34 research outputs found
The Way of Transformation (The Laban-Malmgren System of Dramatic Character Analysis)
No full textThe dissertation is a 'critical edition' of a system of actor training based on three main sources: a vocabulary of movement analysis developed by Rudolf Laban in the last years of his life; C. G. Jung's theory of psychological functions and types; and the acting system of C. Stanislavski and his main followers. The three strands were brought together by the dancer and acting teacher Yat Malmgren (1916-2002), who taught his system for over forty years to some of the major figures of world theatre and film: Peter Brook, Pierce Brosnan, Simon Callow, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Adrian Noble among others.
The dissertation is presented in two volumes:
- Volume I sets the system in context, historically as well as in terms of current discourses about the nature of acting. It includes a survey of its origins, followed by an in-depth examination of its three main sources, focusing on the central concept of energy in acting. Further chapters describe:
a. a systematic, step-by-step psychophysical approach to analysing character, the actor's own self and to ways of bridging the two in the process of transformation. The author captures the salient features of a method of work which informs aspects of Western acting practice.
b. the light thrown by the system on the idea of theatre character. The author puts forward the idea of a character 'independent' of both actor and text.
c. the applications of the system in training and professional practice, based on interviews with a number of prominent British actors and directors.
- Volume II consists of a detailed, annotated description of the system. It is based on a free transcript of recordings of Yat Malmgren's teaching and amounts to a 'manual' for those interested in studying and/or teaching the system. The volume is illustrated throughout.
Appendices include original materials derived from Laban's last years of work, published here for the first time
Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Wildlife Protected Areas; A Case Study of Maasai Mara National Game Reserve, Kenya
No full textUnpredictable temperature and precipitation patterns brought on by climate change are becoming more widely acknowledged as one of the major variables influencing wildlife populations in protected areas like parks and reserves. The wildlife populations that sustain the thriving tourism business may decline as a result of these temperature and rainfall variations brought on by extreme flooding and drought occurrences. Protected areas form the bedrock of the tourism industry in Kenya, keeping in mind the tourism industry is characterized as heavily ‘nature-based in Kenya’. Based on chaos-complexity theory, this study investigated the effects of rainfall and temperature variations on wildlife population dynamics in Maasai Mara National Game Reserve (MMNGR). MMNGR is a top premier wildlife park in Kenya, recording major visits. The study adopted an explanatory research design. Rainfall and temperature data was obtained from 15 rain gauges located in MMNGR operated by World Wide Fund (WWF) and Friends for Conservation. Wildlife population data was collected from the Directorate of Resource Surveys and Remote Sensing (DRSRS). Changes in vegetation cover were determined from satellite imagery using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) method. This method was used to measure changes in vegetation cover that are likely to have been influenced by rainfall and temperature trends. The NDVI images from the years 1975 to 2018 were processed to obtain specific NDVI values per land cover category. NDVI values detected any changes in vegetation cover. The mean monthly rainfall and air temperature in Maasai National Game Reserve for the last 54 years were analyzed. Time series was applied to analyze rainfall and temperature data. Findings indicate that rainfall and temperature variations positively contribute to influencing the decline in wildlife populations, as there could be other factors too. The study findings suggest that high amounts of vegetation cover, as indicated by NDVI maps, prompt high survival rates for wildlife and increased populations and vice versa. This study therefore proposes that extremely high and low rainfall totals and temperature trends are likely to increase wildlife mortality, hence reducing wildlife survival rates and consequently population. The implications will have a direct influence on the tourism industry as visitors are highly likely to shift their visits to other tourism destinations with abundant wildlife populations
Potential Use and Challenges of Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment and Conservation in Game Lodges and Resorts in Kenya
