Laban effort︎︎︎
Another methodology for exploring dynamics creatively and expressively can be found in the Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) system. In LMA, dynamics are called Effort and as a broad term it refers to the qualitative attributes associated with movement, dance, acting, music and visual arts. Effort is a separate category in the LMA system and subdivided into four distinct components called Effort Factors: Flow, Weight, Time and Space.
Each Factor is divided into two opposing elements for a total of eight individual Effort elements that can be grouped in two and three Effort combinations to express a particular quality. Accessing the qualities is an embodied cognitive process that reflects an inner intention or feeling and this inner intent is then manifested outwardly. The Efforts are the dynamics or qualitative attributes that give a particular look, texture, tone to an artistic work and expression.
The four Effort factors and corresponding Effort elements are described below. You can choose images and situations to help the artist access a particular quality. Keep in mind that all Efforts use is contextual and the LMA terminology can be interchanged with more evocative, poetic language in the process of exploring the qualities.
Flow: Free/Bound
Free: an ongoing, continuous flow of movement has a relaxed look and feel and less muscular tension.
Bound: is more controlled and withheld, requires more muscular tension to express a careful, restrained quality. Note that bound isn’t negative, in a particular context it’s appropriate. Carrying a cup filled to the brim with hot coffee requires a bound use of one’s energy.
Weight: Strong/Light
Strong: is how one applies force and physical strength. For example, in sports strong weight is required block an opponent, in martial arts to be grounded, in dance to push off and jump. In acting strong weight effort is required to convey confidence and power. In music it’s associated with exerting more pressure in the quality of touch to convey a stronger dynamic.
Light: in Romantic 19th century ballets the ballerina on pointe reveals a quality of lightness, an ethereal look. In acting a light weight effort is used for a gentle tone of voice and in music the lightness of touch produces a delicate sound.
Time: It’s important to note that in LMA Time Effort is about how one expresses an inner sense of time and not to be confused with metric time. It’s how one approaches time as in having the impulse to linger in the moment, take more time versus feeling rushed, having not enough time. It’s intuitive.
Sustained: a leisurely quality, drawing out of time as in walking on the beach on a warm summer day in no rush.
Sudden/Quick: the impulse to compress time as in moving quickly out of the way of someone about to bump into you.
Space: In LMA Space Effort is about how one directs their attention to their spatial surrounding.
Indirect: all encompassing, generous attention, scanning everywhere as in looking at all the beautiful objects around you.
Direct: more channeled, condensed quality of attention, honing in on one particular thing.
The above Effort elements can be grouped in three Effort combinations to produce the following qualities.
Float: expresses the combined qualities of lightness, sustained time and indirect attention to space, the image of a balloon floating upwards, the sensation of drifting upwards.
Punch: this quality combines strong use of weight, direct focused attention and quick use of time. A stomp action is an example of this 3 Effort combination.
Glide: expresses the qualities of lightness, direct focused attention and sustained use of time. It’s a smooth, gentle quality.
Slash: combines strong use of weight or force with sudden and direct efforts. An example – the powerful, wide and sweeping stroke of a sword.
Dab: combines a delicate, quick and direct quality. The artist dabbing a bit of paint on the canvas is an example of this 3 Effort combination.
Wring: expresses a more forceful use of weight with sustained time and indirect attention to space. Wringing out a large towel is an action that combines these three qualities.
Flick: combines a light, quick and indirect quality as in the action of flicking a bit of lint off a jacket.
Press: combines strong, sustained and direct Efforts. An example of Press-pushing a heavy object.
Each Factor is divided into two opposing elements for a total of eight individual Effort elements that can be grouped in two and three Effort combinations to express a particular quality. Accessing the qualities is an embodied cognitive process that reflects an inner intention or feeling and this inner intent is then manifested outwardly. The Efforts are the dynamics or qualitative attributes that give a particular look, texture, tone to an artistic work and expression.
The four Effort factors and corresponding Effort elements are described below. You can choose images and situations to help the artist access a particular quality. Keep in mind that all Efforts use is contextual and the LMA terminology can be interchanged with more evocative, poetic language in the process of exploring the qualities.
Flow: Free/Bound
Free: an ongoing, continuous flow of movement has a relaxed look and feel and less muscular tension.
Bound: is more controlled and withheld, requires more muscular tension to express a careful, restrained quality. Note that bound isn’t negative, in a particular context it’s appropriate. Carrying a cup filled to the brim with hot coffee requires a bound use of one’s energy.
