Laban movement analysis

Last updated September 28, 2024

Laban movement analysis (LMA), sometimes Laban/Bartenieff movement analysis, is a method and language for describing, visualizing, interpreting and documenting human movement. It is based on the original work of Rudolf Laban, which was developed and extended by Lisa Ullmann, Irmgard Bartenieff, Warren Lamb and others. LMA draws from multiple fields including anatomy, kinesiology and psychology. It is used by dancers, actors,^[1] musicians and athletes; by health professionals such as physical and occupational therapists and psychotherapists;^[2] and in anthropology, business consulting and leadership development.^[3]

Categories of movement

Laban movement analysis is contemporarily categorised in various way. Originally, these categories were very basic and Laban himself referred mostly to Eukinetics - which is his effort studies - and Choreutics - which is Spatial Harmony theory. His student Irmgard Bartenieff later further elaborated these categories in four - Body, Effort, Shape and Space - and this system, known as BESS is commonly taught today. However, BESS is not the only organisation of Laban's theory in use. In the U.K. for example, more influenced by Lisa Ullmann, another student of Laban, the categories are Body, Effort, Space and Relationship with Shape being interwoven into Body, Space and Relationship.^[4]

The categories of BESS are as follows:^[5]

Body - what the body is doing and the interrelationships within the body
Effort - the qualities of movement
Shape - how the body is changing shape and what motivates it to do so
Space - where the body is moving and the harmonic relationships in space

Other categories, that are occasionally mentioned in some literature, are relationship and phrasing. These are less well defined. Relationship is the interaction between people, body parts or a person and an object. Phrasing is defined as being the personal expression of a movement.

These categories are in turn occasionally divided into kinematic and non-kinematic categories to distinguish which categories relate to changes to body relations over time and space.^[6]^[7]

Body

The body category describes structural and physical characteristics of the human body while moving. This category is responsible for describing which body parts are moving, which parts are connected, which parts are influenced by others, and general statements about body organization.

Several subcategories of body are:

Initiation of movement starting from specific bodies;
Connection of different bodies to each other;
Sequencing of movement between parts of the body; and
Patterns of body organization and connectivity, called "patterns of total body square connectivity", "developmental hyper movement patterns", or "neuromuscular shape-shifting patterns".

Effort

Effort, or what Laban sometimes described as dynamics, is a system for understanding the more subtle characteristics about movement with respect to inner intention. The difference between punching someone in anger and reaching for a glass is slight in terms of body organization – both rely on extension of the arm. The attention to the strength of the movement, the control of the movement and the timing of the movement are very different.

Effort has four subcategories (effort factors), each of which has two opposite polarities (Effort elements).^[8]

Effort Factor	Effort element (Fighting polarity)	Effort element (Indulging polarity)
Space	Direct	Indirect (flexible)
Weight	Strong	Light
Time	Sudden (quick)	Sustained
Flow	Bound	Free

Laban named the combination of the first three categories (Space, Weight, and Time) the Effort Actions, or Action Drive. The eight combinations are descriptively named Float, Punch (Thrust), Glide, Slash, Dab, Wring, Flick, and Press. The Action Efforts have been used extensively in some acting schools, including ALRA, Manchester School of Theatre, LIPA and London College of Music to train in the ability to change quickly between physical manifestations of emotion.

Flow, on the other hand, is responsible for the continuousness or ongoingness of motions. Without any Flow Effort, movement must be contained in a single initiation and action, which is why there are specific names for the Flow-less Action configurations of Effort. In general it is very difficult to remove Flow from much movement, and so a full analysis of Effort will typically need to go beyond the Effort Actions.

