In regards to collections of joints and skeletal links, Laban (1966) describes that when striving toward an inaccessible location, that a number of interrelated movements are used. That is, a collection of articulations at many joints all contribute their component movements towards allowing a body-part to reach a kinespheric locus. As part of the law of harmony in movement it is asserted that between the angles of the component moves there is a precise relationship. In other words, within the multi-joint articulation the relative contribution of each individual articulation should be entirely predictable. This law might be more specifically referred to as the law of determinable contributory movements (pp. 106107). A variety of multi-joint cumulative ranges have been considered in choreutics which produce various deflections and so create the structure of the kinespheric net.
IVA.81 Deflected Ballet Foot Positions.
Laban (1926) considers the five positions of ballet to be the simplest spatial-orientation-method in the art of dance* (p. 6). These dimensionally conceived positions are observed to deflect into inclinations during actual embodiment.
Laban reasons that the five positions actually consist of eight foot positions (since the third, fourth, and fifth positions can occur with either the right-foot forward or the right-foot backward), which are themselves reducible to six foot positions. However this reasoning appears faulty,# apparently in an effort to support a numerical process leading to the twenty-four inclinational directions:
The six positions on low level can be projected upwards as contrary-positions, so that one gets a total of twelve spatial-situations, which can be traveled to or fro making twenty-four [inclinational] directions in all. (Laban, 1926, p. 13)
__________
* Raumorientierungsmittel, translated as spatial-orientation-method.
# Laban (1926) explains that when one stands on both legs that the third and fifth position right-foot forward is the same as the third and fifth position left-foot backward and therefore two directions drop out on each side yielding six positions (p. 13). Labans reasoning is incomplete here since he does not mention that fourth position right-foot forward is also identical to 4th position left-foot backward and so (using his logic) three directions drop out on each side leaving the original five positions.
A total of eight different foot positions can be derived from the five positions, these include forward/ backward variations of the third, fourth, and fifth positions. Or, alternatively, these could be considered to be five positions on each side, for example on the right-side the right-foot is always placed forward.
__________
Another line of reasoning which identifies the inclinations as deflections from the five ballet foot positions may be more consistent. Laban (1926) identifies the main directional component within each of the five foot-positions. The almost pure verticality of the first and fifth positions leads steeply downwards, whereas the third position is very steep but also contains a diagonal component. The fourth and second positions are leading more horizontally; the fourth position leads towards the sagittal dimension and the second position leads toward the lateral dimension (p. 6). Laban then lists the twenty-four inclinational directions and states that they correspond to the four forms of the second, third, and fourth position (whereas the first and fifth positions are purely in one dimension and so are not included) (pp. 1314, 19). Thus, the eight flat, eight steep, and eight suspended inclinational directions are conceived to be deflections from the second, third, and fourth positions in ballet:
Flat (lateral) | inclinations deflected from ballet | second position |
Steep (vertical) | | third |
Suspended (sagittal) | | fourth |
Vertical | dimension expands into the | frontal plane |
Lateral | | horizontal plane |
Sagittal | | medial plane. |
However, the examples presented here show that these same anatomic constraints can also cause each of the dimensions to deflect into a different plane:
Vertical | dimension expands into the | medial plane |
Lateral | | frontal plane |
Sagittal | | horizontal plane. |
Whereas the choreutic dimensional planes are identified as being within an icosahedral-shaped kinespheric structure (see IVA.25), these alternative deflections may create planes which can be constructed in a dodecahedral-shaped kinesphere. The use of the dodecahedron has been explored in choreutics (Bodmer, 1974; 1979, p. 17; 1983, p.14; Laban, 1984, pp. 19, 35, 38-39, 62, 67) although it has not received much attention. Integrating the variations of orientation within differently shaped polyhedral nets (eg. the icosahedron and its dual the dodecahedron) is a matter for future research.
IVA.83 Deflected Arm Circles.
Arm circles conceived in Cartesian planes can be commonly observed to deflect into inclinations. During a beginning Labanotation class, the teacher Jean Jarrell (1992) made a statement typifying the process of dimensional prototypes deflecting into inclinations. Students were reading arm circles from sequences of direction symbols. Jarrell commented that people can read an arm circle notated in dimensional directions (for example):
much more readily, faster, and easier than an arm circle can be read which includes notations of diameters (eg. for the right-arm):
even though this latter notation is more likely to actually occur in movement. A performance of the arm circle will reveal how the average shoulder-joint does not have the range to allow the arm to move fully into the dimensional backward orientation. Even when twisting the spine the pure backwards dimension is difficult to attain. Thus, when performing this arm-circle the right arm tends to deflect towards the diametral right-backward direction.
Further deviations may also occur.* Limits in shoulder joint flexibility require that in order to attain the most successful orientation of the arm into the backwards dimension the shoulder must rotate during the transition into, and out of, the dimensional direction. This shoulder rotation has an effect of bulging the arms path slightly sideways. Thus, the following deviation of the arm circle may occur:
__________
* In discussions of movement it should always be noted that the particular performance must be observed since different Subjects have difference joint ranges and a single Subject may execute the movement differently from time to time. This can be thought of as the continual oscillation of the kinesthetic-motor net as a single topological form is embodied slightly differently on each occasion (see IVB.34).
__________
Further deviations may occur if the forward dimension bulges into the front edge of the medial plane. This resultant deflection consists of a cycle of five edges through an icosahedral-shaped kinesphere, and so can be referred to as a peripheral 5-ring:
This example is illustrative of how a path conceived as a dimensional cycling around the medial plane (octahedral) can be deflected into a tilted cycle of inclinational directions and deformed into a 5-part rather than a 4-part cycle.
