vol. 17, no. 02 co-constructing research shaun how moving is 58 2020 body-environments paper gallagher sometimes thinking how moving is sometimes thinking Shaun Gallagher University of Memphis (USA) University of Wollongong (AU) 0000-0002-3147-9929 abstract I argue that diferent types of movement—gesture, marking, blocking, dancing, and whole-body engagements—can contribute to (or scafold, or enable) thinking or can even constitute thinking in various forms of problem solving, memory, and reasoning ability. But I also argue that not all movement is thinking; specifically, resisting the threat of pan-narrativism, movement does not constitute narrative, although narrative reflects the structure of action. cite as: keywords: Gallagher, Shaun. ‘How Moving is Sometimes gesture, marking, blocking, dance, thinking Thinking,’ idea journal 17, no. 02 (2020): 58–68, https://doi.org/10.37113/ij.v17i02.386. vol. 17, no. 02 co-constructing research shaun how moving is 59 2020 body-environments paper gallagher sometimes thinking introduction moving that constitutes thinking: In this article, I consider diferent types of some examples movement that either contribute to thinking Gestures or that constitute a form of thinking. Obvious Susan Goldin-Meadow et al., in a set of well- candidates include gesture and sign language, known experiments on the role of gestures in which have been considered instances of math, demonstrate that gesture doesn’t simply extended mind.01 I’ll also argue that in some scafold cognition or ‘lighten the cognitive epistemic situations, whole-body movement load’ (as Goldin-Meadow herself suggests).03 (e.g., running and jumping) can scafold Rather, gesture contributes to the constitution learning and problem solving. There are also of mathematical reasoning. David McNeill diferent forms of movement connected with argues that gesture is part of language and the performing arts of dancing and theatrical (as Merleau-Ponty put it), language (speech) acting that are clearly forms of thinking. accomplishes thought.04 At the temporal point These include the practise of ‘marking,’ where where gesture couples with utterance, which abbreviated body and/or hand movements McNeill calls the ‘growth-point,’ gesture is used in rehearsals are a form of thinking shown to anticipate the utterance. The gesture through a choreographed performance. Also, starts just prior to the relevant speech-act. In another kind of movement that goes along this respect, gesture, as a form of expressive with the theatrical conception of ‘blocking’ in movement, is not the expression of a pre- the rehearsal and performance of on-stage formed thought; it is integrated with the acting fits this category. Finally, a number movement of speech in a way that initiates of philosophers have argued that dancing extra-verbal (visual and motoric) meaning. itself can be considered a form of thinking— It has been experimentally shown that in specifically, a form of exploring a world some cases gesture outruns verbal report, of afordances.02 contradicting it, but pre-figuring what the speaker ultimately says. Accordingly, gesture I conclude, however, by arguing that there is a form of cognition, not just a means of are certain limits to this idea, and that not communication.05 This is consistent with all movement is thinking. Specifically, there both Andy Clark’s concept of the extended is some ambiguity about how narrative is mind and with enactivist conceptions of connected with movement. I argue for some sense-making.06 subtle distinctions between movement and narrative thinking. Although a subject’s Full-body enactive engagement movement may allow them to find a new way Just as gesture helps to constitute mathematical to think about their life circumstances, that reasoning, whole-body, situated movement movement per se is not necessarily a form can contribute to the learning of scientific of narrative. reasoning, as evidenced in experiments using simulated environments. Rob Lindgren led a team of researchers to design a vol. 17, no. 02 co-constructing research shaun how moving is 60 2020 body-environments paper gallagher sometimes thinking simulated space environment where middle- This simulation was used in controlled studies school children could interact with virtual of 312 middle school students that tested two planetary bodies. The children controlled the conditions:08 movements (of a meteor) using their own 01. Weak embodiment condition: students 07 bodily movements—running and jumping. used a desktop version of MEteor The project, called MEteor (Metaphor-based controlled by hand/mouse movements; Learning of Physics Concepts Through Whole-body Interaction in a Mixed Reality 02. Strong embodiment condition: students Science Center Program), involved more engaged in full-body/full-immersion mode than a metaphorical identification with the with the simulation—entering into the meteor. The MEteor simulation used wall- and projected simulation, and moving around floor-projected dynamic imagery to create in it by running, jumping, etc. a realistic and immersive environment of planetary astronomy (including planets with The strong embodiment condition resulted in gravitational properties). For example, children better understanding of astronomy concepts, interacted with MEteor using their bodily demonstrated by the production of more movement to launch a meteor with a certain dynamic diagrams, less reliance on surface/ velocity (Figure 01). They then predicted background features of the simulation, where it would move based on the presence improved scientific reasoning on tests, and of planets and other associated forces. dispositional learning efects.09 Children were able to build their understandings around the movements of their own bodies, supported by external visualisations built into the environment in a way that scafolded learning. Figure 01: A participant enacting an asteroid trajectory in MEteor. From Gallagher and Lindgren, ‘Enactive metaphors,’ 2015. vol. 17, no. 02 co-constructing research shaun how moving is 61 2020 body-environments paper gallagher sometimes thinking Marking director’s perspective, blocking can afect the Marking is a form of abbreviated movement specific meaning of a scene. From the actor’s or gesturing used in dance rehearsal. In its perspective, blocking not only puts the actors most abbreviated form, it involves only hand in the right place at the right time, it facilitates gestures that constitute a kind of imagining of the acting process, and scafolds the actor’s the performance. ‘When marking, the dancer cognitive and pragmatic performance.12 often does not leave the floor, and may even Specifically, it facilitates the memorisation of substitute hand gestures for movements. One lines. Being put in the right place at the right common example is using a finger rotation to time means that she is put in front of another represent a turn while not actually turning the person, or next to a significant object, or whole body.’10 within reaching distance of a particular prop, etc. This lets her know what needs to be done Marking improves memory, performance and what needs to be said then and there. technique and timing, more so than does full- out dance practise, or ‘in the head’ simulation Blocking also includes normative structure: without explicit movement.11 Edward there are directions/rules, that can be followed Warburton and David Kirsch think of marking or broken in ways that allow improvisation in as movement in the abstract. But marking is performance. Thus, blocking is continuous not entirely abstract, since the gestures meet with and supports activities of planning and constraints of the physical environment— imaginative rehearsal. It constrains movement, one imagines the dance, not in thin air, but imposing a type of syntax that constitutes anchored (staged) in specific contexts that meaning on stage. It’s an arranging or re- define specific afordances. This is clear if we arranging of afordances with a particular consider another technique, one that is also goal in mind. In the kind of marking that a used in theatrical acting; namely, blocking. dancer might do in rehearsal, the blocking arrangements will be doing some of the work, Blocking grounding intelligent movement in a specific Blocking is a practise started by Sir William situation, and defining the afordances that Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan) to facilitate will guide the motoric and afective processes planning and rehearsal. He used scale models involved in performance. In the extended of the stage and blocks to represent actors. mind view, much like gesture, the movement In contemporary practise, blocking includes accomplishes thought, and taking up of the design of the performance space, the positions in blocking is just a process of placing and movement of objects or props, remembering one’s lines. and especially the positioning of actors for a particular scene. Its major function is to One can generalise these processes of ensure that things and actors are positioned marking and blocking. ‘All the world’s a properly from the audience’s perspective stage,’ as Shakespeare tells us, and the so they can see what’s going on. From the architectural structures, spatial arrangements, vol. 17, no. 02 co-constructing research shaun how moving is 62 2020 body-environments paper gallagher sometimes thinking and normative structures of everyday or [Dance movement] is dynamic, ever- specialised practises and institutions operate shifting, and responsive to context.