CLMA & Cesar Millan: I See Moving People

For years I have watched The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan on the National Geographic Channel. I never really could articulate why the show was so fascinating and enjoyable to watch, especially since I don't own nor have I ever owned a dog or even a cat for that matter. His way of observing, listening, and problem-solving in a fully physical way for both dogs and their owners was such a fulfilling process to watch.

Then half-way through my Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies program, I realized what it was that attracted me to this show. With the intensive submersion into all things movement in the Utah Summer program structure of the program I was attending, I began to feel a bit like the famed character in The Sixth Sense, only instead of seeing dead people I was seeing moving people everywhere. With language to now understand the nuance and patterns of human movement I began to see interesting examples of ways people move, ways people talk about moving, and ways people approach or value movement. For me Cesar Millan's process of rehabilitation very much resonates for me with the type of work we do in the Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst certification program. So for those who find what CLMA's do so enigmatic, I offer up The Dog Whisperer as a similar example of what we do, only he does it with both dogs and people. Sound a bit wild? Well let me explain.

The language Cesar uses to explain or demonstrate in his process may be different, but the process is a kindred cousin to what CLMA's do with people. Cesar understands that movement is meaningful, that movement communicates emotions, relationships, values, and past history.
When Cesar is speaking about "energy" I argue he is speaking about what we call in the Laban world Effort. He is speaking about the dog or person's inner intent being manifested in their physical display of movement or posture. What the body is doing, how it forms itself into and out of various stances, and how bodies relate to and within their environment are all part of what Cesar looks for in his observation process. Cesar watches for markers in the dogs' movements and posture that express the dogs' inner intentions. He also does the same as owners begin to apply his methods in working with their dogs.

As with CLMA's he is intuitive, succinct, and clear about pointing out and describing what he is seeing in both man and dog that leads him to the conclusions he reaches. He is able to communicate what he is seeing in a way that his clients are able to understand the details he is seeing in the movement. His way of communicating his observation not only helps others understand what he is seeing but also helps them look for the same type of expressive markers in the future. He brings awareness to his clients about how to see expression in movement, how to analyze movement to glean meaning from it. Again this is what CLMA's can do for their clients.

Also like CLMA's he is able to sit down and really listen not only to the issues that people are having with their pets, but also listen to how they are talking about those issues. He understands that there is just as much to learn about what language people use in speaking about an issue as there is to learn in understanding what the actual issue is. The same happens in sessions with CLMA's. We listen to the issues that are going on with each client (ex. I have an old injury. /Somehow I give off the wrong message about myself in social settings. / I need help with learning how to do a better job at speaking in public. / My back hurts when I. . . etc.) But we also listen to how that client perceives or understands the issue within their personal system of beliefs and values.

And finally, like CLMA's, Cesar moves into action orchestrating a strategy or plan of action that greatly values physical action and awareness of movement. He is consistent in his philosophy during the process of devising strategies and yet improvisational and creative remaining open to whatever potential learning opportunities come up in the moment. Again the process of working with a CLMA is very much the same. We provide physical exercises, guidance on how those exercises are done, and still remain open to any improvisational openings in the process.

While Cesar works with the relationships people have with their dogs, we CLMA's work with the relationships we have to our bodies, others, and our environment. Cesar works within the world of how to be more clear in how we express ourselves to our pets, while CLMA's work on how to become more efficient and functional as well as more clear in our expression. I now understand my affinity for The Dog Whisperer and why so many of his lessons become a larger metaphor for life lessons. The same happens in my work as a performer, choreographer, educator, and now movement analyst.

Whew! I'm glad I sorted that out. I almost thought I needed to get a dog.

Big and Small: Impacts of Laban Movement Analysis

This past week marked my certification as a Certified Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst. This occasion marked just over a year’s worth of hard work. As candidates we had to pass a Written Evaluation, a Movement Evaluation, and a 30 minute presentation. This program has impacted my life in so many ways—big and small. I decided to post one of my answers on the Written Evaluation here to show one of the small (and yet huge) ways this program has influenced me.