Combinations of Efforts

While the individual motion factors of Space, Time, Weight and Flow may be observed, usually they will appear in combinations. Combinations of 3 Motion Factors are known as drives. The drives are:

The Action Drive - where Weight, Space and Time are present but Flow is missing
The Passion Drive - where Weight, Time and Flow are present but Space is missing
The Spell Drive - where Weight, Space and Flow are present but Time is missing
The Vision Drive - where Space, Time and Flow are present but Weight is missing

Alongside the drives, combinations of two efforts are known as states. The states are known as:

Awake - combining Space and Time
Dreamlike - combining Weight and Flow
Distant - combining Space and Flow
Near/Rhythm - combining Time and Weight
Stabile - combining Space and Weight
Labile/Mobile - combining Time and Flow

Full effort, where all 4 motion factors are equally expressed, is usually considered to be a rare and usually momentary occurrence.

The states and drives are often discussed as having distinct psychological characteristics.

Shape

While the Body category primarily develops connections within the body and the body/space intent, the way the body changes shape during movement is further experienced and analyzed through the Shape category. It is important to remember that all categories are related, and Shape is often an integrating factor for combining the categories into meaningful movement.

There are several subcategories in Shape:

"Shape Forms" describe static shapes that the body takes, such as Wall-like, Ball-like, and Pin-like.
"Modes of Shape Change" describe the way the body is interacting with and the relationship the body has to the environment. There are three Modes of Shape Change:
- Shape Flow: Representing a relationship of the body to itself. Essentially a stream of consciousness expressed through movement, this could be amoebic movement or could be mundane habitual actions, like shrugging, shivering, rubbing an injured shoulder, etc.
- Directional: Representing a relationship where the body is directed toward some part of the environment. It is divided further into Spoke-like (punching, pointing, etc.) and Arc-like (swinging a tennis racket, painting a fence)
- Carving: Representing a relationship where the body is actively and three dimensionally interacting with the volume of the environment. Examples include kneading bread dough, wringing out a towel, avoiding laser-beams or miming the shape of an imaginary object. In some cases, and historically, this is referred to as Shaping, though many practitioners feel that all three Modes of Shape Change are "shaping" in some way, and that the term is thus ambiguous and overloaded.
"Shape Qualities" describe the way the body is changing (in an active way) toward some point in space. In the simplest form, this describes whether the body is currently Opening (growing larger with more extension) or Closing (growing smaller with more flexion). There are more specific terms – Rising, Sinking, Spreading, Enclosing, Advancing, and Retreating, which refer to specific dimensions of spatial orientations.
"Shape Flow Support" describes the way the torso (primarily) can change in shape to support movements in the rest of the body. It is often referred to as something which is present or absent, though there are more refined descriptors.

Space

One of Laban's primary contributions to Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) are his theories of Space. This category involves motion in connection with the environment, and with spatial patterns, pathways, and lines of spatial tension. Laban described a complex system of geometry based on crystalline forms, Platonic solids, and the structure of the human body. He felt that there were ways of organizing and moving in space that were specifically harmonious, in the same sense as music can be harmonious. Some combinations and organizations were more theoretically and aesthetically pleasing. As with music, Space Harmony sometimes takes the form of set 'scales' of movement within geometric forms. These scales can be practiced in order to refine the range of movement and reveal individual movement preferences. The abstract and theoretical depth of this part of the system is often considered to be much greater than the rest of the system. In practical terms, there is much of the Space category that does not specifically contribute to the ideas of Space Harmony.

This category also describes and notates choices which refer specifically to space, paying attention to:

Kinesphere: the area that the body is moving within and how the mover is paying attention to it.
Spatial Intention: the directions or points in space that the mover is identifying or using.
Geometrical observations of where the movement is being done, in terms of emphasis of directions, places in space, planar movement, etc.

The Space category is currently under continuing development, more so since exploration of non-Euclidean geometry and physics has evolved.

Use in human–computer interaction

LMA is used in Human-Computer Interaction as a means of extracting useful features from a human's movement to be understood by a computer,^[9] as well as generating realistic movement animation for virtual agents ^[10] and robots.^[11]

Formal study

Laban movement analysis practitioners and educators who studied at LIMS, an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), are known as "Certified Movement Analysts" (CMAs).

