[The following was originally posted on LabanTalk and CMAPlus, May 29, 2002]

This is a quick answer to Leslie Bishko, Feb. 23rd letter, and Jeffrey Longstaff, Feb. 23rd letter [see Fox et al., Theory Bulletin Board, Names for What We Do thread, March 1, 2002]. It sounds to me as though it is time for you to learn Advanced Labanotation! There we go into the range of directional analysis.

Leslie: Standard Labanotation employs a relative description for steps, each direction being in relation to where you had arrived with the previous step. But for gestures directions are destinational in relation to the Standard Cross of Axis centered in the performer. This system of directions travels with the performer, turns with the performer (forward is to the performer’s front) but does not tilt with the performer. When the performer lies down, the direction up is still toward the ceiling. Gestural movements in relation to the previous location of the extremity are described as ‘the direction of progression’. Wait for the Advanced book on Spatial Variations, now in the publication pipe-line.

Jeffrey: Directions in Labanotation are not based on a cubic-based network. Nor on the icosahedon or any other spatial model. They are based on the anatomical model. Eshkol-Wachmann gives a fine analysis if this; the same analysis is used in Labanotation.Thank you for your work on Vector Symbols, I look forward to having time to study what you have discovered.