No full textConstructed wetlands are cost-effective wastewater treatment alternatives that receive worldwide acceptance. For the Kenyan hospitality industry, in particular, constructed wetlands (CWs) provide opportunities for wastewater reuse and recovery of resources, as well as improvements in local environmental conditions. Hospitality establishments produce large volumes of wastewater that is sometimes discharged to the environment without being treated. This is not only harmful to communities living downstream of these rivers but also to the flora and fauna which are the main attraction for most who visit these lodges. This study used qualitative methods to collect and analyze published official government documents, peer-reviewed research articles, and professional reports including leading international and Kenyan case studies to explore how constructed wetlands can be effectively used in game lodges and resorts situated in arid and remote areas of Kenya. The study investigated wastewater management systems adopted by remote game lodges and resorts in Kenya and the potential role, as well as the challenges to adopting constructed wetland (CW) technology. The results indicated that hotels, game lodges, and resorts both internationally and locally are adopting different types of CWs including surface and subsurface flow as alternative nature-oriented wastewater management systems. The study identified opportunities in the use of CWs as a wastewater management and conservation strategy. The results suggest that there are potential challenges which include inadequate expertise and technical support; low volume of discharge during off-seasons; limited space or land; and the attitude of hospitality managers towards constructed wetlands. Based on these preliminary findings, one may conclude that game lodges, ecolodges, and resorts in remote areas are prime candidates for constructed wetland establishment. The study makes specific recommendations with implications for policy and practice to promote sustainable hospitality operations and environmental conservation. It is suggested that future studies test the efficacy and efficiency of CW technology as wastewater management systems in the Kenyan wilderness areas including national parks, game reserves, and forests
Probabilistic LMA-based human motion analysis by conjugating frequency and spatial based features
No full textThis paper presents an approach to analyse human motions using Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) system. LMA is a known descriptor for analysing human body motion by using different components that it has. We attempt to present how the frequency and spatial-based features can be applied in LMA concepts, and then we present that how the conjugating of these two kinds of different domains features can be fused by a Bayesian Network (BN). The point is that, the human motions based on the type of body parts motion, can be recognized by some aspects or features better than the others. By combining those different aspects (LMA components) or features, more precise estimation for more various human motions can be obtained. The results approve that our idea to recognize human motion is very successful
Performativities, Virtualities, Abstractions, and Cunningham's BIPED
No full textThis thesis explores the complex relations between subjective perception and dance movements, mainly exemplified by drawing on two short extracts from Merce Cunningham's choreography BIPED (1999). The central aim of the study is to formulate a performative phenomenological inquiry, which moves beyond an identification of essences, and towards an understanding of the lived experience of a dance performance as being grounded on iterations of the "abstract". The concept of the abstract primarily signifies an alternative mode of understanding Henry Bergson's notion of duration. Considering Gilles Deleuze's reading of Bergson's intuition as a method to divide the experience of a lived present into a temporal difference in kind between the virtual and the actual, this thesis suggests a complementary division of duration into virtual and actual kinds of abstraction.
In addition to Bergson's method of intuition, the discussion is phenomenologically rooted in Maurice Merleau-Ponty's concept of the body image and Gaston Bachelards idea of non-causal reverberation. As with the case of intuition, those phenomenological concepts are applied unconventionally. Rather than serving as a pre-objective ontological basis for an analytical and scientific understanding of subjective embodiment, the notion of a reverberating body image is here treated as a form of mimesis, performatively constituted through symbolic and representational practices. Hence, in phenomenological terms, the rationale of the thesis is predominantly sustained by the philosophy of Ernst Cassirer, arguing that reality cannot be approached directly, but only through the concept of the symbol.