Laban/Bartenieff and Somatic Studies International™ (LSSI), is an approved training program of ISMETA, and offers Movement Analysis and Somatic Practice training, which qualifies “Certified Movement Analysts & Somatic Practitioners” (CMA-SPs).

Other courses offer LMA studies, including Integrated Movement Studies, which qualifies "Certified Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysts" (CLMAs).

The Laban Guild, set up by Rudolf Laban in the UK, offers courses in Laban Movement Analysis and Labannotation and is responsible for preserving and developing the work in the U.K.

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance offer a 3-year post-graduate diploma in Choreological studies and Valerie Preston-Dunlop is a course director.

Related Research Articles

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In linguistics and semiotics, a notation system is a system of graphics or symbols, characters and abbreviated expressions, used in artistic and scientific disciplines to represent technical facts and quantities by convention. Therefore, a notation is a collection of related symbols that are each given an arbitrary meaning, created to facilitate structured communication within a domain knowledge or field of study.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudolf von Laban</span> Austrian choreographer

Rudolf (von) Laban, also known as Rudolph von Laban, was an Austro-Hungarian, German and British dance artist, choreographer and dance theorist. He is considered a "founding father of expressionist dance", and a pioneer of modern dance. His theoretical innovations included Laban movement analysis and Labanotation, which paved the way for further developments in dance notation and movement analysis. He initiated one of the main approaches to dance therapy. His work on theatrical movement has also been influential. He attempted to apply his ideas to several other fields, including architecture, education, industry, and management.

In dance, release technique is any of various dance techniques that focus on breathing, muscle relaxation, anatomical considerations, and the use of gravity and momentum to facilitate efficient movement. It can be found in modern and postmodern dance, and has been influenced by the work of modern dance pioneers, therapeutic movement techniques such as Skinner Releasing Technique, Feldenkrais and Alexander Technique, and yoga and martial arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labanotation</span> System for analyzing and recording human movement

Labanotation is a system for analyzing and recording human movement, invented by Austro-Hungarian choreographer and dancer Rudolf von Laban, who developed his notation on movements in the 1920s.

Dance notation is the symbolic representation of human dance movement and form, using methods such as graphic symbols and figures, path mapping, numerical systems, and letter and word notations. Several dance notation systems have been invented, many of which are designed to document specific types of dance while others have been developed with capturing the broader spectrum of human movement potential. A dance score is a recorded dance notation that describes a particular dance.

Action Stroke Dance Notation (ASDN) is a dance notation system that was invented by Iver Cooper. Designed for fast writing, the notations primarily consist of "action strokes" that represent one of three basic actions:

Cantometrics is a method developed by Alan Lomax and a team of researchers for relating elements of the world's traditional vocal music to features of social organization as defined via George Murdock's Human Relations Area Files, resulting in a taxonomy of expressive human communications style. Lomax defined Cantometrics as the study of singing as normative expressive behavior and maintained that Cantometrics reveals folk performance style to be a "systems-maintaining framework" which models key patterns of co-action in everyday life. His work on Cantometrics gave rise to further comparative studies of aspects of human communication in relation to culture, including: Choreometrics, Parlametrics, Phonotactics, and Minutage.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Lamb</span> British management consultant

Warren Lamb was a British management consultant and pioneer in the field of nonverbal behavior. After studying with Rudolf Laban he developed Movement Pattern Analysis - a system for analysing and interpreting movement behaviour, which has been applied in numerous fields including management consulting, executive recruitment and therapy. Lamb used the MPA system in advising multinational corporations, typically at top team level, and also government organizations. Lamb differentiated his system from the popular body language literature and argued that the key to interpreting behaviour was not fixed gestures but the dynamics of movement. Lamb's underlying theory was that each individual has a unique way of moving which is constant and that these distinct movement patterns reflect the individual's way of thinking and behaving. In MPA he developed a system for identifying these patterns and relating them to behaviours, with the aim of predicting how people will behave in various situations based on their movement patterns. Recent studies led by Harvard University and Brown University in the United States reported significant predictive reliability for the system.

