Archetypes: paper 1 Dance of expressions of emotion

 

The idea here in this paper is to define the corporeal mime expression versus the posture-whole body language or the sculpture of man in motion/statuary mobile. There is more to it than just one source. IN THE ARCHETYPES PAPERS 1-2-3, I look into science of today, ‘The Body Action Coding System II’ and other research, study’s and literature but also will I highlight historical revolutionary insights during and after the turning of the 19^th century when new ideas came forward on the corporeal experience of emotion and ideas on the gestural origin of language. These new insights in (psycho)physiology and psychology developed simultanously with the new corporeal mime theater of Decroux and biomechanics of Meyerhold. In the same light I also probe the idea behind ‘zaum’ in the Futurist poetry, and later the work of ‘Gertrude Stein’ with her language dynamics and ‘the mumbling man’ as bearers or transmitters of corporeal transposing and I will shed light on notation forms of theater – modern dance and mime - disciplines. Especially the research into poetry and the articulation of involved body parts touch strongly on the ideas of the Decroux’s dynamics in mime and his coined dynamo-rhythm. 

In a sense one can find an analogy of the vocal poetry and the ‘body poetry’ as in mime body language in the Futurist poetry and in the corporeal mime.

 

21 EXPRESSIONS OF EMOTION

The article in Times and other newspapers referred to a publication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of March 13, 2014. In Compound facial expressions of emotions Ohio State University researchers determine there are 21 universally recognizable facial expressions! I couldn’t wait to try out these 21 expressions of emotion for myself! The newspaper article spawned the first idea to create emotion mask for the theater. Would these ‘emotion masks’ change the way for acting and could they offer a bigger range when transposed in masks for acting? I shared this idea with several visual and physical theater artists and the following plan ensued:

• Study, design and creation of emotion masks for 21 expressions of emotion, based on the 21 described facial expressions and coded Action Units (AU) according to the system of FACS (Facial Action Coding System).

• Research of the emotion masks on stage, through recording, observations and maskplay improvising.   
• At the start of the research the 21 emotions in the PNAS publication were evoked in front of the mirror and we filmed these expressions successively like a continuously changing flow of emotions, in one take – link film The Face is a Poem

EMPATHY

"the face is a poem"-happy-sad-contempt-outrage

Swedish psychologist Ulf Dimberg first published about involuntary empathy in the early 1990s. In contrast to the adherents of the cognitive view (which believes that all our actions stem from cognition), he showed that the human species does not decide to be empathetic but simply is. In experiments, he attached small electrodes to register the slightest muscle movement. Test subjects appeared to react immediately when they were shown angry or excited faces: they frowned, for example, and or raised the corners of their mouths. When the images of faces with emotions were shown on the screen for such a short time that they could not be consciously perceived, they showed the same reactions.

Displayed facial expressions not only influence our facial muscles but also evoke emotions.  In this form and experimentation, it is referred to as an emotional contagion or contagiousness. Seeing other people's emotions arouses our own. From there we build a deeper understanding of the other person's situation and as a result, we can   develop a strategy for our own benefit. First here comes physical involvement, insight (cognition) follows later.

In 1992, an Italian research team at the University of Parma discovered for the first time that there are special brain cells in macaque monkeys that are activated and mirror the same action in themselves as in others. This discovery of the mirror neuron is involved in body language: when we see someone's body language or the tone of their voice, we infer the other person's mood and our own mood is immediately affected. We don't even have to see the face. Beatrice de Gelder (see further on) was the first to show that we respond just as quickly to body postures as to facial expressions, and her research results even showed that we rely more on the information from posture and body language than from the expressions in faces.

UNIVERSAL EMOTION

As recently as the 1960’s and 1970’s a commonly held belief was that emotions stem from cultural environment. For a long time, gestures and facial expressions were thought of as culturally determined. Darwin’s 100-year-old research shows that emotional expressions are not socially determined, but rather universally given. His research ‘The expression of emotions in man and animals’* was published in 1872.
The latest edition was published in 2009 as part of UNESCO’s “Darwin 200” commemoration.