The viewpoint from where I speak has performative cybernetic characteristics, continuously and dynamically transgressing boundaries and reconstituting itself through iterative and citational practices. Additionally, as I move between the analytical and the intuitive, as well as between the virtual and the actual, the formal structure of the thesis corresponds to a liminal transformation of the speaking subjectivity
Integrating somatic awareness into a classical physical education curriculum to promote successful movement experiences
No full textThe research study explores the effectiveness of incorporating the somatic movement approaches of Laban Movement Analysis and the Bartenieff Fundamentals into the elementary physical education curriculum. Specifically the study uses these methods for students for grades K-2. The study took place during the 2008-2009 school year. The study includes a literature review and culminates in a 10-lesson unit plan that was taught in the spring of 2009. Each lesson includes: learning objectives; a warm-up; main activity; cool down; and an automatic assessment. Two of the researchers' colleagues observed the unit plan and a checklist was completed throughout each lesson. The study also includes an in depth discussion written by the author and a personal statement written by an observer. The discussion reflects that the author felt she reached her goal of implementing somatic educational techniques in the physical education setting. Through the use of somatic awareness she successfully provided her students with multiple opportunities for movement exploration
Mada'in Salih, a Nabataean town in north west Arabia: analysis and interpretation of the excavation 1986-1990
No full textThis research concerns Mada'in Salih, an archaeological site in north-west Saudi Arabia. Historically, it was part of the Nabataean kingdom which flourished in northwest Arabia (Jordan, parts of Syria, Palestine and some parts of Saudi Arabia), with Petra in Jordan as its capital. The Nabataeans were famous for their trading role, as they transported frankincense and myrrh and exported balsam and bitumen. They built monumental tombs in Petra and Mada'in Salih as well as other public buildings such as temples theatres and baths. They were also famous for their skills in hydraulic engineering and the production of very thin, distinctively painted pottery. Mada'in Salih was an important station on the trade route which linked south Arabia with Mediterranean countries. The main feature of the site is the monumental tombs, which are about eighty in number, some of them dated and bearing inscriptions. Those inscriptions are in Aramaic and usually contain information about the owner name, legal rights, and occasionally the mason's name. Little was known about the site's history and other aspects such as the economy, culture, society and religions prior to the excavation. Various questions were raised which the thesis attempts to address. The archaeological work conducted on the site included a survey, several trenches around the town wall and in front of some of the tombs as well as an excavation in the settlement area. The excavation revealed a private house which furnished us with information regarding house planning, building techniques and materials. A large amount of pottery, small finds and coins were recovered, studied and classified. The results added some information to what was already known about the Nabataeans in general and Mada'in Salih in particular. The site had witnessed its peak during the first century A.D. As most previous archaeological work had been carried out in the northern parts of the Nabataean kingdom, the results of this excavation are important for comparative studies between this, the largest Nabataean settlement centre in the south, to the centres of the north. The trade which had been an important factor in the establishment of the site declined when the trade route was shifted from land to sea by the Romans during the last half of the first century A.D
Representations of the postcolonial state in the childhood metaphor in selected postcolonial texts
No full textIn the analysis of postcolonial literature, there is no systematic construction of a framework to factor in childhood as a metaphor. Postcolonial criticism has not been engaged further in the enterprise of literary analysis, particularly on form. Consequently, this research fills the need to recast the focus of postcolonial criticism to the analysis of form in literature†(through the use of metaphor of childhood). Hawley picks out one author, Salman Rushdie who is often studied under postcolonial criticism. He singles out that postcolonial critics look only for Rushdie-like characteristics. It is in the interest of this research to apply childhood as a different set of characteristic or criterion to profit the agency of postcoloniality. This research also, therefore, contributes to this critique by establishing further that postcolonial criticism embodies a wider canon and that postcolonial texts are not a ‘handful and recurring’. This research introduces pericolonial zones as well as exposing further ‘the list’ to include the selected texts; Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, in addition to The God of Small Things and Nervous Conditions. A sifting of childhood metaphor, in relation to postcoloniality, engenders further appreciation on the analysis of the literary context and beyond
Are price-based capital account regulations effective in developing countries ?
No full textThe author evaluates the effectiveness of policy measures adopted by Chile and Colombia, aiming to mitigate the deleterious effects of pro-cyclical capital flows. In the case of Chile, according to his Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) analysis, capital controls succeeded in reducing net short-term capital flows but did not affect long-term flows. As far as Colombia is concerned, the regulations were capable of affecting total flows and also long-term ones. In addition, the co-integration models indicate that the regulations did not have a direct effect on the real exchange rate in the Chilean case. Nonetheless, the model used for Colombia did detect a direct impact of the capital controls on the real exchange rate. Therefore, the results do not seem to support the idea that those regulations were easily evaded.Macroeconomic Management,Capital Flows,Economic Theory&Research,Economic Stabilization,Financial Economics
Effects of Dance-Movement Programme on Different Aspects of Communication, Social Interaction and Movement of Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities
No full textSodobni trendi obravnave otrok in mladostnikov z motnjo v duševnem razvoju (MDR) poudarjajo pomen celostnega pristopa, ki zajema obravnavo in spodbujanje različnih področij njihovega razvoja. Terapevtska obravnava otrok in mladostnikov je bolj učinkovita, če jo izvajamo z gibanjem in z različnimi senzornimi procesi, kar velja tudi za otroke z MDR.
