[Following are a list of topics that have been covered in Bullet-In-Stead, a Language of Dance Association publication which discusses Motif theory and teaching ideas. The publication costs £1 for each issue and is available from:

The Language of Dance Centre
Tel: +44 (0)20 7229 3780
Fax: +44 (0)20 7792 1794
Email: info@lodc.org

Bullet-In-Stead List of Topics Covered
Issue No.1
1. COMBINING TURNING AND SPRINGING
2. CHOREOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE – The A-B-A Form

Issue No.2
1. TO SPRING TO THE THING – How LOD can contribute to effective and successful teaching of jumping
2. LOG-A-RHYTHMS – Rhythms used as an aid to teaching
3. MEET-A-METRE – ‘Metre’ as opposed to ‘bar’

Issue No.3
1. CLARIFICATION IN USE OF MOTIF DESCRIPTION – regarding the usage and exact meaning of certain symbols. Including:

• PATHS, TRAVELLING
• MEANDERING SYMBOL – A NEW IDEA
• INTERPRETATION OF ‘ANY PATH’
• ‘PATH’ VERSUS ‘TRAVELLING’
• PATH SIGN HEIRACHY
• PATH SIGNS AND ROOM AREAS
• ‘A STEP’
• MOVEMENT OF BODY-AS-A-WHOLE OR OF A PART?

Issue No.4
1. MOTION, DESTINATION – should directional descriptions be shown in terms of destination of an action or as motion away from or toward a point. Including:

• ‘ON TOUR’ – MOTION
• HOME BASE – CENTRE POINT
• ‘ON TOUR’ – MOTION (TRAVELLING) FOR GESTURES
• DESTINATION FOR TRAVELLING
• MOTION – TOWARD, AWAY FROM AN ESTABLISHED POINT
• TERMINOLOGY, CLARIFICATION
• MOTION VERSUS DESTINATION
• STANDARD DESCRIPTION FOR STEPS: MOTION
• RESULTING SPACE PATTERNS
• DISTANCE FOR MOTION
• TRAVELLING: MOTION TOWARDS
• GESTURES: MOTION TOWARDS A POINT
• MOTION EXAMPLES FOR SPECIFIC PARTS
• RECAPITUALTION ON MOTION, DISTINCTIVE SPACE PATTERNS

Issue No.5
1.TOWARD, AWAY FROM THE TORSO – concerning the limbs, adducting and abducting, including:

• SAGITTAL SEPERATING, JOINING
• DIAGONAL SEPERATING AND CLOSING

2. CONSECTUTIVE CIRCULAR PATHS – discussion about whether a gap is to be included in between or not.
3. STILLNESS DURING CONTINUOUS CIRCLING
4 SPIRAL IN OR OUT – the choice of
5. ZIG-ZAG PATH – how to present clearly
6. A WENDING PATH – how to present?
7. ELLIPTICAL CIRCLES – how to present
8. COMMENTS ON ISSUE NO.4 – TILTING, ‘TAKING A DIRECTION’

Issue No.6
1. MOTIF WRITING DEVELOPMENTS – as a result of ICKL Conference 1995, including:

• TERMINOLOGY, PATH SIGNS, DRAWING OF FLEXION SIGNS

2. WHERE EXACTLY? – concerned with gestural actions in various directions, including:

• THE AREAS OF HIGH, LOW AND HORIZONTAL (MIDDLE)
• EXPLORING THE HIGH AREA – WHILE STANDING; WHILE KNEELING; WHILE SITTING; WHILE LYING
• EXPLORING THE LOW AREA – WHILE STANDING; WHEN KNEELING, SITTING AND LYING
• EXPLORING HORIZONTAL (MIDDLE) AREA -WHILE STANDING;WHEN KNEELING, SITTING AND LYING
• CONCLUSION
• SYMBOLOGY – how to be vague in describing a direction and yet give an appropriate indication

4. ‘ON’ DIFFERENT LEVELS; ‘AT’ DIFFERENT LEVELS – discussing the difference, including:
GESTURES IN THE AREA OF A LEVEL
5. COMMENTS FROM ISSUE NO.5

