Effort Discussions 4 [Weight Effort, Shape Flow Support]

Effort Discussions 4 [Weight Effort, Shape Flow Support]
By Peggy Hackney - Submitted June 6, 2000
Originally posted on LabanTalk, March 25, 2000

Dear Ann,

I am really glad that you have posed your questions on Effort to our larger LMA/LN community, and I eagerly look forward to our discussions in Salt Lake in June! As you know, I really appreciate your work and your clear thinking on topics that are important to our whole community. I hope our discussions do not really revolve around only the Appendix to my book, "Making Connections," however. That Appendix (which is entitled, "A Brief Overview of the Framework of Laban Movement Analysis") was added at the last minute to my book at the insistence of the publishers, because a couple of prepublication readers thought it was needed. I was VERY RETICENT to add it, simply because I knew that anything so simplistic could easily be the thing most used from the book (i.e., most Xeroxed and passed out to students), and could also be the thing most misused and misunderstood. It was also the thing that I spent relatively less time on (certainly less than the 10-12 years that I spent writing the text).

I agree that the discussion of Weight Sensing and Passive Weight leaves a lot to be desired. I have found that it is useful to have the distinctions, however. I remember having discussions with Marion North, who felt that such distinctions were not needed.

As long as I am speaking about the Appendix to my book, I'd like to suggest that everyone go to page 221 and correct the symbol for Shape Flow Support. It should not have the Shape Action Stroke going all the way through the flow line. Please whiteout the part under the line. Shape Flow as a Mode of Shape Change (below on the same page) should have the action stroke going all the way through the line. (Those of you who bought your book directly from me have the correction already made.)

And speaking yet more of corrections, Gordon & Breach is going to do another edition of the book. I would love to know of anything else that needs correction (there are many things!). Just email me or call 707-944-8473

Thanks loads, I look forward to reading all the discussion of Effort and then Talking in June!

Love, Peggy