Movement pattern analysis (MPA) is a system used for assessing an individual's motivations in decision-making processes, based on the analysis of nonverbal behaviour. MPA applications include management consulting and career guidance, and proponents estimate that over 30,000 individuals – primarily those involved in senior management – have made use of MPA profiles over the last 50 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Harmony</span>

Rudolf Laban created a movement theory and practice that reflected what he recognized as Space Harmony. The practice/theory is based on universal patterns of nature and of man as part of a universal design/order and was named by Laban: Space Harmony or Choreutics.

Laban Notation Symbols generally refers to the wide range of notation symbols developing from the original work of Rudolf Laban and used in many different types of Laban Movement Study such as Labanotation and Laban Movement Analysis for graphically representing human body positions and movements.

The Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS) in New York was founded in 1978 as a center for the development and study of the principles of Laban Movement Analysis, formulated by Rudolf Laban and further developed by his student and colleague Irmgard Bartenieff. The institute maintains a library and media resource center that includes published and unpublished text, films and photographs on the subject of Laban Movement Analysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somatics</span> Field of bodywork emphasizing internal sensation

Somatics is a field within bodywork and movement studies which emphasizes internal physical perception and experience. The term is used in movement therapy to signify approaches based on the soma, or "the body as perceived from within", including Skinner Releasing Technique, Alexander technique, the Feldenkrais Method, Eutony, Rolfing Structural Integration, among others. In dance, the term refers to techniques based on the dancer's internal sensation, in contrast with "performative techniques", such as ballet or modern dance, which emphasize the external observation of movement by an audience. Somatic techniques may be used in bodywork, psychotherapy, dance, or spiritual practices.

Irmgard Bartenieff was a dance theorist, dancer, choreographer, physical therapist, and a leading pioneer of dance therapy. A student of Rudolf Laban, she pursued cross-cultural dance analysis, and generated a new vision of possibilities for human movement and movement training. From her experiences applying Laban’s concepts of dynamism, three-dimensional movement and mobilization to the rehabilitation of people affected by polio in the 1940s, she went on to develop her own set of movement methods and exercises, known as Bartenieff Fundamentals.

In dance, floorwork refers to movements performed on the floor. Floorwork is used extensively in modern dance, particularly Graham technique, Hawkins technique, and breakdancing. Some dance training practices, notably Floor-Barre, consist entirely of floorwork.

In psychology, the Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP) is a system of movement observation and analysis that therapists use to appraise individuals include fetuses.

Brenda Farnell is a British-American anthropologist and Professor of American Indian Studies and Anthropology at the University of Illinois. Her areas of focus include dance, movement, performance, language, and Labanotation. Her work is influenced by Sociocultural Theory, Visual Anthropology, Ethnopoetics, and Semiotic Anthropology. Farnell's use of Labanotation as a research tool has developed dance and performance notation in the field of Anthropology. She focuses on the North American Plains culture areas, including the Nakota, Crow, and Comanche nations. Her work includes extensive study of Plains Sign Language, storytelling practices, Indigenous epistemologies, expressive culture, and endangered language revitalization. She also examines American contemporary dance, choreography, and theatre. She has collaborated with individuals in her field such as Robert Wood, Tim Ingold, Charles R. Varela, Dixie Durr, and Drid Williams.

