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SESSIONS Non-Technical Presentations, Panels & Workshops T'ai Chi Ch'uan / Abstract Billie Mahoney Having studied T’ai Chi Ch’uan for three years, I was very impressed with how clearly the movements of the postures demonstrate various concepts of the Labanotation system, for which valid movement examples have not always been readily at hand. I have notated the first few postures of the Short Form, and feel it is worthy of sharing with Labanotation colleagues, re: weight shift with complete transference or partial transference of 70%; foot contacts, foot and leg rotations, space holds, spot holds, relationships of palm to palm, of hand to body part, etc.; various pins, direct paths for gestures; contracting, folding, extending, unfolding; torso rotation (not twist), change of front, blind turns, “secret” turns; etc., not to mention validity. It might also be of interest to compare with our Asian colleagues this form, which was learned in Tai Wan from professor Cheng Man Ch’ing, to how it is now taught in the U.S. My instructor was extremely articulate and precise, as is his professor, Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo, with whom I have had master classes. Ideally this would be a movement workshop with overhead projector showing the notation and with handouts to take away. A follow-up technical session might be desirable to discuss in detail some of the usages in the notation. There are sure to be many questions. Billie Mahoney - Fellow of ICKL since 1967, certified LN teacher, reconstructor, professional notator: specialist in musical theater and tap dance including works of Jack Cole, Bob Fosse, Fred Strickler, and José Greco. Dance Notation Bureau: Board of Directors, Treasurer, Executive Committee, Education Administrator, 1960's. Head of dance notation program in Dance Division of The Juilliard School, 1970-85; ICKL Research Panel 1977-81, Panel Chair 1979-81; Coordinator of Dance, Northern Illinois University 1989-92. Currently performs and choreographs for Kansas City area venues, and teaches Labanotation biennially at University of Missouri-Kansas City.
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