Likbez: modern dance. Why Rudolf Laban is one of the most significant figures in contemporary dance

Pattern 2: Related and Repetitive Movement Patterns
"In the forests that cover the expanses the globe”, continues Laban, “in amazing gardens at the bottom of the sea and among fantastic clouds in the air, we are amazed to see all kinds of animals in their daily lives following the mysterious compulsion to perform seemingly aimless movements.”
Patterns repeat over and over. In all these activities there are movements such as rotation around the center of the body; recreating forms and structures, among which there are those that represent the cellular structure of matter.
The atoms of living matter that make up cells practically do not differ from the atoms of inanimate matter. The only difference is that in the living structure, the atoms of one element, carbon, play a more significant role. Atoms form elements that, grouped differently, make up different kinds matter. Atoms are made up of varying numbers of particles called electrons that revolve around a central particle like planets around the sun.
Laban's experience led him to distinguish between movement driven by outside forces and movement from within. His search for a sense of unity, structure, purpose, led him to feel that there were connections between the two kinds of movement, and that a greater understanding of these connections could improve the quality of life. Man needs to understand his essence and its connections with Nature. Then, by working with Nature, he can gain a greater understanding of his own nature.

Pattern 3: Quality of Life seen in Motion
According to Laban, it is the level of complexity of movement that determines the quality of life. He notes that although plants, animals and humans are able to move, as shown earlier, driven from within, nevertheless, the movement of plants is limited to growth and reproduction, while animals have more freedom of movement, more flexibility, have a greater range and use it. for more complex purposes. Animals are able to move in a way that at first glance may seem aimless (in a game, for example), as well as to satisfy the needs for survival and communication with other members of their species. Among all these activities there is a person, and all kinds of activity are available to a person. The human range of motion is the most significant and complex.

Pattern 4: Movement is a shared experience
"The unity of man's innate and acquired impulses tempts to find a common denominator" And Laban confidently declared that this denominator ... is the movement with its spiritual aspects.
Man likes to think that he is able to penetrate all kinds of secrets with the help of the mind. But the mystery of his own actions arouses his curiosity earlier and stronger than other problems of the universe. If we take all this into account and begin to notice not only the movement of all things, but also how, where and why they move, it is hardly possible not to come to the conclusion that everything is based on a single factor - not just everything moves, but especially if we study living matter, we see that there is nothing that we can recognize as living, unless it is manifested by movement.

Pattern 5: Movement is a unifying experience
Laban's observations led him to believe that "Movement is the unifying factor of all things." As noted earlier, movement permeates every aspect of living reality, and it is not difficult to take the next step towards understanding: movement brings together and binds experience together.
It was the mystery of human movement that piqued Laban's interest, and although it remains the most difficult to understand, he found his special calling in trying to make sense of it all in an attempt to achieve greater discoveries in the mysteries of existence.

Pattern 6: Movement is a basic experience
Everything we learn about life, we discover through movement. Light waves reach the eye, sound waves interact with the ear. Both smell and taste contain movement. And above all, our ability to touch and move for new experiences strengthens our awareness. Being is movement. Movement is the confirmation and affirmation of life. When we move, we are part of a living universe.

Chapter 11

Fundamentals of understanding movement
There is a way to learn more about this common denominator through movement itself and active exploration through the body. But, there are also four interconnected key tools to help deepen the understanding of the movement.

Pattern 7: Motion Study Tools
Watching the movement
Laban had a natural tendency to watch movement, most likely, as already mentioned, due to the quickness of mind and body, and loneliness at an early age. It also affected the fact that he had the opportunity to travel, which gave him many amazing discoveries and experiences.
Learning to see and notice movements, starting from the general impression and down to the smallest details - important start any deep understanding. Taking written notes will help the process and initiate awareness of the fundamental nature of the movement.

Motion analysis
As soon as we accustom ourselves to observe movement, the question immediately arises - what exactly is moving? We begin to distinguish the limbs involved in movement. Differentiating the aspects of movement aids in finer observation and forms a general awareness and perception. Further Laban patterns help in this analysis.

motor memory
Most people are able to recreate situations and events, sounds, voices and intonations, but only a few easily recall movements. Subtle observation and analysis are the key to the development of motor memory. It is very important to develop this skill in order to develop the ability to understand the meaning of movement.

motor imagination
The key to good movement imagination lies in the development of subtle observation during the experience of movement. As soon as movement images start to come naturally, other associations can appear, and all together makes the beginning of the movement more resourceful. One image becomes connected to another, stimulating further ideas in a single creative process.

Pattern 8: Thinking in terms of movement
The study of movement leads to a perception that is more responsive to all types of movement occurring around. Laban stressed the importance of considering work and rest, action and dance, in terms of movement. It is easy enough to observe an activity, but it is more essential to focus on the movements that create that activity. It's like we see wood when we look at trees. Once we begin to "think in terms of movement," we can observe patterns and understand their nature and implications more clearly.

Pattern 9: Strength and potential for movement
One of the first things that impressed Laban in his observation of the movement was the strength and significance of the influence of the movement. He witnessed the warlike dances of some tribes, where he saw how the participants enter into a state of aggression before the actual battle, and the Dervishes, whose frenzied rotation leads them to a state of religious ecstasy. In this hypnotic state, they were often able to resist the pain, piercing the body with needles and nails without any consequences. Laban learned that movement can have unexpected effects on blood flow and circulation.

