WHO
BODY

The dancer

WHAT
(MOVEMENT)

Moves

WHEN
TIME

Through time

Parts of the body:
head, eyes, torso, shoulders, fingers, legs, feet, hands, arms…..

Initiation (start):
Core, body parts

Body shapes:
symmetrical, asymmetrical, curved, straight, twisted, angular

Bases:
Hands and knees, feet

Zones:
Upper Body, Lower Body

Non-locomotor:
Stretch, bend, twist, turn, rise, fall, swing, rock, shake, suspend….

Locomotor:
slide, walk, hop, run, skip, jump, leap, roll, crawl, gallop…

Tempo:
Fast, medium, slow, acceleration, deceleration, pause, stillness

Meter:
4/4, 3/4, 6/8, pulse, tempo, accent, rhythmic pattern

Rhythm:
with music, without music, flow

Accent:
Even, Uneven

Duration:
slow, fast, seconds, minutes, hours

WHERE
SPACE

And space

WHY
ENERGY

With effort

HOW
RELATIONSHIP

And a purpose

Place:
Personal, general, positive, negative space

Size:
Big, Small, narrow, wide

Levels:
Low, medium, high

Pathways:
straight, curved, zigzag

Focus:
Direct, indirect

Directions:
Front, forward, back, backward, side, sideways, up, down, around, diagonal

Effort:
Strong, light

Fluidity:
Bound, free

Force:
Sharp, smooth

Quality:
Sustain, suspension, collapse, explosive, flowing, swaying, action vs inaction

Laban’s Effort Actions:

  • Punch – strong, direct, sudden
  • Press – strong, direct, sustained
  • Flick – light, indirect, sudden
  • Float – light, indirect, sustained
  • Slash – strong, indirect, sudden
  • Wring – strong, indirect, sustained
  • Dab – light, direct, sudden
  • Glide – light, direct, sustained

Space relationships:
in front, behind, over, under, alone, connected, near, far, individual and group proximity to object

Timing relationships:
before, after, unison, sooner than, faster than