Re: Questions About Turns and Paths, part 2

Re: Questions About Turns and Paths, part 2
Submitted by Fred Bolder - March 1, 2007

Here is my response to the answers in the DNB notators' February 20, 2007 posting.

Thank you very much for the answers. Most things are clear to me now, but I am not sure if I fully understand the last example. I have no explanation of the big dot symbols, but I have seen those symbols before in a folk dance notation. Here is my description of the example.

You are standing with the left side of your body in the direction of the path. Step with your left foot forward (bend knees) and simultaneously turn left until you are facing the direction of the path, so the turn will be 1/4 + 1/6 to the left. Step with your right foot (on your toes) to the side and simultaneously turn right until you are facing against the direction of the path, so the turn will be 1/2 - 1/6 to the right. Step with your left foot to the side and simultaneously turn left until the left side of your body is in the direction of the path, so the turn will be 1/4 + 1/6 to the left. The end position related to the path is the same as the start position, so the sum of all turns should be 1/2 to the left.

1/4 + 1/6 - 1/2 + 1/6 + 1/4 + 1/6 = 3/6 = 1/2

Is all that correct?

I was a little confused by the answer: What is written in 2a and 2b is not possible as written because one cannot travel on a path when stepping in place (count 3).

In my book "Dance Studies Vol. 9, 1985" there is on page 42 the following example.

I have also seen examples with sideward movements along a circular path with the steps Side - Close (In place) - Side - Close (In place).

Do you have to travel during every step on a circular path?

Perhaps my book has some wrong examples or I misunderstand them, but it is hard to get 
Labanotation books in The Netherlands.

Addendum

[A couple of days after sending the previous posting, Fred sent the following addendum.]

I'm sorry, I have forgotten to write something in my previous response.

I now understand that my pictures 2a and 2b are very strange and it was not what I was trying to notate. The pictures 2a and 2b are different because on count 2 of picture 2a you step on a completely different path that is a sort of perpendicular to the previous path. I think that you don't turn on count 2 of picture 2b, because you have to follow the whole path and when there is no traveling in the direction of the path there is also no turn because of the path. I think that in picture 2b you are already at the end of the whole path after the first step, because you don't travel in the direction of the path on the counts 2 and 3 (you keep facing the line of the path). I think this is what you mean with your answer. I think that in picture 2b it has the same effect if you put the path symbol just over the first count. I was using the circular path symbol to indicate the total amount of turning during the three steps which is wrong, because you have to follow a path. I try to use Labanotation for ballroom dancing and for some turns it is sometimes easier and faster to read and write the only total amount of turning during the steps. Is there a way to notate this in Labanotation?

I suddenly realise that there is a mistake in my description of your example, because if I understand it well you don't travel in the direction of the path on count 2. That means that the path has no influence on the turn during that count and after the first step you are on half of the path. The turns should be:

Count 1: 1/4 L + 1/4 L(path)
Count 2: 1/2 R
Count 3: 1/4 L + 1/4 L(path)
(I assume that your example has three counts in one measure)

The sum of all turns is:
1/4 + 1/4 - 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/4 = 1/2

Is all that correct?

Just for my learning process:

Is it correct to notate multiple sequences like picture 2b (keep facing the line of the path) in one big circular path (instead of the drawn path) over all the sequences?