The movement signature
We often recognize a person we know when we see them in the distance – way too far to see their face clearly. Something about the way they move tells us with certainty who they are. How does our ‘movement signature’ come into being?
Our patterns of movement are almost entirely habitual – we rarely give a thought to how we walk or reach for an object, let alone consciously try to change that. Habits of movement are formed in childhood. This is a central part of the process of growing up. As new-borns we can only wriggle. Soon we learn to move our head and limbs and how to roll. Then comes crawling, standing, walking and so on. Each of us discovers for ourselves how to do these things: there are endless variations of how we can use our self in movement, and no instruction manual. Each of us therefore develops their own way to use their self. Elements of movement are not innate, but a result of a person’s actions and learning.
Our individual pattern of movement is a consequence of what came easily to us as a child. Once we learn to do something which gives a ‘good enough’ result, we tend to stop there and whatever way of doing we have at that point becomes our habit. If it is ‘good enough’ to stand and walk, we may not develop an interest in running and jumping. The point at which we stop learning and consider a movement ‘good enough’ will depend both on our own temperament and on the environment we are in. What kind of encouragement is there to keep playing and exploring? What fears do we absorb that hold us back from trying something new? For example, if it is socially undesirable to walk with swinging hips, we will tend not to explore hip movement and will form a habit of walking holding our pelvis stiff.
The way we move is thus a consequence of (i) the different ways of using our self which each of us develops, out of an infinite variety of possible movements; and (ii) the different amount and quality of learning each of us has devoted to different elements of movement, depending on both our own temperament and environmental factors. The resulting patterns of movement are so specific to any individual that they form a ‘movement signature’.
What do you notice in the movement of others? How does what you notice relate to your own habits of movement? Please leave a comment.