Paul Ekman, psychologist and pioneer in the field of emotion and facial expression research, has annotated this edition and thereby given it a new dimension. In his annotations, Ekman describes much of his own research into emotion and how expressions of emotion can be put into context. Among other things, he relates how every culture has rules for expression, different sets of guidelines for controlling and regulating the expression of emotions. For example, our culture obliges us to be graceful about losing a match and happily congratulate the winner. There are also great differences between East and West: for example, Asian people look at a face differently, they focus more on the part with the nose, where in the West, people focus alternately on the eyes and mouth.* For more examples, see Paul Ekman and John Cleese in the BBC documentary The Human Face 2013.*

THE SMILE IS THE MOST UNIVERSAL EXPRESSION

More than forty muscles are involved in a facial expression. In proportion to the total of the body, this is a consequence percentage. The amount of expressions  that we are capable of varies in estimates
of 4000 - 10.000. The most universal  expression is a smile. A real smile only lasts a short time, say a a short second  to a maximum of 4 seconds. That is why a longer-lasting smile starts to look somewhat threatening. A real smile is the only facial expression that we cannot pretend. That is implied in the contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle - a circle of muscle around the eye - and that we have no control over it. You can make your mouth show a smile, but you cannot make your eyes sparkle with pleasure. (see example Working method - chapter) 

MICRO EXPRESSION

In his book, Paul Ekman has a chapter reserved for what he calls micro expressions (of emotion). These are facial expressions that last only very briefly, for about a second. They exist, but they are repressed, consciously or subconsciously. Even if someone does not want to acknowledge their emotions to themselves or others, they still occur instinctively. Only someone with a keen eye can detect them. Paul Ekman describes examples from video fragments. In only one or two of 25 images per second did the original reaction show in the form of an expression of emotion. Ekman in the Netherlands: Although his emotion theory has been disputed for over a decade, much of it is still used. During the Great National Enquiry (Groot Nationaal Onderzoek), broadcasted in the television program Labyrint* (NPO – December 8, 2008), Ekman’s theory was used to test how good the Dutch are at recognizing each other’s emotions. 

IN THE WAITING ROOM, PERSPECTIVES FROM PHYSICAL THEATER

Ask anyone where his focus is when he looks at someone, and he will most likely tell you that his focus is, of course, on the eyes. This response shows a polite attitude. But the one thing we avoid saying is that we also (want to) look at other parts of the body. Of course looking for somebody's eyes might mean an invitation or wish to see the other’s reaction. You want the other person to respond to contact, you want to get (better) acquainted, or you want to show dominance. Eye contact can give someone a sense of belonging. In many Asian and African cultures prolonged eye contract is considered rude.  Where are we allowed to look without offending somebody? In physical theater and especially mime, we exploit this and it is a much-used idea for theatrical performance. We play a scene in the waiting room: each enters in turn and nobody knows the others. This is stressfull. We say hello and in doing so also comply in this context with the (unwritten) social rules for expression of gestures and emotion. Not too much, not too little. Since you don't know eachother it must be done with due modesty, no intimate approach, no searching glances towards the body. If you act as in a theater play it is safe to take actions where you normally wouldn't. After all, it’s only fiction. The scene can be played in different ways: grotesquely, like a slapstick, small underacting, realistically, etc. It can be played using only text or expressly no lines at all. This way face, gestures and body language have to work harder. Style or manner do not matter here, it is about perspective.