V doktorski disertaciji so nas zanimali učinki celostnega intervencijskega plesno-gibalnega programa na posamezne vidike razvoja petih otrok/mladostnikov z MDR. V teoretičnem delu smo najprej opredelili MDR, pridruženost motenj ter diagnoze in podrobneje opisali značilnosti komunikacije, socialne interakcije, gibanja ter odstopanja v razvoju na omenjenih področjih. V nadaljevanju smo opredelili pomen spodbujanja gibanja za otrokov/mladostnikov celostni razvoj, opisali ples kot vrsto gibanja ter opredelili ustvarjalni gib kot celostni učni pristop. Pojasnili smo tudi pomen plesno-gibalne terapije oz. pomoči s plesno-gibalnimi dejavnostmi za otroke/mladostnike in se usmerili na Labanovo analizo gibanja. Povzeli smo tudi izsledke raziskav s področij komunikacije, socialne interakcije in gibanja pri otrocih/mladostnikih z MDR.
Osnovni namen raziskave je bil preveriti učinke plesno-gibalnega programa na posamezne vidike komunikacije (vzpostavljanje in zadrževanje očesnega kontakta), socialne interakcije (stopnja socialne vključenosti, socialni profil) in gibanja (gibalni repertoar, kakovost zrcaljenja in imitacije gibalnih vzorcev druge osebe) pri otrocih/mladostnikih z MDR. V vzorec pričujoče raziskave smo zajeli pet otrok/mladostnikov z zmerno MDR, ki so bili stari od 11 do 12 let in so bili vključeni v Center za izobraževanje, rehabilitacijo in usposabljanje Vipava. Za vse vključene otroke/mladostnike z MDR je bila značilna lažja gibalna oviranost in zmerna ali težja govorno-jezikovna motnja. Med vključenimi otroki/mladostniki z MDR sta imela dva (eno dekle in en fant) diagnozo Downov sindrom, dva (eno dekle in en fant) diagnozo avtistične motnje in en fant diagnozo sindrom prekomerne rasti. Posamezne vidike komunikacije smo ugotavljali z avtorsko oblikovano opazovalno lestvico vzpostavljanja in zadrževanja očesnega kontakta, gibalne spretnosti/sposobnosti smo ugotavljali z avtorsko oblikovano opazovalno lestvico gibanja in s Preizkusom imitacije gibov (Bergès in Lézine, 1972). Kakovost socialne interakcije smo ugotavljali s preizkusom Socialni profil, ocena socialne vključenosti otrok, mladostnikov in odraslih (Donohue, 2013), zadovoljstvo s plesno-gibalnim programom pa z avtorsko oblikovano lestvico za vrednotenje zadovoljstva z dogajanjem. Za namen doktorskega dela smo oblikovali celostni plesno-gibalni program za spodbujanje različnih vidikov delovanja otrok/mladostnikov z MDR.
V doktorski raziskavi nas je podrobneje zanimalo, kakšne so značilnosti vključenih otrok/mladostnikov z MDR na izbranih področjih komunikacije, socialne interakcije in gibanja pred izvedbo plesno-gibalnega programa, takoj po njegovi izvedbi in pol leta od zaključka izvedbe programa. Rezultati so pokazali, da je imelo vseh pet vključenih otrok/mladostnikov z MDR pred izvedbo programa težave na vseh izbranih področjih raziskovanja. Po izvedbi programa se je pri vseh petih otrocih/mladostnikih z MDR pokazalo izboljšanje vseh izbranih vidikov komunikacije, socialne interakcije in gibanja. Pol leta po zaključku programa so rezultati pri petih udeležencih programa na vseh treh merjenih področjih pokazali upad učinkov programa, a so posamezniki v splošnem dosegli boljše rezultate kot pred izvedbo programa. Iz celotne primerjave izbranih značilnosti udeležencev raziskave je v vseh treh časih merjenja (pred izvedbo programa, takoj po njegovi izvedbi in pol leta za tem) za vsa področja komunikacije in socialne interakcije razvidno, da sta si bila udeleženca z avtistično motnjo med sabo bolj podobna kot sta si bila udeleženca z diagnozo Downov sindrom, nobenemu od njih pa ni bil podoben udeleženec s sindromom prekomerne rasti. Iz rezultatov vseh treh merjenj za vsa področja gibanja je moč razbrati, da so se udeleženci raziskave z enako diagnozo med seboj bolj razlikovali kot udeleženci z različno. Rezultati raziskave so pokazali tudi, da so bili vsi udeleženci z izvedbo programa (zelo) zadovoljni.
