Dart Procedures: The Evolution of Movement
- Pedro Henrique
- 6 de out. de 2021
- 4 min de leitura
Atualizado: 21 de jan. de 2022
Who was Raymond A. Dart?
Raymond Arthur Dart (1893 - 1988) was an Australian anatomist, anthropologist, professor and palaeontologist who became famous after discovering the ‘Taung child’ (1925), a fossilised skull of a young Australopithecus Africanus. He described his interpretation and discovery in his most famous work, Adventures with the Missing Link (1959), which led to significant insights into human evolution. Dart recognised the skull, teeth, and jaw of the Taung child as humanoid rather than anthropoid or apelike (Century of Nature, 2003). Despite the considerably small brain, Dart’s observation on the forward position of the foramen magnum, the hole at the skull base, indicated that the hominid had walked on two legs. This discovery showed that upright posture is far more ancient than the brain and its cognitive functions that we have now. We can see it in our developmental process, in which we learn to come up right before speaking, apparently mirroring in some way the sequence by which our ancestors evolved. (Bendix, 2012)
This contribution of Dart didn’t please the medical community at the time, leaving it almost forgotten. One of the reasons for the rejection was the interference of the scientific hierarchy that didn’t want to accept that humanity had evolved from South Africa.
This discovery showed that upright posture is far more ancient than the brain and its cognitive functions that we have now.
Raymond and Marjorie Dart had a son, Galen, who was born prematurely and suffered from cyanotic attacks, leaving him brain-injured and spastic. In his intensive search for help for his son condition, Dart became inspired by the Alexander Technique, which he and his children attended classes with Irene Tasker in the 1940s. Later, when in London, Dart met and had lessons from Frederick Matthias Alexander himself. Over the years, he wrote about Alexander’s work, and he contributed many important scientific papers from a neuro-muscular-anatomical aspect. (Wheelhouse 1998; p.225) In 1946, Dart discussed on ‘The Postural Aspect of Malocclusion’ that the abnormal alignment between the teeth in the opposing jaw is due to a postural defect caused by imbalanced musculature of the head and neck relating to body posture as a whole.
Dart’s interest in the evolution and maintenance of bipedalism found on the Alexander Technique a practical way of exploring some movements that represent human developmental processes. In 1950 he wrote ‘Voluntary musculature in the human body: The double spiral arrangement’, which covered the embryology of human skeletal muscles and their double spiral arrangement, particularly postural deformities. (Wheelhouse 1998, p.226) Dart devised additional movements to supplement those taught on Alexander Technique lessons that in some way helped his son’s condition. That movement sequence is now known as the Dart procedures. Dart’s articles were collected in Skill and Poise (STAT Books, 1996), which includes ‘The Postural Aspect of Malocclusion’ (1946), ‘The Attainment of Poise’ (1947) and ‘Voluntary Musculature of the Human Body: The Double-Spiral Arrangement’ (1950).
What are the Dart procedures?
Dart procedures are a series of positions and movements that retrace the path of human developmental and evolutionary patterns. On’ The Postural Aspect of Malocclusion’, Dart called these sequences ‘the pronograde and ventigrade phases of postural evolution’. Erik Bendix descriptions on Dart procedures leave us some understanding about what Dart was examining (Bendix, 2012):
The Dart Procedures examine the relationship between different weight-bearing positions and the effect these positions have on the nervous system. For example, one portion of the procedures guides one through the experience of making a transition from four-legged support to support on two legs. It does this by experimenting with bearing weight on different knuckles of the hands, as was probably done by human ancestors (since other members of the ape family also stand and walk on forelimb knuckles). Weight is then removed from the hands to free the arms and to complete the transition to bipedal support over the feet. Such weight shifts are a standard part of the human daily movement repertoire. What makes their performance different in the Dart Procedures is their purpose and how they are explored. Each weight transfer gives time to be fully observed in its effects on breathing and reorganisation of balance. Dart himself studied these movements by observing himself in each position for up to twenty minutes at a time before stopping to take extensive notes.
By learning the movements or positions, we have the opportunity to learn about one’s movement patterns.
Dart’s papers covered the embryology of human skeletal muscles and their double spiral arrangement, with particular reference to postural deformities. Later, his work on human development contributed to practical methods of treatment of the physically and mentally impaired. (Wheelhouse 1998, p.227) In 1967, Joan and Alex Murray went to London to visit their Alexander teacher, Walter Carrington. At that time, Alex was curious about the dynamic role of the jaw in head balance, so Carrington suggested Alex read Dart’s paper ‘The Postural Aspects of Malocclusion’. Alex was fascinated by Dart’s work which he spent several days copying by hand and began exploring the descriptions by himself. Later, both Alex and Joan started exploring the Dart’s procedures which gave them new insight into human movement, and it was in line with what they had understood of Alexander’s work. (Direction vol1,3 pg. 69)
Murray’s contribution gave light to a new dynamic way of teaching the Alexander Technique by exploring the rotational movements of the curvatures of the human spine. By learning the movements or positions, we have the opportunity to learn about one’s movement patterns. Dart has often said, “Man can only look ahead as far as he can look back.” These patterns take us back to the origins of human movement and open up corresponding vistas for our future as mobile human beings. It is necessary to add that working with these Procedures will not teach one the Alexander Technique. However, a patient and intelligent investigation by one with no Alexander experience may still lead to certain enlightenment by revealing inefficient movement patterns and helping to discard them. (Direction vol1,3 pg. 69)
References:
Bibliografy:
Wheelhouse, Frances; Raymond Arthur dart: His life and Work (Department of History / University of Sydney, pg.225-226, 1998).
Murray, Alexander; The Dart Procedures (Direction 1, no. 3: 68-71, 1998).
Raymond A. Dart, Skill and Poise: Articles on Skill, Poise and the F.M. Alexander Technique (STAT Books, 1996, ISBN 0- 9519304-5-1 hardback), edited by Alexander Murray.
Web pages:
Bendix, E. (2012). What are the Dart Procedures?. https://alexandertechnique.movingmoment.com/what-are-the-dart-procedures/
The century of Nature, (2003). Raymond Dart and our African origins. https://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/284158_brain.html
Academic:
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