Analysing body centre weight use by dancers in ArtsCross/Danscross

Using Laban Movement Analysis1 (LMA) methodologies, in particular the application of the two Weight Efforts, this article provides a comparative analysis of dancers from Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA), where the researcher is based, and dancers from the Beijing Dance Academy (BDA). The article focuses on the use of ‘body centre’ as conceived in LMA’s Effort Element, which is related to gravitational mechanisms. Through observation, it appeared that the training processes within each of these dance groups utilized different centres of weight and unique conceptions of individual space within the movement, despite both groups having a Chinese ethnic background and similar dance training styles in Contemporary Dance and traditional Chinese Dance. This insight is based on sustained observations of the rehearsal processes of these groups in the 2011 and 2012 editions of ArtsCross, as well as visits to classes at BDA during the three-week ArtsCross project held in Beijing, China in October and November of 2012. As a Certified Movement Analyst, with extensive experience in dance in both East Asia and in the United States, the researcher utilized LMA to understand how dancers from each country responded to the requests of choreographers through the intensive rehearsals and through to the final performance. The data provide significant pedagogical information relevant to the development of new programmes to be implemented within TNUA’s dance training regimen.