Rezultati raziskave omogočajo nova znanstvena spoznanja o različnih značilnostih otrok/mladostnikov z MDR na področjih komunikacije, socialne interakcije in gibanja. Predstavljen je tudi model za oblikovanje plesno-gibalnega programa za delo z osebami z MDR in načini, kako izmeriti njegove učinke na različnih področjih posameznikovega delovanja. Dobljeni rezultati omogočajo oblikovanje smernic za delo z otroki/mladostniki z MDR, ki vključuje tudi uporabo celostnega plesno-gibalnega programa.Modern trends in the treatment of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) emphasise the importance of an integrated approach that encompasses the treatment and stimulation of various aspects of their development. Therapeutic treatment of children and adolescents, including those with ID, is more effective when carried out using movement and various sensory processes.
This doctoral dissertation aims to examine the effects of a dance-movement intervention programme on different aspects of development in five children and adolescents with ID. In the theory section, we first defined the ID, associated disorders and diagnoses of each child or adolescent, and described in detail their characteristics in communication, social interaction, and movement, as well as the developmental disorders in these areas. We then defined the importance of encouraging movement for the holistic development of the child or adolescent, described dance as a type of movement, and finally defined the creative movement as an integrated teaching approach. We explained the significance of dance-movement therapy for children and adolescents with ID and focused on the Laban movement analysis. We summarised the research findings in the areas of communication, social interaction, and movement in children and adolescents with ID.
The main intent of the study was to analyze the effects of a dance-movement programme on various aspects of communication (establishing and maintaining eye contact), social interaction (level of social inclusion, social profile), and movement (movement repertoire, quality of mirroring and imitation of movement patterns of other people) in children and adolescents with ID. The sample used in this research consisted of five children and adolescents, aged 11 to 12, with moderate ID, who were included in the Vipava Centre for Education and Rehabilitation. All the participants had a mild motor impairment and a moderate or severe speech-language impairment. Two of the participants (one girl, one boy) were diagnosed with Down syndrome, while the other two (one girl, one boy) were diagnosed with an autisem, and one boy was diagnosed with overgrowth syndrome. Different aspects of communication were assessed using an Observation Scale of Establishing and Maintaining Eye Contact designed by the author. Motor skills and abilities were assessed using a Movement Observation Scale and the Movement Imitation Test designed by the author (Bergès and Lézine, 1972). The quality of social interaction was measured using the Social Profile, Assessment of Social Participation in Children, Adolescents, and Adults (Donohue, 2013), and the satisfaction with the dance-movement programme using a Satisfaction with Activity Evaluation Scale designed by the author. Specifically for the present study, we developed an integrated dance-movement programme, to encourage various aspects of development of children and adolescents with ID.
In this doctoral study, we were particularly interested in the characteristics shown by the children and adolescents with ID in the selected areas of communication, social interaction, and movement prior to the dance-movement programme, immediately after its completion, and six months later. The results show that all five children and adolescents with ID had difficulties in all of the selected areas that were the subject of research. After the programme was completed, all five children and adolescents with ID demonstrated improvement in all examined aspects, i.e., communication, social interaction, and movement. Six months after the programme, the results for the five programme participants in all three domains measured showed some decline in the programme\u27s effects, but overall the individuals performed better than before the programme. A comprehensive comparison of selected characteristics of the study participants shows that at all three measurement times (before the programme, immediately after its completion, and six months later), in the aspects of communication and social interaction, the two participants with autism were more similar to each other than to the two participants diagnosed with Down syndrome, and none of them were similar to the participant diagnosed with overgrowth syndrome. However, the results obtained at three different measurement times in relation to the movement test show that differences were bigger among the participants with the same diagnosis than among participants with different diagnoses. Research results show that all of the participants were very satisfied with the programme.
The results of the research provide new scientific insight into the various characteristics of children and adolescents with ID in areas of communication, social interaction, and movement. We have also presented a model for designing a dance-movement programme for people with ID and ways to measure its effects on various areas of an individual’s functioning. Based on these results, guidelines for working with children and adolescents with ID, which include the use of the integrated dance-movement programme, can be made