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For the past several days, I’ve been in our office taking my written evaluation for the Integrated Movement Studies (IMS) program. To the left caddy corner to my desk is a fish bowl in which my boyfriend’s Betta fish lives. Or maybe I should say MY Betta fish. I’ve been caring for this fish even before I moved in here. When I first met Mr. Fish, as I call him, he was barely alive. He laid down at the bottom of his bowl barely moving. When I realized Mr. Fish had not been fed very often, I took up the task. At first, Mr. Fish could barely make it from the bottom of the bowl to the top of the water to reach the food. If he missed one of the little pellets on his first desperate attempt, he would have to rest for a good five minutes before trying again. Slowly, I’ve been nursing him back to health—mostly just by feeding him on a regular basis (who knew right?) and now more often than not, he’s actually swimming around his bowl.

However, now that he’s more active, my cat Shashka has taken a greater interest in him. Most of the time, she just likes to lay on the desk and watch him. And, oddly enough, the fish loves her. He swims joyously around his bowl and looks at her when she jumps up. Every once in awhile, she decides that sticking her face into the top of the fish bowl would give her a better view. I don’t want her doing this because I fear it could lead to her “playing” with the Mr. Fish and killing him. And I’ve grown attached to Mr. Fish. So, every time she puts her nose into the bowl, I snap my fingers at her, with Quickness  to get her attention, Directness to intimate that I am indeed intending the motion to her, and Strength, as if to say, “No!”
(For those of you not familiar with Strength, Quickness, and Directness, they are all considered Effort Factors in the Laban system. Effort refers to the attitude of the mover toward their intention to move. The Weight Effort Factor (Strength is one) is the “me-ness” in the intention to move. It’s how much of themselves a mover takes into the action. Often Strong Weight is seen as the amount of confidence or power a person has at a given moment in time.  Space Factor (Directness is one) is the mover's attention to the space or environment. Direct Space Effort is focusing very specifically on one focal point. In this case my Direct focus was on my cat specifically. Quickness is a Time Effort Factor which refers to the mover's intention to act in the moment “now.” When someone responds with Quickness, there is a sense of immediacy in their actions.)

When I notice her, placing her face into the fish bowl from the corner of my eye, I turn my body from my waist, initiating the movement from my feet on the ground, slowly with Sustainment (a Time Factor, the opposite of Quick) and Directness. As I finish turning and verify that she does indeed have her nose in the bowl. Nose in the bowl verification complete, I snap my fingers at her with Strength, Quickness, and Directness leaving my hand at the edge of my Kinesphere, closer to her than me. After the snap there is a brief moment of Strong Weight and Direct Space (Stable State) where my attention remains directly and forcefully on her, as if to say “Yes, I really mean it.”

The revelation here was based in my success or failure to use Strong Weight in that snapping (Action Drive Punch) moment. Over the past few days of writing this evaluation, I have had the opportunity to experience this movement many times. I’ve noticed that when I don’t quite get all my weight behind this movement and end up using Lightness (a Weight Factor on the other end of the spectrum) instead, my cat responds as if I’m giving her the option to take her head out of the bowl but not commanding it. She hears “Well, if you could maybe remove your head from the bowl, I’d appreciate it, but if not that’s OK too.”

And, not surprisingly, she chooses to leave her head exactly where it is. On the other hand, if I am able to really get behind my weight and manifest Strength in that snapping moment (an Action Drive Punch), she responds by quickly removing her head and taking a few steps back from the bowl, blinking in surprise and annoyance. So, by really clarifying my intent and my Strength I am able to communicate what I intend (for her to take her head out of the bowl) more clearly.

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I’ve found that this short moment with my cat plays into my life as well. When I first began my study of Effort, Strong Weight felt very uncomfortable to me. As the IMS program progressed, I realized that when I used Strong Weight, I felt like I was being pushy. I didn’t want to be pushy. So, because I had a negative value placed on using Strong Weight, I was resistant to using it and tended to see Strong Weight as a negative quality in other people.

The more I practiced Strong Weight, the more I recognized that Strong Weight is not innately negative, but is perfectly applicable in certain situations—like motivating a large group of my dance students to move. And, as a result, I am able to use Strong Weight where I deem it appropriate (like when I want my cat to GET HER NOSE OUT OF THE FISH BOWL).