In this video, we’ll discuss an overview of Laban’s Vocabulary of Rhythm.

Stanislavsky says that an actor cannot function without an understanding of rhythm. In his final and most effective approach to the craft of acting, the Method of Physical Action, he searched for a practical system of rhythmic action that joined, as one direct experience, the inner emotions and outer activity of the actor as s/he ‘tells someone else’s story to an audience’ (Judi Dench’s description of the actor’s task).

Laban’s Vocabulary of Rhythm

Laban’s analysis of action meets this need. We find that every action has its own unique rhythm as it happens within the Time, Space, Force and Flow of the ever-changing moment of our lives.

In this workshop we will look at the 4 basics of Laban’s vocabulary. When first practising and focussing on only one of the 4 as we experiment (while understanding that we are ALWAYS EXPERIENCING the combined 4 Elements of Action in every tiny action of our lives, sleeping, or waking) the work can be quite clumsy/cliched at times, but always with a powerful, personal transformation of thought, emotion and physical expression. This gives confidence, immediate truthful access to new unexpected sensations, and release.

My book Essential Acting gives a detailed analysis of the 4 Elements as applied to action/movement; text, character and vocal expression, with practical exercises to use in class and rehearsal.

I also offer a way of writing down the Elements, as a sort of ‘scribble’ This is not Laban Notation, which is a highly organised system of symbols transcribing action into a text, but a very informal, personal way of observation of action. Actors need to train their observation and physical memory so as to ‘hold a mirror up to nature.’

The Elements

We begin with the element of Flow

This is because an understanding of Flow helps us to understand the process of learning.

Later we find that each of the 8 combinations of the 3 Elements of Time, Space and Force (known as the Laban Effort Actions) has its own natural quality of Flow, so we can allow that to happen without a conscious choice.

Types of Flow

FLOW can be either BOUND or FREE.

BOUND FLOW means that we are STOPPING IN ORDER TO CHANGE. We are in control of our balance.

FREE FLOW means that we are playing with our balance, allowing it to flow onwards freely, not concerned with stopping.

When we do anything new — finding the way, remembering a name, using a new machine, trying a new action, entering a new space — we are in Bound Flow. For safety and efficiency we need to be in control of our balance and able to stop in order to change.

Once we are familiar with an action, name, machine, activity, space etc. we can release the conscious balance-control in order to allow the action to flow seamlessly from one point to the next.

As I type this my action is mostly in Bound Flow because I am dyslexic and the minute I get into Free Flow I make mistakes! I don’t think my typing will ever achieve an elegant Free Flow but my thoughts and ideas do flow freely, though they can be interrupted by occasional stops, for a new surprising revelation, maybe a doubt or uncertainty, and frequent hesitations for spelling corrections.

When we start playing with the Laban Elements we are in Bound Flow, while they are new to us., and we use it every day, often for safety and common sense. For instance, as we cross the road, avoiding the traffic, we are in Bound Flow as we stop at the curb to find a safe time to cross. Then, as we run swiftly in that safe gap in traffic we are in Free Flow. Accidents will happen if we reverse this flow: carelessly run into the stream of traffic, then keep stopping abruptly between cars and buses to change direction!

There is a quality of Free Flow that we call graceful. It is innate in a person who we can recognise as an ‘artist’ in any capacity, in a work of art and in Nature; it seems to be a quality of serene connection in all 4 Elements of action, inner and outer.

Laban says that Flow is the How of an action; it is the unplanned progress of emotion and thought. It can be described as ‘feeling’: physical/emotional/mental sensation. It answers the question ‘how am I feeling at this moment? How is this happening?’

The Element of Time

Leaving Flow to take care of itself as we learn, and enjoying the delight of playing with the Bound and Free aspects, we can now experiment with the Element of Time (understanding that all 4 Elements are present at all times, but that we are focussing on just one at each stage).

TIME can be FAST or SLOW in SPEED, and Short or Long-term in Duration

DURATION is important for teachers and actors because in exercises and rehearsal it is often necessary to continue or repeat actions long past their natural ‘shelf-life’ duration. Unless you understand this problem, it can be frustrating when action loses energy. We need to explain the reasons and find ways to keep repeated action lively and in the moment.

The way to do this is to remember those 5 magic words: ‘this has never happened before!’ (‘ and will never happen again’ , if you want another 5.)

In all life, what happens happens newly every time: this breath you breathe, this blink of your eyes, is unique. It has never happened before and will never happen again. We are always in the present moment, we have no choice about that. Our mistake is when we ignore that fact. Everyone has a natural use of Time. Some of us fight and struggle against Time and some indulge in Time. Laban says that some people ‘swim in an ocean of Time,’ which is a beautiful phrase!

Laban says that Time is the When of an action. It relates to Decision and to ‘intuiting.’ It answers the question ‘when will this happen? When do I want it to happen?’

The Element of SPACE

Space can be Direct or Flexible.It can also be Open or Closed as in Scattering or Gathering.

DIRECT use of Space means that we go straight through Space to our objective.

FLEXIBLE use of Space means that we take a more curving, exploratory, usually longer-time journey, often, at the start, not knowing exactly where our thought or action will end.

Laban says that people can fight or struggle against Space or indulge in it. Think of how tidy you like your own Space to be, how much it matters to you to be Direct (expressed usually in straight lines) or Flexible (mostly in curving lines). Space answers the question Where. It is connected to attention and to ‘thinking.’ ‘Where can I get what I need? Where will this happen?’

The Element of FORCE (sometimes called Weight)

Force can be Strong or Light.

Force answers the question, ‘What?’ It is linked to Intention/Purpose and ‘sensing.’ It answers the question: ‘what do I want? What is my need?’

There are 8 possible combinations of the 3 elements of Time, Space and Force.

We leave Flow to look after itself at this stage of studying the Laban Basics.

Most Laban teaching goes straight to these 8 Effort Actions with their 8 ‘code words’, which, in my opinion, can lead to messy, generalised, ‘indicating’ stagey behaviour; it is better to test, understand and assemble the Elements gradually, realising their illuminating power of comprehending human nature and expression: our own and that of others.

You can write this chart down yourself and experiment with it. Laban suggests that we each have a habitual Effort Action that can be recognised. For actors we need to know our own habits in order to adapt them to play a character.

We teach and learn them as opposites, but in life the opposites become closer to each other. I like to use the analogy of colours:
We have Blue and its opposite Yellow: we mix them to make different shades of Green.

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