Other deflections of planar cycles have also been outlined. Ullmann (1971, pp. 22-26; also 1955, pp. 31-34) reviews the transformation of one-dimensional directions into three-dimensional inclinations. According to these examples the dimensionally oriented movement of cycling around any one of the Cartesian planes is deflected so that the planar cycle tilts into an inclinational orientation. For example, the vertical and lateral dimensional lines of motion within a frontal planar cycle:
might be deflected into steep and flat inclinations:
The lateral and sagittal motions within a horizontal planar cycle:
might be deflected into flat and suspended inclinations:
The sagittal and vertical movements in a medial planar cycle:
might be deflected into suspended and steep inclinations:
Ullmann (1971, pp. 22-23) describes that these deflections might occur to break the monotony or with the goal of liberating the movement from the restriction of a pure Cartesian plane. This suggests a more expressive source of the deflections. Movement purely within a Cartesian plane may have a flat, rigid, or contained expression, whereas when movement is deflected this monotony is broken and the expression is liberated. Anatomical constraints can also be identified which operate in conjunction with the expressive aspect. If the movements are performed with the arm and torso the rotary articulations in the shoulder tend to bulge the pathway out of pure Cartesian planes. The expression of restriction or containment which may be associated with a purely planar movement might arise from the kinesiological restriction or containment which must be imposed to keep body movement close to a pure plane.
IVA.84 Overshooting Dimensional Locations.
During previous research (Longstaff, 1989), a behavior was observed but was not reported in which dimensional directions were overshot. This resulted in a deflection of the lines of motion into inclinations.
Several dancers were each assigned an octahedral 3-ring (Preston-Dunlop, 1984, p. 27; also listed by Ullmann, 1971, pp. 13-14) with which they were instructed to freely improvise with bodily movement, for example:
Even though they were repeatedly instructed to do so, during their improvisations it was observed that the dancers would not remain within the dimensional orientations of their limbs at each position (signified by each direction symbol) and the lines of motion between positions did not remain within the appropriate Cartesian plane. The dancers succeeded in remaining within the dimensional positions and planar motions only by continuously and consciously restricting their movement so that they would arrive, almost to a full stop, at each of the dimensional directions. However, this was an obviously severe limitation of what was spontaneously attempting to occur.*
__________
* It may be pertinent to note that the dancers used (Longstaff, 1989) had a tendency towards highly dynamic freely flowing movement and so limiting the movement to the pure Cartesian planes seemed all the more restrictive.
__________
Upon closer observation it was determined that the dancers were tending to perform icosahedral transverse 3-rings (Preston-Dunlop, 1984, p. 37). The octahedral 3-ring given above tended to deflect into the following icosahedral 3-ring (for the right-arm):
It appeared that this deflection occurred as a result of physical momentum carrying the body movement beyond the dimensional orientations. This overshooting can be specified by notating the dimensional end-points in brackets:
Upon further investigation it was found that other (icosahedral) inclinational sequences can be derived by overshooting (octahedral) dimensional sequences. For example, an octahedral 12-ring (Laban, 1966, p. 116; Preston-Dunlop, 1984, p. 29):
can be performed with overshooting, thus deflecting into the icosahedral transverse 12-ring (also termed the A-scale):
Although Laban never published a discussion of this over-shooting deflection it is implicit within the choreutic sequences presented for bodily practice. Spatial forms can be identified within octahedral, cubic, and icosahedral networks which transform into one another through types of over-shooting. This can be conceived of as the continual oscillation of the kinesthetic-motor net as a single topological form is embodied slightly differently on each occasion (see IVB.34).
IVA.85 Dimensional Scale Deflects into Inclinational A-Scale.
Laban (1966, p. 39) based several of his movement scales on the parrying movements of fencing which he referred to as the defense sequence and conceptualises it as pure dimensional directions. These can be observed to deflect into inclinations (for more details see IVB.33b):
The defense-scale takes on a slightly altered expression when the fundamental [dimensional] directions are replaced by primary
deflected ones.
For example:
often shows the following form:
which is a deflected variation of the natural defense-scale.
(Laban, 1966, p. 42)
This deflected variation is the first half of a choreutic icosahedral transverse 12-ring (the A-scale). This similarity between the defense scale and the first half of the transverse 12-ring is pointed out in other places (Laban, 1966, p. 80) and it is stated that these six directions [of the dimensional scale] are not performed directly in the vertical-, lateral-, and sagittal-dimensions, since these are not practicable for our limbs because of their attachment to the body, rather, movement towards each of the dimensions leads to a corresponding inclinational direction of the transverse 12-ring (Laban, 1926, p. 25). This deflection is also included in choreutic education where students are taught to deflect the dimensional scale into the A-scale (PrestonDunlop, 1989) and was part of Labans dance training in England during 19481949 (Preston-Dunlop, 1996).
IVA.86 Infinite Deflections.
Laban (1966, p. 17) describes that there is no end to this process of deflecting the six dimensional and eight diagonal directions since the number of possible inclinations is infinite. The prototype/deflection hypothesis can be conceived in relation to these infinite possible deflections. Pure dimensional and pure diagonal orientations each specify a single particular orientation (relative to a reference system, typically the vertical line of gravity and the facing of the torso). In between these pure dimensions and pure diagonals are an infinite number of other possible orientations referred to as deflections or inclinations. The plastic structure of anatomy reveals that it is unlikely that body movements will align with pure dimensions or diagonals. Even the slightest deflection will result in an inclinational orientation. The infinite variety of inclinations are then categorised into groups which are referred to according to the closest diagonal and the closest dimension (flat, steep, suspended). This choreutic system provides a cognitive structure and terminology to mentally conceive and distinguish between these many types of inclinational directions which occur during actual movement.