Kinography

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A system of symbols and written notation used to record the movements of a dance so it can be preserved and reproduced
2. The practice of writing down choreography using a set of symbols that show the positions and motions of the body
3. A method of transcribing dance steps and gestures onto paper through a standardized graphic code

Etymology: "Kinography" is built from two Greek elements: "kinēsis," meaning motion, and "-graphia," meaning writing or recording. The same pattern gives "photography" (light-writing) and "choreography" (dance-writing), and "kinography" describes the recording of movement itself. The rival spelling "kinetography" is the better-known form, largely because the dance theorist Rudolf Laban used it for the notation system he devised to record human movement in symbols. That system is now usually called Labanotation, and it works like a musical score, with symbols placed on a staff to show which body part moves, in what direction, and for how long.

Synonyms: kinetography