According to Laban Movement Analysis, floating is the combination of 3 effort qualities, that is, multi-focus Space, sustained Time and light Weight. I recently had the opportunity to test that theory as I indulged in my favorite activity in the world ~ floating on a lake in NH, day after day.
While it seemed to be true as I thought about it, when I actually floated I discovered that floating for me is about only one thing, and that is flow. To be accurate, it is about free flow and only free flow. Going with the flow. Open to taking wherever the gentle breezes and currents take me. That is recuperation from my life, where I am most often in Action Drive. Making things happen. Getting things done.
Effort qualities describe shifts in efforts. That turned out to be true. I moved with bound Flow, strong Weight, and direct Space, sometimes as quickly as possible to the furthest location within the ropes after which I could relax into floating. Aaah. I can almost remember that sensation of floating. Must do again, quickly, before the summer ends.
Effort qualities describe the qualities of how a movement is done, not necessarily the action itself. Thus, my understanding is, to float is to indulge in lightness, sustainment and multi-focus, but it's really about ongoingness - Flow.
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