Space to Move
The relationship between dance, design, and space.
Written by Craig Berry and Kirsten Oelofse
Designer & Writer | Dancer, Choreographer & Creative
What does it mean to have a building designed specifically for dance? You could ask the same about other places designed for a specific subject. Be it related to the arts, as a studio for an artist or a theatre for actors. Or for sports, like a basketball court or football pitch.
Dance, though, isn’t tangible; you can dance, but you can’t touch it. You also can’t touch songs, music, or acting but, you can hear these; they connect with more than one sense. Dance doesn’t need to be heard to be enjoyed, but dance is also impermanent; it is the body’s movement through space.
This space, whatever it may be, is essential. The Austro-Hungarian theorist, choreographer, and pioneer of dance, Rudolf von Laban, understood this and based his principles on space and movement, specifically: “Antrieb”, aka an ‘internal impulse’ or action, translated to English is Drive.
“Laban describes the dynamics of movement, which he calls drive [antrieb], with various objective terms. The variety of possible modes of expression results from the relation of the movement to the factors weight/strength, flow, space (attention) and time, and their numerous possible combinations. The analysis of the drive is an important tool to perceive and name the quality of the non-verbal expression. Depending on the inner constitution, personal preference for movement or the external context, the drive expressed in a movement, changes.”
— Translation of Antrieb from Laban Movement Studies Wikipedia Page.
Through this Antreib, Laban explored how movement creates space and how a creator may feel — while capturing an artistic idea — to a performance space. Since movement creates space, the way a dancer moves and reacts in/to a space is essential to the performance.
As a mere graphic designer with little to no experience of dance (other than the half-drunken nightclub two-step), I asked my fiancé, Kirsten Oelofse, a professional dancer and choreographer with way more experience than me, to share her thoughts and insights about dance — and performance in general — when thinking about physical and metaphorical space.
“The idea of space as a tool is nothing new to dance, the definition of dance as an art form is quite literally, to make shapes using the body as the equipment/material, thus requiring space to move. Although dance can, in a practical sense, be done wherever as long as there is a body to perform the movement, it becomes slightly more specific when looking at dance as an art form in a professional sense.
When creating a piece, regardless of genre or style, one must first think about what exactly they wish to convey through the movement and, in doing so, also consider external aspects such as costuming, lighting and setting to bring the finished work together.
Thinking of the space as an element in and of itself can provide character and style to amplify the expression and meaning of a piece overall. For example, selecting a space for a particular concept, MN Dance Company uses a dilapidated industrial warehouse for their piece’ Land of All’. The setting instantly creates a narrative and feeling of moody emotion, so the audience immediately starts to develop their ideas about the piece’s meaning. By considering the environment, the creators aid the choreography with a constant visual identity to accompany the dance movements. In doing so, levelling up the expression and artistry of the work as a whole.”
“As a choreographer/dancer myself, I enjoy sourcing locations that amplify the intention of each piece I create and with each one, I learn more about what works well for the dancers performing the piece and production, such as camera angles and lighting.
Focusing on the dancer’s point of view, the given space must have suitable flooring for the movements, particularly in ballet/contemporary where they would be barefoot or en pointe to prevent injury and have the right amount of space to perform the actions comprehensively and coherently. Although dancers can be highly adaptable to a given space, it is necessary for the outcome of the piece to consider that they have adequate room to dance full-out.
Looking at dance spaces for training, I think back to my years studying at a professional performing arts college and reminisce about the thousands of hours spent in the studios. Whether in classes or rolling around the floor choreographing for assessment pieces and Christmas cabarets.
For me, being in a studio — which is quite literally an empty room to an outsider — is being home. Since I was four years old, I have danced, having spent a good portion of my life in various studios around the country. A studio to me is so much more than just a room with four walls and a mirror; it is a place to create, to express myself, to release tension and emotion, to have fun with friends, to gain new friends through relatable passions, to explore my body and my mind’s ever-growing capabilities and most importantly, to nourish my soul.”
