The efficacy of Laban movement analysis as a framework for observing and analysing space in Rosas danst Rosas

Abstract

This article forms part of a larger qualitative, conceptual project that investigates the ways in which Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) can contribute to the larger field of dance research and education with reference to dance, new technologies and particularly notions of space in screendance. Screendance refers to a dance that is specifically made for the camera or the screen, or rendered in either film, video or digital technologies, resulting in a form that is both screen related and kinesthetic. This article aims to introduce an alternative vocabulary for observing and analysing the ways in which screendance and specifically, Rosas danst Rosas, utilises space. Observation within the context of LMA refers to recognising changes regarding the Body, Effort, Shape and Space patterns observable in a mover. Therefore, this observational and analytical approach facilitates an awareness regarding the specific spatial, temporal and dynamic qualities attributed to the movements, gestures and expressions perceived in Rosas danst Rosas. This article demonstrates the applicability and efficacy of LMA as a framework for observing and analysing screendance as a hybrid of dance and screen, with reference to space in Rosas danst Rosas.