We will most likely see a lot of eye movement, glances in every direction, a presence that constantly wants to reach out to the other but at the same time yearns to crawl back into its own cocoon. We will probably see awkward gestures, what do I do with my hands? Where do I focus my gaze? Will I sit up straight, with my legs apart or crossed? And what will the others think of what I do? Most likely we also see that there is as much distance between each person as possible, and only when there is no other option will a new person entering the room sit down right next to another. The most distant seat from anyone else is the best one, resulting in everyone keeping their maximum amount of personal space. The greeting space – distance to each other – is different everywhere. Every culture also has a different personal space in various contexts. Greetings are also a joy to study. Why do the Dutch give three kisses in greeting? And why are Americans so overly jovial when they say hello, like they have been your friend for years?

As a theatermaker and mime actor I am fascinated by human behavior. I observe it expressly to capture it in a mirroring medium, to set the world at an angle as it were and give the audience an experience that moves them and sets them free. I employ every sign we use in our expression. I reflect on the power of wonderment and the dynamics of our human world.

Capturing the unwritten rules, behavior driven by taboo, forbidden acts, showing what everyone wants but cannot do. It exposes deeper want, fear, wonderment, subtexts, a gut feeling. It shows the maladapted, the ones with power and the underdog. It shows the dilemma of man with his own behavior. Any producer of theater keeps all these things in mind when working from observation. In doing so we hope to get a peek behind reality and come into contact with another perspective from where we can be amazed and where we appreciate the real world again.

Facial Reactions to Facial Expressions Ulf Dimberg First published in Psycholphysiology © Society for Psychophysiological Research : November 1982 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1982.tb02516.x

Frans de Waal The Age of Empathie. Nature’s Lessons for a Kinder Society. Harmony Books 2009.

Action recognition in the premotor cortex  Vittorio Gallese, Luciano Fadiga, Leonardo Fogassi, Giacomo Rizzolatti Brain, Volume 119, Issue 2, April 1996, Pages 593–609, https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/119.2.593 Published: 01 April 1996

 

SPINE CONVERSATIONS: In 2015 the research on ‘emotion expressions for physical theater’ – Masks Moved was presented at the University of the Arts in Arnhem in a symposium and directly afterwards an invitation arises from dr. Harry von Piekartz, University of Applied Sciences in Osnabruck. In 2017 a joint research starts,  it focuses on facial and postural expressions during emotion and is led by Harry von Piekartz, Department of Physiotherapy Osnabruck, and me. It is a logic continuation: After the research of emotions in facial expressions, the next step is going to focus more on the spine and whole body expression. The research in healthy subjects and in chronic pain, involves from the start:

reflexion in water: Sculpture ‘Spine Conservations',art installation@sjoerdschwibettur

 

 

 

rehabilitation program https://myfacetraining.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

-The relation between depth of facial basic emotions and body expression.  

-The influence of pain in face and body expression. 

-The behavior of the spine during different basic emotion expressions and  pain.

As methods of the joint research on facial and postural expressions during emotion we used movement analysis (corporeal mime articulations) when looking for visual patterns in expressions of facial and body expressions. Face and Body language complement eachother. There is an apparent relation between body expression and face expression. Expression and perception of body and face are both a dynamic process. Whole body expressions of emotion include movement of all body parts and posture. Viewed from the Arts in theater and dance, the spine is the main center as it is the carrier of weight and the centerpiece of all movement is the trunk. Essentially the dynamic use of the weight is the expression of the body.

6 basic expressions of emotion in posture - front and back view@sjoerdschwibettus

BODY ACTION CODING SYSTEM

Do the spine and body use the same impuls from the emotions to form an emotion expression? Since the last decade there has been a growing understanding that such is the case.

Since just recently science started out to develop a so called Body Action Posture Coding System (BACS) and some study’s reveal already with EMG (electromyography) the relation of body contractions and emotion expressions. The BACS is the first coding system based on muscle activity. There is also an increasing interest in developing systems that are able to create or recognize emotional body language for the development of avatars, and virtual imaging. To that end multiple coding systems are developed to interpret or create body expressions either in static postures or motion. A lot of research in emotion of body and facial expressions is using the depicting of expressions in static positions or in motion to detect patterns. Systems like in face tagging or with Qualisys (capture motion system) generates and processes the data used for recognition.

