Re: Traveling Indications

Re: Traveling Indications
Submitted by Ann Hutchinson Guest - February 10, 2000

I want to send a quick response to this, as I think help is at hand in quite another direction from that which you have been exploring.

First, I disagree with you that the sign for any form of traveling, A1, is tied so definitely to the path idea of traveling. I think this comes from the way it is taught. I try to de-emphasize the shape of the path idea, although drawing shapes of paths on the floor does help the very young child. More important is the sense of going, which, in time, leads to being aware of how you are going, which leads to finding the type of path taken.

Before I leave your paper, I am uncertain about how the shape of a triangle is a space indication. Is it some confusion connected with Design Drawing?

The Direction of the Progression (Direction of the Path). For dances such as the Farandole, Knust evolved the idea of using an arrow to indicate the `going'. The key is A2 here. The front signs which relate to the way this path is taking you are A3. You can see how these relate to our other Front Signs.

I think what you need is something like A4. Note that, while to arrow points forward in the key sign, it does not relate to the direction of travel. In writing the Direction of Progression (motion) for gestures, the motion is expressed by the direction symbol within which is placed a forward pointing arrow. As a convention, the arrow inside the appropriate direction symbol always points forward on the page, it is not tied to the direction or level of the motion which the direction symbol indicates.

How does this grab you?

The basic sign for traveling could be combined with this arrow, as in A5, if that would help solve your hesitation about what the sign of A1 means fundamentally.