Longstaff, Jeffrey Scott (2005) Page of

In Choreographie ideas of direction are explored both as positions (orientation of body parts) and as motions (orientation of the line of motion between two positions) (Fig. 6). This distinction is particularly relevant in light of the decision for Labanotation to notate gestural movement as a series of body positions. Perhaps contributed to by this, the position-directions may seem more familiar.

Figure 6. Directions of position (of the arm) linked by a direction of motion.

Signs of the “trial script” have obvious similarities with Labanotation direction signs. Their shapes give a similar pictographic image, seemingly pointing towards a direction as if viewing space from above. In contrast to present-day Labanotation, the early “trial-script” signs for dimensions and diagonals contain no sign for ‘center’. Instead, the dark dot is used for indicating downwards or deep, rather than middle level as in Labanotation. In later writings Laban (1948, p. 93) stated explicitly “centre c is a directional aim like any other point” but in Choreographie the center is never included as a direction or a script sign.

	“Trial-script Pure Dimensions
		= high
		= deep
		= right
		= left
		= forward
		= backward”
		= right-forward-deep
		= right-backward-deep
		= right-backward-deep
		= left-backward-deep
		= right-high-forward
		= left-high-forward
		= right-high-backward
		= left-high-backward”
Figure 7. Pure dimensions and diagonals; tripartite codes and graphic signs (in the style of Laban, 1926, pp. 20-21).