INNER FORM

WHAT IS WITHIN? An expression is clearest when the movement is carried out from the center and from the inside. It is about the distinction and here it is about the expression value. If the lower back and core are not sustained and supported, most people will compensate with the pulling of their chest and high shoulders as well, and the expression is therefore limited or held back. If the feet and legs never stretch or are rigid and work far below their capacity and appear to be a bit sagged, they pass the erergy and muscle tone involved on to the spine and posture. The chest then does its best to compensate for all this by pulling with extra force and will for instance express less relaxation or tenderness. The inner form must be understood as energy and contains in its presence architectonic elements of what it communicates. This inner form is linked with the weight and counter-weight, strength, speed, impetus, muscular respiration, muscular tension, relaxation and resistance. Our body can be thought of as a chain of bones, muscles and joints and fascia. In our daily functioning we move in these kinectic chains. The body is the instrument and the inner form reflects on its expressiveness.

6 basic expressions of emotion in posture - front and backview@sjoerdschwibettus

Even a static posture is processed as a stategy in the brain, not only the posture as a frame or shape-outline is important, we deduct the possible intention underneath the given posture. To understand the strategy is at stake with every emotion expression: is there a reason to fear, must I show anger, is it better to disgust etc. Remarkable here again is the parallel between science and the arts: In this research the concept of posture and attitude, (of the ‘sculpture of man in motion‘), is a leitmotif: 'statuaire mobile' in corporeal mime, The Edward Gordon Craig 'actor of wood' or 'supermarionette' , 'Spine Conversations', 'Dynamic Weight is Expression'. ;The spine is the keyboards of the body': they all point to bodily poetry and body language.

IN 'WHY ART AND SCIENCE ARE MORE CLOSELY RELATED THAN YOU THINK - it reads: "Science = Art. They are the same thing.

Both science and art are human attempts to understand and describe the world around us. The subjects and methods have different traditions, and the intended audiences are different, but I think the motivations and goals are fundamentally the same" (March 16, 2016, by Dave Featherstone ,Professor of Biology and Neuroscience, on Quora. I CANNOT AGREE MORE

DANCE OF 6 EXPRESSIONS OF EMOTION

Each expression has its own duration and dynamics through articulating parts of the body. Here the SPINE is of great importance. Noticable: the arms and legs participate as soon as the spine forms. The space varies with each expression, ‘happy’ goes up and forward much more, ‘surprised’ moves more in width and ‘angry’ stands firm in the middle, etc. In the edited film the images forward and back in a loop, so you can study the movement from beginning to end and from end to beginning – ‘happy’ and ‘surprised’ last 6sec, ‘angry’ is longest with 14sec, ‘fear’ and ‘sad’ are 10-11sec and ‘disgusted’ is 7sec and after 33sec the filmsequence ends. Not only basic emotion expressions have their own 'melody' but also all other universally recognizable expressions (there are 21 of them from the basic ones), like ‘hate’, ‘awe’, ‘dismay’, and so on. Of course there are more than 21 but then the universally recognizability is more difficult and all involved features of the expressions are more difficult to recognize.

Here in this video-film, the test subject was recorded live and then transposed in a stickfigure with Qualisys and software. I have filmed more test subjects this way. You see a lot of similarities but also differences, e.g. in duration and space, because the personality itself plays a role and the one individual is faster in his dynamics or covers more space than the other. To distinct one’s emotion we ‘read’ in a split second the individual way of walking and posture from great distance. On top of that one can recognize one's individual mood at that same very moment. How do we recognize and distinct such information? I strongly believe that every expression in emotion has its own 'melody' as an charaterestic in movement and dynamics.

continued on paper 2: Archetypes: ZAUM and the dynamo-rithm of Decroux