— Kirsten Oelofse
With this idea of a space designed specifically for dance, a space to move. I wanted to explore these spaces in a design and architectural context and, in particular, two dance institutions in East London. One completed in 2003 and the other more recently in 2019.
Established architectural firms design both, and both have been awarded highly prestigious architectural awards. They also both have a similar look and feel.
The two buildings are the Laban Dance Centre* (LDC), designed by Herzog & de Meuron and finished in 2003, and the English National Ballet (ENB), designed by Glen Howells Architects and completed in 2019. Both buildings are on the East side of London, one below and one above the Thames.*Named after Rudolf van Laban.
The two buildings are designed primarily for different styles of dance. As you might expect, the ENB for ballet and the LDC being designed for contemporary dance. There is a cross-over between ballet and contemporary dance styles, which links the two; however, they are very different in meaning, movement, and expression. Despite being for various types, both these buildings share similar designs.
Most evident and apparent to an outside viewer is the heavy use of translucent material* on the building’s exterior. Both of the architecture firms responsible follow the same concept of giving people an insight into the art form while still retaining a level of privacy and mystery. Equally, translucent materials allow natural light to flood into studio spaces, something that visually creative people and performers always appreciate.
*The material used for ENB is listed as being Linit.
“Herzog & de Meuron designed the Laban to showcase the dancer’s silhouettes without compromising their privacy. It was one of the first buildings to experiment with translucent plastic as an exterior surface, and glows brightly after dark.”
Laban Dance Centre
“The translucent white cladding is a particular design feature, contrasting with the colourful surrounding buildings and allowing passers-by to catch glimpses of the professional dancers as they rehearse.”
English National Ballet
With ballet (specifically classical ballet) being a somewhat conservative form of dance, one that is seen as being snooty and exclusionary, it is often taught at prestigious and traditional buildings, such as the Royal Ballet School. Having a ballet organisation and school in a new, modern and open space like this gives a feeling of inclusion and opens the world of ballet to a broader audience.
While the ENB’s translucent exterior is clean and minimal, in a subtle shade of grey (a piece of architectural calm when surrounded by colourful apartment blocks), the LDC exterior is translucent and bright.
Colour is a theme that runs through the building, shifting and changing with light to create a sense of movement and communication, two crucial aspects of contemporary dance. The choice of which colours to use, an important consideration, was decided in collaboration with Michael Craig-Martin for his experience with colour in his artwork.
LDC was one of the first buildings to experiment with these translucent plastics as an exterior surface; I’m almost sure that the design for the ENB building was inspired by this.
Both architecture firms responsible for these buildings have received numerous, highly coveted awards: the 2003 Stirling Prize for LDC and the 2020 AJ100 Building of the Year for ENB, amongst others.
Both purpose-built; they feature incredible dance facilities; LDC being the world’s largest purpose-built contemporary dance centre with 13 dance studios featuring the latest sprung flooring and large windows, including a 100-seat studio theatre performance space. ENB has seven full-sized studios, numerous dedicated engagement and learning spaces and a five-storey production studio with a fitted fly tower.
Both buildings being on the East side of London, specifically the ENB being built more recently in this area, are symbolic, and it shows the rising cultural presence in this part of the city. Future east London culture developments include East Bank and the planned education district at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
To end, on an architectural basis — and a subject of which I am more experienced — I relate these two buildings for dance to the White Cube gallery* for contemporary art. This is the kind of purpose-built building that is something that only increases the appreciation for the art it holds.
*Specifically talking about the White Cube gallery in Bermondsey, London. Designed by Casper Mueller Kneer Architects and finished in 2011.
Like the ENB and LDC, White Cube is clean and minimal, inside and out. It has vast amounts of open space and allows the artwork on display inside to breathe; there are no architectural distractions that might exist in more traditional and converted gallery spaces. Equally, the choice of materials is highly considered and plays a part in the viewer’s overall experience.
Images from Dezeen and the respective institution’s websites.
Read more blog posts on craig-berry.co.uk or my Medium page.