Weight: Strong/Light
Strong: is how one applies force and physical strength. For example, in sports strong weight is required block an opponent, in martial arts to be grounded, in dance to push off and jump. In acting strong weight effort is required to convey confidence and power. In music it’s associated with exerting more pressure in the quality of touch to convey a stronger dynamic.
Light: in Romantic 19th century ballets the ballerina on pointe reveals a quality of lightness, an ethereal look. In acting a light weight effort is used for a gentle tone of voice and in music the lightness of touch produces a delicate sound.
Time: It’s important to note that in LMA Time Effort is about how one expresses an inner sense of time and not to be confused with metric time. It’s how one approaches time as in having the impulse to linger in the moment, take more time versus feeling rushed, having not enough time. It’s intuitive.
Sustained: a leisurely quality, drawing out of time as in walking on the beach on a warm summer day in no rush.
Sudden/Quick: the impulse to compress time as in moving quickly out of the way of someone about to bump into you.
Space: In LMA Space Effort is about how one directs their attention to their spatial surrounding.
Indirect: all encompassing, generous attention, scanning everywhere as in looking at all the beautiful objects around you.
Direct: more channeled, condensed quality of attention, honing in on one particular thing.
The above Effort elements can be grouped in three Effort combinations to produce the following qualities.
Float: expresses the combined qualities of lightness, sustained time and indirect attention to space, the image of a balloon floating upwards, the sensation of drifting upwards.
Punch: this quality combines strong use of weight, direct focused attention and quick use of time. A stomp action is an example of this 3 Effort combination.
Glide: expresses the qualities of lightness, direct focused attention and sustained use of time. It’s a smooth, gentle quality.
Slash: combines strong use of weight or force with sudden and direct efforts. An example – the powerful, wide and sweeping stroke of a sword.
Dab: combines a delicate, quick and direct quality. The artist dabbing a bit of paint on the canvas is an example of this 3 Effort combination.
Wring: expresses a more forceful use of weight with sustained time and indirect attention to space. Wringing out a large towel is an action that combines these three qualities.
Flick: combines a light, quick and indirect quality as in the action of flicking a bit of lint off a jacket.
Press: combines strong, sustained and direct Efforts. An example of Press-pushing a heavy object.
Welcome to mapping collaboration, a toolbox for workshopping and creating across disciplines...
In spite of a long history of interdisciplinary creation, from our earliest recorded arts to our present moment, artistic pedagogy has created divisions between disciplines. This has left artists in a "post-Babel" condition where we don't share the same language and definitions. It’s also encouraged artists to develop practices for devising, creating and composing work that are distinct to their disciplines.
In spite of a long history of interdisciplinary creation, from our earliest recorded arts to our present moment, artistic pedagogy has created divisions between disciplines. This has left artists in a "post-Babel" condition where we don't share the same language and definitions. It’s also encouraged artists to develop practices for devising, creating and composing work that are distinct to their disciplines.
The inspiration for this project came from faculty and students at Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts where BFA, MFA and PhD programs in Dance, Theatre Production and Design, Visual Art, Film, and Music and Sound all work together in studio settings and playfully experiment with processes of art-making.
We wanted to create a database of projects, assignments and theory that we collect inside the studio and from research happening in other places. We are curious about how we collaborate and how structures reoccur, translate and deviate from one discipline to another.
Composition is central to these processes and offers a base for our approaches and experiments. We are excited about what our students are doing and inspired by the new languages in contemporary art and performance we continue to see develop.
︎︎︎select a category above to build assignments, learn more about how artists process ideas across disciplines and to create a collaborative process of your own
︎︎︎these tools are collected and used in workshops and classes; some are resources from artists; some are quotes about art-making and how bodies think and listen; others are ideas to expand and disrupt your own training and processes.
︎︎︎Each idea is intentially short- and not meant to be executed as written, but to be adapted to your own practice and specific project/context. Some may be taken in parts or combined with others to spark new ways of training and making together.
︎︎︎submit your own ideas and tools so we can keep building this site!
︎︎︎select a category above to build assignments, learn more about how artists process ideas across disciplines and to create a collaborative process of your own
︎︎︎these tools are collected and used in workshops and classes; some are resources from artists; some are quotes about art-making and how bodies think and listen; others are ideas to expand and disrupt your own training and processes.
︎︎︎Each idea is intentially short- and not meant to be executed as written, but to be adapted to your own practice and specific project/context. Some may be taken in parts or combined with others to spark new ways of training and making together.
︎︎︎submit your own ideas and tools so we can keep building this site!
