Deborah Friedes interviews Michal Shoshani about Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation (debmichaledcheck.mp3)

We take it for granted that symphonies are scored in musical notation and plays are written in scripts. But did you know that there are ways to write down dance?

There are many forms of dance notation, from the Beauchamp-Feuillet notation of the Baroque era to Labanotation, which has recorded many ballets and modern dances of the twentieth century. And one form of notation - Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation (EWMN) - was developed here in Israel by Noa Eshkol and Avraham Wachman. EWMN is used to notate a variety of movement systems besides dance, including Tai Chi, Feldenkrais, and sign language. It also can be used to generate movement for new dances, and many dance teachers in Israel use the system when they work with children. Intrigued? Listen as Michal Shoshani, an expert in EWMN who worked with Noa Eshkol, offers an inside view of the notation system’s origins, principles, and usages.