leading
notator in Budapest, who wrote to express her enthusiasm and appreciatioa for -
the L ibanotator and to present her opinions and comments. Miss Szentpal des-
No. 2 THE LABANGTATOR Page 5

cribes their use of count marks which, as a result of difficulties in

being clearly seen, now extend across the inside ci the staff. Tuese
are drawn thinner than bar lines, and the latter heavy:

Bar Lines: This brings us to the matter of the drawing of tne bar lines, which are
also not uniform in the different countries, two main types being in use.
Knust and Valerie Preston and their associates draw bar lines within the three-line
staff, whereas the Bureau and Leeder and their associates extend the bar lines to ap-
proximately three squares beyond the staff. In each case the reason given for this
orthography is that it is easier to read.
— Knust feels that the shorter lines facilitate
reading in that they do not run through arm
symbols. In the same way, the Bureau has
felt that the longer lines facilitate reading
since the division in timing for the arms is
— more clearly seen.
For writing repeats, both groups extend the lines as far out on each side as is needed.
Knust et al. extend only one line, whereas the Bureau and Leeder people extend both.

Knust: An identical Bureau: An identical sectional repeat. The Bureau em-

sectional repeat ploys the device of bending the ends of the extended lines
to enclose the section, for easy legibility especially in
enclosing internal repeats.

Uae of Double Lines. Double lines have been used by the Bureau to mark the .beginning
and end of a piece or section, and to enclose a section tact in to
be repeated. (Note the error on page 112 of the textbook Labqnotation, in E:;. 174, in
winch the double line meant for the beginning was mistakenly placed at the end of the
third measure.) Knust always uses.double bar lines to indicate the beginning oC action.
Thus they occur after a starting position, whether or not they coincide with tne regular
bar line.
Because of this meaning for the double bar
line, Knust states that a starting position
1 has no time value and therefore the various
movements written there need not be tied to
show that they all occur at once.
To judge the relative value of these differences, the reader must peruse many manu-
scripts written in both styles and come to his own conclusions.
Note: The further discussions on the writing of shift of weight will be dealt with in the
next issue.
 YOUR COMMENTS Name

Please mark appropriately the spaces provided concerning the discussions or

proposed changes:

1. I a^ee/ do not agree with the analysis of the stepped coupe", because

2. I a.gree / dc not a^ree that the use of an absolute (body-oriented) description for
rotations of the parts of the body is desirable.
I believe / do not believe black pins should be used as Knust uses them,
without a purely relative (cumulative) description for these movements.
I believe / do not believe that white pins should be used with a reference .
to normal, and that turning to face a stage direction should be shown in
some other way. • : • .

3. I agree / do not avpree that middle level pins (tacks) should be

used for positions of the feet,, crossing steps, etc..: •

Because

4. I like / do not like the Hungarian version of marking counts, and prefer / do not
prefer it to my previous choice, because : •

5. My reaction to the discussion on the drawing 6i bar lines is_

::--*..—^....-^...a