Bartenieff Fundamentals and Developmental Movement Patterns

1. Bartenieff Fundamentals

BARTENIEFF FUNDAMENTALS: ‘BASIC 6’ (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)
Rocking Preparation
Purpose:	To bring awareness and encouragement to movement relationships amongst heels, pelvis, spine, and head; reciprocal actions of hamstrings vs. iliopsoas-heels connected to pelvic floor & sitz-bones
Action:	Gentle rocking motion (legs bent or straight; heels on floor); Initiate from the heels (hamstrings) or the core (psoas) ankles flex - pelvis rocks back ankles extend - pelvis rocks forward
Initiation:	from the heels or the core (iliopsoas)

BARTENIEFF FUNDAMENTALS: ‘BASIC 6’ (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)
THIGH LIFT (hip flexion)
Purpose:	To flex the hip most efficiently with iliopsoas without superficial muscles. Encourage deep folding in inguinal area during hip flexion. Awareness of subtle pelvic tilt. Use hamstrings for grounding in ‘standing’ leg. Use of reciprocal crossed-extensor-reflex between hamstrings and ilioposas. Use of breath abdominal ‘hollowing’ to promote iliopsoas initiation.
Action:	Pre-Thigh-Lift: On back, legs extended along floor. With breath stimulating ilioposas, leg flexes till foot is on floor On extension, hamstrings push heels away from sitz-bones (ischium) Two legs can alternate flex-extend in a crossed-extensor-reflex. Thigh-lift: On back, legs bent, feet flat on floor With breath stimulating ilioposas, leg flexes till foot is off floor On extension, hamstrings push heels down into floor (away from ischium) Two legs can alternate flex-extend in a crossed-extensor-reflex.
Initiation:	from core, breath, encouraging iliopsoas

BARTENIEFF FUNDAMENTALS: ‘BASIC 6’ (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)
PELVIC FORWARD SHIFT
Purpose:	Mobilise forward & backward transfers of weight. Use of hamstrings to shift pelvis forward from the pelvic floor Connection between heels and sitz-bones.
Action:	On back, legs bent, feet on floor Breath stimulating ilioposas, preparation of torso concaving / convexing Initiate with exhale, abdominal hollowing (psoas) pelvic floor (sitz-bones) up & towards heels (hamstrings) Inguinal area opens with hip extension Inhale, sitz-bones reach down & towards heels, lumbar lengthens, hips flex, Inguinal area folds

BARTENIEFF FUNDAMENTALS: ‘BASIC 6’ (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)
PELVIC LATERAL SHIFT
Purpose:	Mobilise lateral transfers of weight without any twisting or lifting the hip Use pelvic floor, together with hamstrings, to flex and abduct/adduct at hip.
Action:	On back, legs bent, feet on floor Initiate with exhale, hollowing, hamstrings lift pelvis into small forward shift Initiate from pelvic floor; lateral shift of greater trocanters in a straight line Lower pelvis to floor (as in pelvic forward shift) Repeat, bringing the pelvis back to centre. Repeat other side.

BARTENIEFF FUNDAMENTALS: ‘BASIC 6’ (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)
BODY HALF
Purpose:	Awareness of the vertical mid-line of the body Stabilise one half of the body, supporting mobility in the other half.
Action:	Lie in ‘big X’ position Initiate with exhale, hollowing for core support Supporting side lengthens, stabilises body (without twisting or rocking) simultaneously mobile side shrinks - head & elbow towards knee Reverse stable & mobile body sides

BARTENIEFF FUNDAMENTALS: ‘BASIC 6’ (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)
DIAGONAL KNEE REACH (‘Knee drop’)
Purpose:	Awareness of lower-body twisting against upper-body Awareness of pelvic floor and iliopsoas as connecting upper to lower
Action:	On back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Weight shifts to edges of feet, both knees reach to the side, pelvis slightly twists Opposite shoulder reaches in diagonally opposite direction along floor Initiate with exhale (hollowing - psoas) pulling pelvis & knees back to upright Reverse to other side.

