Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals

What is it?

Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis (LBMA) is a method and language for describing, visualizing, interpreting and documenting all varieties of human movement. It originated from the work of Rudolf Laban and developed and extended by Lisa Ullmann, Irmgard Bartenieff, Warren Lamb and many others. Also known as Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis, it uses a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating contributions from anatomy, kinesiology, psychology, Labanotation and many other fields. It is used as a tool by dancers, actors, musicians, athletes, dance/movement therapists, physical and occupational therapists, psychotherapy, peace studies, anthropology, business consulting, leadership development, health & wellness and is one of the most widely used systems of human movement analysis today. Bartenieff Fundamentals were developed by Irmgard Bartenieff who studied with Rudolph Laban and colleagues in Germany (1925). After coming to the United States in the 1940s, she became a physical therapist. She drew upon her complete background to develop a set of principles for corrective movement that came to be known as the "Bartenieff Fundamentals." Concepts and principles of kinesiological functioning are identified which are embodied in particular exercises and extended into all types of movement possibilities.

Alexandra’s Approach:

Studying Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals has transformed pretty much every aspect of my life, from teaching to performing, coaching to parenting, even having a conflict with my partner, or interviewing for a job. It has made me clearer and cleaner with my language, shown me where my biased language was shutting down growth, both for me and my students, and created a safer working environment everywhere I go, whether that is a studio, a rehearsal room, a zoom meeting, or a candle lit chat. I have been stunned again and again by the power of specificity, by setting the context, and using the most appropriate dynamic for a given moment. I decided to get my CMA because I suspected (correctly) that it would become a home for all of my ideas, theories, experiences, and beliefs. If there is one thing this work has changed the most, it is my teaching. It has allowed me to see more clearly, analyze more deftly, articulate more efficiently and offer support more responsibly and empathetically. Here are a few of the ways it has shifted me:

• Language: We are translating our inner life to the outer world. As teachers, directors, choreographers, and coaches, we are translating physical ideas into verbal cues. Giving prompts like “Dig deeper!” “Give me more!” are not only inefficient, they can be triggering and shut down the trying. “Use more weight!” “Let it flow with more release!” “Be direct like a laser!” allow for the qualitative specificity without the vague judgement and critique on a student’s character.

• Technique: We often look at a performer trying to manifest a particular gesture, movement, or character and see that they can’t decipher what is not happening. This work allowed me to see, quite clearly, “You need to apply a burst of quick and strong in order to get that fly and fall you are seeking.” Or, “Use spatial intent with your arm before your leg in order to pattern that sequence.”

• Choreography: Many notes on choreography are abstract, subjective, and leaning on bias. Instead of “be more confident,” we can say, “find the direct attention, bound flow, and a large kinesphere.” The student will not only create the sense of confidence for the audience, but they will find a portal into feeling it themself.

• Communication and Relationship: When we take on the responsibility of teaching, whether it is in an academic or performance context, we are entering a complex and freighted relationship. We all remember that director or teacher who said that one thing. The one who made the comment that became a belief system, whether that was positive or negative (most of us have both).

  • Do you want to be the teacher who described the body, the environment in a way that transformed us or the teacher who made that comment that told us we were not good enough? This work allows me to find the right tempo, tone, and language for individual students, giving me a chance to have magnificent relationships that shape and shift us both.

  • This work changes conversations. It changes how we see each other. It offers choice in situations where we’d previously felt none. It has altered my parenting, romantic relationships, job interviews, and public speaking. My tempo, word choice, flow, force, and directness now have the ability to shift and adapt to any situation, and I feel the ability to choose how I connect, and how I respond.

LBMA and Bartenieff Offerings

(Please note that Alexandra incorporates this material into all of her teaching. However, the below offerings explicitly engage with this as the primary learning material.)