Issue No.7
1. ‘CHANGE LEVEL’ – the need for a sign
2. DIRECTION – further discussion on the topic of, including:

• COLUMNS AROUND THE DIMENSIONS
• THE PLANES
• EXPLORING THE AREAS OF THE LEVELS
• EFFECT OF ACCOMPANYING DETAILS

3. WHAT ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS? IS THE ITENTION CLEAR OR DISCERNIBLE?
FREEDOM OF CHOICE: THE ‘ANY’ INDICATION

Issue No.8/9
1. SHAPE – sign for, indication of, group, and design drawing
2. A SWINGING ACTION – the use of accents to distinguish
3. PLACE MIDDLE IN MOTIF – need for a sign for a ‘normal’, natural state, a neutral stance or way of holding the body
4. DEFINING A MENU – stating the basic ideas for a composition
5. INCLUSION OF AN ACTION – discussion of inclusion bows not stating when something is to happen and how
6. TERMINOLOGY – CLARIFICATION OF ‘ROTATION’ AND ‘TWIST’
7. ROLLING ON THE FLOOR OR WHEELING? – clarification between symbols
8. ANY DIRECTION, ANY LEVEL – how ‘free’ are the ‘any’ indications
9. TRAVELLING WITH INTERMITTANT STILLNESS
10. MAINTAINING, ACHIEVING BALANCE
11. IMAGINERY PEOPLE, OBJECTS – how to show this

Issue No.10/11
1. INDICATION OF NUMBER OF LIMBS
2. INDICATIONS FOR EITHER OR BOTH LIMBS
3. ANY DEGREE OF ANY FORM OF FLEXION AND EXTENSION
4. LOOKING, GAZING, STARING – discussion between movement of the head and movement of the eyes
5. KINESPHERE – visually shown
6. FRONT SIGNS VERSUS FACING PINS – What to call them?
7. CENTRE OF WEIGHT, LEANING
8. STARTING POSITIONS FOR MOTIF DESCRIPTION – the possibilities
9. A SWINGING ACTION – comment on topic in Issue No.8/9
10. GENERIC SIGNS – The search for a visual, logical and positive general indication for falling
11. GENERIC SIGNS FOR RELATING
12. STATING A MENU – how a ‘menu’ should be shown
13. CENTRE OF WEIGHT – Where is it?

Issue No.12
1. DANCING IN THE ROUND – clear orientation points for non-proscenium arch venues
2. AFFAIRS OF THE HEART – intentions shown through dynamics
3. SAY IT IN SYMBOLS – relationships explained

Issue No.13
1. CANCELLATION RULE – when and when not to use cancellation
2. CARETS EVERY TIME? – when are they needed?
3. LEVELS FOR QUICK SHIFTS – overcoming lack of space for quick shifts

Issue No.14
1. IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF FLEXTEND-LAND
2. FOLDING, UNFOLDING – the use of paper to demonstrate
3. ROLLING, UNROLLING – the use of paper to demonstrate
4. THREE DIMENSIONAL COMPRESSING, EXPANDING – the use of paper to demonstrate
5. FOLDING, UNFOLDING – hip and knee joints
6. CONTRACTING, ELONGATING – legs, arms and hip joints

Issue No.15
1. A LITTLE MEADERING – Can you meander and arrive at a destination?
2. TIMING FOR MAKING A SHAPE – how best can timing be indicated for making a shape?
3. STATEMENT OF RANKS AND FILES – must the facing for a rank be shown
4. MAKING A SHAPE/STILLNESS – discussing the difference between the active pause between two movements or a complete stillness
5. FLEXION, EXTENSION – OPEN DEGREE – any form and any degree of (also see Issue No.10/11)

Issue No.16
1. MOTION VERSUS DESTINATION – discussing differences between showing the actual movement and the stopping place resulting from it
2. PURE MOTION – symbols for curved movements
3. TIMING – of the above shown