References

↑ Newlove, J. (1993) Laban for Actors and Dancers: Putting Laban's Movement Theory into Practice, Nick Hern Books, London. ISBN 978-1-85459-160-9
↑ Bartenieff, Irmgard, and Dori Lewis. Body movement: Coping with the environment. Psychology Press, 1980.
↑ Lamb, Warren, and Turner, D. (1969). Management Behaviour. New York: International Universities Press.
↑ Creative Dance Leadership: Course Notes. London: Laban Guild. 2018.
↑ "Theory". www.laban-eurolab.org. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
↑ Foroud, Afra, and Ian Q. Whishaw. "Changes in the kinematic structure and non-kinematic features of movements during skilled reaching after stroke: A laban movement analysis in two case studies." Journal of Neuroscience Methods 158, no. 1 (2006): 137-149.
↑ Rett, Jörg, and Jorge Dias. "Human robot interaction based on bayesian analysis of human movements." In Portuguese Conference on Artificial Intelligence, pp. 530-541. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2007.
↑ Laban, Rudolf, and Lawrence, F. C. Effort. (1947). London: MacDonald and Evans.
↑ Roudposhti, Kamrad Khoshhal, Luís Santos, Hadi Aliakbarpour, and Jorge Dias. "Parameterizing interpersonal behaviour with laban movement analysis—a bayesian approach." In Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Workshops (CVPRW), 2012 IEEE Computer Society Conference on, pp. 7-13. IEEE, 2012.
↑ Chi, Diane, Monica Costa, Liwei Zhao, and Norman Badler. "The EMOTE model for effort and shape." In Proceedings of the 27th annual conference on Computer graphics and interactive techniques, pp. 173-182. ACM Press/Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 2000.
↑ Nakata, Toru, Tomomasa Sato, Taketoshi Mori, and Hiroshi Mizoguchi. "Expression of emotion and intention by robot body movement." In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Autonomous Systems. 1998.

External links

Laban/Bartenieff & Somatic Studies Canada (LSSC)
Laban/Bartenieff & Somatic Studies International (LSSI)
Laban Analyses.org Laban analysis and Labanotation searchable database
What is LMA? (Glossary)
NYU Movement Lab: Intro to LMA

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[1] Newlove, J. (1993) Laban for Actors and Dancers: Putting Laban's Movement Theory into Practice, Nick Hern Books, London. ISBN 978-1-85459-160-9

[2] Bartenieff, Irmgard, and Dori Lewis. Body movement: Coping with the environment. Psychology Press, 1980.

[3] Lamb, Warren, and Turner, D. (1969). Management Behaviour. New York: International Universities Press.

[4] Creative Dance Leadership: Course Notes. London: Laban Guild. 2018.

[5] "Theory". www.laban-eurolab.org. Retrieved 2017-02-02.

[6] Foroud, Afra, and Ian Q. Whishaw. "Changes in the kinematic structure and non-kinematic features of movements during skilled reaching after stroke: A laban movement analysis in two case studies." Journal of Neuroscience Methods 158, no. 1 (2006): 137-149.

[7] Rett, Jörg, and Jorge Dias. "Human robot interaction based on bayesian analysis of human movements." In Portuguese Conference on Artificial Intelligence, pp. 530-541. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2007.

[8] Laban, Rudolf, and Lawrence, F. C. Effort. (1947). London: MacDonald and Evans.

[9] Roudposhti, Kamrad Khoshhal, Luís Santos, Hadi Aliakbarpour, and Jorge Dias. "Parameterizing interpersonal behaviour with laban movement analysis—a bayesian approach." In Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Workshops (CVPRW), 2012 IEEE Computer Society Conference on, pp. 7-13. IEEE, 2012.

[10] Chi, Diane, Monica Costa, Liwei Zhao, and Norman Badler. "The EMOTE model for effort and shape." In Proceedings of the 27th annual conference on Computer graphics and interactive techniques, pp. 173-182. ACM Press/Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 2000.

[11] Nakata, Toru, Tomomasa Sato, Taketoshi Mori, and Hiroshi Mizoguchi. "Expression of emotion and intention by robot body movement." In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Autonomous Systems. 1998.

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