BARTENIEFF FUNDAMENTALS: ‘BASIC 6’ (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)
ARM CIRCLES & DIAGONAL SIT-UP
Purpose:	Awareness of arm-shoulder-scapula-latissimus connecting to lower body Awareness of full 3-dimensional gradated rotation in shoulder joints Integration of head-eyes with arm movement Narrowing and widening across sternum
Action:	Arm Circle: On back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Arm reaches in a circle, over the head, narrowing, over pelvis, to the side ‘Distal steering’ of hand encourages continual gradated rotation throughout Track the hand with head-eyes Sternum-chest narrows, lifts, widens etc. together with arm circle Repeat with other arm
Action:	Arm Circle with diagonal sit-up: On back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Same as arm circle, except full sit-up (slightly twisted torso) as arm circles Both arms participate in the circle Lower from sit-up on other diagonal, arms leading down diagonal to floor

2. Developmental Movement Patterns

Developmental Body Organisations “Developmental Movement Patterns”; “Basic Neurological Patterns” As developed in Bartenieff Fundamentals and Body-Mind Centering (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff) Developmental Progression of Neurological Organisation: development from baby to adult (ontogenesis) development from amoeba to primate (phylogensis)

This overview is simplified. For details see: Cohen, B. B. (1989a). The alphabet of movement; primitive reflexes, righting reactions, and equilibrium responses. Part 1. Contact Quarterly. 14 (2): 20-38. Cohen, B. B. (1989b). The alphabet of movement; primitive reflexes, righting reactions, and equilibrium responses. Part 2. Contact Quarterly. 14 (3): 23-38. Fukuda, T. (1961). Studies on human dynamic postures form the viewpoint of postural reflexes. Acta Oto-Laryngologica. (supplementum) 161: 1-52. Hackney, P. (1998). Making Connections - Total Body Integration through Bartenieff Fundamentals. Amsterdam: Gordon and Breach. Kestenberg Amighi, J., Loman, S., Lewis, P., & Sossin, K. M. (1999). The Meaning of Movement; Developmental and Clinical Perspectives of the Kestenberg Movement Profile. Amsterdam: Gordon & Breach.

Developmental Body Organisations (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)

1. Breath

The body grows and shrinks as a single undifferentiated mass, as an amoeba, the simplest form of life, the most basic sense of being. The most fundamental movement, lungs and also oxygen in blood flow and saturation of cells (cellular breathing), moves through a rhythm of expanding and condensing. When breath is integrated throughout the body, then all parts of the body will move at least slightly in coordination with the in / out breath rhythm.    To recuperate and get in touch with one’s own “internal state”, with one’s body self, “proprioceptive self”, “where you are in the moment”, to find your entire body connected through your internal core (Hackney, 1998, p. 53). “Breath to find your core”

Developmental Body Organisations (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)

2. Navel Radiation (core-distal)

The breath gradually expands outwards connecting the inner core to limbs all 6 limbs (2 hands, 2 feet, head, tail) which reach outward away from center, and back inward toward center, like a starfish or octupus, squid, the core of the body is activated and connected through the midlims to the distal ends of limbs.    Expanding the core outwards into the world, bringing the world back into your core. An interaction between the inner self and outer environment, keeping these two connected so that extreme outwards movement is possible, while still retaining the sense of self. Avoid ‘over reaching’, since the outward reach is always tied to the inner core. The active, alive core allows outward reaching to be maximal. “naval radiation to connect inner with outer” Patterns 1. - Core initiation (body center) 2. - Distal initiation (hands, feet) 3. - Distingushing individual limbs or groups of limbs

Developmental Body Organisations (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)
3. Mouthing	Out of navel radiation, the mouth distinguishes itself and is the beginning of the development of the spine. Opening the mouth wide, and reaching as if towards food, begins to extend, expand and open the top of the spine.

