The Moves and the Zero Move
In dance of shiva the definition of a single movement is that it connects one position to another position. The normal assumption is that those two positions have to be different. But, if you consider that an option is also not moving, then there are 8 types of movements. The eighth move, a zero move, connects a position to itself.
The eight moves are: zero, forwards, backwards, transquarter, change, change forwards, change backwards, change transquarter.
Usually I write these in short form as follows:
- Z zero
- F forwards
- B backwards
- T transquarter
- C change
- CF change forwards
- CB change backwards
- CT change transquarter
The zero movement is important in dance of shiva because if we want to be able to join every position that uses both arms to every other position we need a zero move for one arm.
As an example, say we want to connect positions 1-2 and 2-2. The left arm does a forward move. Meanwhile the right arm has to do a zero move. To join 3-2 to 3-4 the left arm does a zero move and the right arm a transquarter move.
In real life, doing nothing is always an option. You could think of it as the option that contains all other options. It’s freedom. But if we always only do nothing, then it’s potential that isn’t realized.
Imagine if the big bang had never happened. You could think of the state before the big bang as a great big zero, potential not yet realized. If it had never happened, then that potential would never have been realized, and neither would we have.
64 Possible Movements
With 8 basic movements there are a total of 64 possible movements using both arms. From each position there are 64 movement possibilities. From position 1-1 there are 64 possible movements. From position 1-2 there are another 64 possible movements etc.
Because the movements are unique to those positions we only need 64 movement names in total.
- There are 49 movements where both arms move.
- There are 14 movements where only one arm moves.
- There is one movement where neither arm moves.
The movements where only one arm moves are a great way to get familiar with both the positions and the movements of the dance of shiva.