In contemporary dance, qualitative aspects of body movement play an important
role. These aspects foreground the communicative, stylistic and expressive potential
of movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Up to now, there exists no commonly accepted taxonomy for characterising and
classifying movement qualities in dance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nevertheless, the structural notation Laban Movement Analysis<\/a> (LMA) introduced by Rudolf Laban has gained prominence. Central to LMA are four categories that formalise different aspects of the human body: Body, Space, Shape, and Effort<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of particular interest with regards to movement qualities is the Effort category. This category describes aspects that relate to the dynamics, energy, and inner intention of movement, all of which contribute to the expressivity of movement. This category is subdivided into four Effort Factors (EF): Space, Weight, Time, Flow. Each Factor possesses two opposing dimensions. The Space factor describes the directedness of movement which can either be Direct or Indirect. The Weight factor describes the strength of movement which can either be Light or Strong. The Time factor describes the urgency of movement which can either be Sustained or Sudden. The Flow factor describes the continuity of movement which can either be Free or Bound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n