Developmental Body Organisations (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)

4. Spinal (head-tail)

Head and coccyx reach toward and away from each other, like a worm, snake, fish. Can express basic earthy motivations and a sense of individual and self, with an allround plastic awareness of the external environment.    To turn and twist into “new options”, “can help unblock or unstick fixed notions”, to find many other possibilities by following one’s own curiosity outwards into the world in flexible, twisting, plastique directions (Hackney, 1998, pp. 89, 108). “Spinal to explore new options” Patterns 1. - Push through lower (tail) 2. - Push through upper (head) 3. - Push through lower & reach through upper (tail - to - head) 4. - Push through upper & reach through lower (head - to - tail)

Developmental Body Organisations (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)

5. Homologous (upper-lower)

The upper and lower body each function as integrated units, with the upperbod (rib-cage, shoulder-girdle, arms and hands) works in contrast to the lowerbody (pelvic girdle, legs and feet), eg. where the lower body supports and upperbody moves as a unit, such as travelling movements of a frog or rabbit    Can be expressive of basic instincts for self survival, status, personal power, being grounded in the earch supporting a reach into the environment. To “push through to the goal”, linear-directional goals (Hackney, 1998, p. 120). “Upper-lower to push it through” Patterns 1. - Push through lower (legs, feet) 2. - Push through upper (arms, hands) 3. - Push through lower & reach through upper (feet - to - hands) 4. - Push through upper & reach through lower (hands - to - feet) RHYTHMS: Push only- [ 1 - 2 ] Reach & Pull- [ a1 - 2 ]

Developmental Body Organisations (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)

6. Homolateral (body-half)

The right and left sides of the body each open / close in contrast to each other other, or an entire side steps as a unit in counterbalance with the entire other side, like a reptile or some mammals; often a slower travelling speed (eg. humans ‘stroll’ with both hands in pockets) since it is not a reaching pattern (body-half is pushing only, in locomotion with body-half the limbs travelling forward do so just from the impulse of the push, rather than a full reaching out into space).    Oppositions, dichotomies, dualisms, polarities, “On the one hand, On the other hand” yes/no, do it/don’t, good/bad, correct/incorrect, simple-clear opposites (NOT complex relationships) (Hackney, 1998, pp. 165, 173). “Body-half to clarify issues” Patterns 1. - Push through lower (push lower-right; & lower-left) 2. - Push through upper RHYTHM - [ a1 - 2 ]

Developmental Body Organisations (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)

7. Contralateral (body-diagonal)

The body connects diagonally (top-left to bottom-right etc.) as in the oppositional locomotion of higher mammals emerging when the limb moving forward reaches actively into space, thus connecting back into the pushing leg; contralateral connectivity then can turn into rhythmic flex/extend patterns connecting across opposite limbs. Twisting, curving and spiral patterns often occur when the limbs are leading in diagonals across the body.    Expresses the most complex level of evolution, can express integration of dualistic issues in complex ways, interconnected, spiralling, connect across right and left, integrating the analytic verbal side with the spatial symbolic; feeling & form; simultaneous relationships in several complex directions “tying and untying forms in three-dimensional space”, “winding in one body area will initiate an unwinding in another to complete the phrase, thus opening space in a new way”, conceptualise how phenomena are networked and multifaceted (Hackney, 1998, pp. 177, 179, 198). “Body-diagonal for integration” Patterns 1. - Push through lower & reach through upper (lower-rt - to - upper-lft; & lower-lft - to - upper-rt) 2. - Push through upper & reach through lower RHYTHM - [ 1 - 2 - 3 ]

Developmental Body Organisations (Summary, 2004, Jeffrey Scott Longstaff)
PRINCIPALS:	-- The entire sequence of patterns occurs at every level, from lying, crawling, to standing, to flying. -- The developmental progression is not linear, but occurs in overlapping waves. -- Movement initiation with ‘Push’ proceeds initiation with ‘Reach’ in all patterns, at all levels. -- Initiation with Upper proceeds initiation with Lower body in all patterns, at all levels. -- Earlier patterns underlie, support, and are necessary for performance of later patterns. -- When having difficulty fully executing, integrating, performing a particular pattern, return to the next most basic pattern and encourage this, as a support for the next most complex pattern.
USES:	* As aid to learn-remember movement. * As aid to physically execute movement. * As alternative to traditional ‘dance’ warmup. * As therapy related to cognitive function. * As motor skills / coordination training method.