Pattern 10: Bidirectional movement process
Laban found that movement both influences and is affected by internal states. Movement arises from an internal impulse, and, in turn, the movement affects the internal impulses and the general condition of a person. The way we move reflects our states and feelings, and at the same time influences them. Standing upright with arms open to the sides gives a completely different feeling than hunched over and fussing about. When we feel confident, we move differently than when we are depressed and sad. It is possible to change the mood by moving in an appropriate way and, conversely, the mood will change the movement pattern.
The body is not only an instrument of expression, but also an instrument of perception: the flows of information are bidirectional. Movement changes body, mind and spirit; mind and spirit influence the body and its movement.
Life is not always an ecstasy or a battle, but the same principles work wherever we move.

Pattern 11: Imitation
Movement habits are strongly influenced by the phenomenon of following or borrowing the movement patterns of others. This is especially true in role modeling, trying to be like someone else when we borrow certain movement patterns.
Imitation is the main way we learn as children how to stand, walk, sit, and so on, as well as an important element in associating ourselves with a desired group, learning to interact, understand, or even influence others through intuitive acceptance of their movement patterns.

Pattern 12: Adaptation - Movement Transformation Factors
Movement does not exist in isolation. We are constantly adapting and changing our movement depending on several different factors.
Movement can be:
1) externally motivated/modified
2) intrinsically motivated/modified
It can be considered in the interaction of several contexts:
1) physical
2) psychological
3) metabolic
4) emotional
Movement can be influenced by factors such as:
— Epoch- the time in which we live (for example, the 19th, 20th or 21st century)
— Space- where we are (for example, a palace or a club)
— Cloth- what we wear (for example, its material, cut, relationship with the body, style).
— Status— who we are (or with what social group associate ourselves)
— Age How old are we or how old do we feel
— State of consciousness how we generally feel (e.g. are we excited or depressed)
— Personality- who we are as a person, personality traits (for example, a friendly or reserved person).
— Atmosphere- emotional assessment of the state of the surrounding space (for example, hostile or friendly atmosphere).
— Wednesday physical conditions around (for example, cold or heat)
— Situation- general circumstances (for example, a meal or an accident).

Pattern 13: Movement Functions
"A person moves in order to satisfy a need," Laban said, and in doing so, defined two distinct realms: the tangible (when someone has an immediate, definite goal) and the intangible (when the goal is not obvious). Needs can range from the simplest to the most complex.
Man moves:
- to do something - with a practical and clear purpose;
- to understand - through thoughts or experience;
- for expression - to give form to feeling;
- in dance - expressing the inexpressible.
The movement may be to take something, or simply to change position, or to move from point A to point B. The need may be to acquire greater skills in the game, cooking, overcoming some environmental features, or developing dexterity in professional task. This can be a release of energy (by shooting or jumping for fun) or sublimation of it into more supportive and creative activities.
The possibilities are endless when we discuss movement for work, for life, in art, in recreation and rehabilitation as well as in religious and other personal and interpersonal contexts.

Pattern 14: Response Levels - Shadow Movements
We move intentionally and unintentionally. We react with movements consciously, but we also move unconsciously. Many people have unconscious movement patterns by which we can easily recognize them, but each of us also takes postures and makes gestures about which we are not aware - and all this Laban called "shadow" movements, i.e. movements performed without conscious will, although expressing an inner attitude or revealing impulses.
Shadow movements for an attentive observer reveal both the characteristic features of the personality, and possible limitations and abilities.

Pattern 15: Through body movements, we give meaning to the world
Since the life of the body is movement, knowing how and why it works is fundamental to understanding, as with the body, we experience size, time, and texture. Analyzing goals, processes and levels manifested in movement, we simultaneously comprehend what is inside and around us. Through movement, we can come to terms with ourselves and advance in understanding the nature of our being, our conditions, our relationships with others, and our place in the universe.

Pattern 16: The body and its basic movements
Body: Movement Tool
In the horizontals and verticals of the skeleton, Laban saw something like sustainable architecture. In correct movements, the three-dimensionality of supports and arches is clearly manifested. He drew attention to the symmetry of the body structure about the center of the body and head: each individual organ (like the nose, mouth, genitals) is located in the center, while paired organs are symmetrically on each side of the body. The balanced structure of the body, tending from the center to the outside, provides balance.

Like Delsarte and Dalcroze, Laban technically identified three areas in the body:
1. Head- an area containing all the senses (except tactile) and mental activity, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bpsychological activity.
2. torso- a part of the body in which digestive, reproductive, cleansing and similar activities take place. This is the area of ​​metabolic processes.
3. limbs(arms and legs) - mainly related to movement and gestures. From a functional point of view, this is the area of ​​physical activity. In addition to moving in space, the legs help maintain balance, carry weight, jump, twist, and turn the body. Movements involving arms and hands show, brush aside, push through, etc. Hands and fingers manipulate, hold, let go, touch, etc.
Laban specifically emphasizes the importance (for every person, not just the performing artist) of spinal flexibility, abdominal strength, rhythm and expansion. chest and lungs.

Breath
Laban was well aware of the importance of good breathing. Breathing is the basis of life, and although we all believe that it happens naturally, only a few truly understand the essence of the process. Following the contraction and exhalation, the movement of the chest and the expansion of the lower ribs draw in air. Breathing oxygenates the blood, affecting the health, physical, emotional and intellectual capabilities of a person. This is one of the main components of developing the potential for full experiences.

Flexibility and spine
Laban pointed out the need to restore the strength and plasticity of the spinal column, because. the influence of industrialization partially changed the natural posture of a person. A well-built body is a head up, eyes looking forward, shoulders down, and with the minimum necessary effort. The spine needs constant lengthening to compensate for the constant pressure of gravity. Spinal alignment is very important to the body due to its position and role in maintaining balance and uprightness.
But there is another important factor. Not everyone, Laban argued, makes full use of the flexibility and mobility of the spine, because their lifestyle has made the cartilage stiff or weakened the muscles, and they have lost the elasticity that Nature meant. Posture is as much a part of expression as mobility.

Poses and gestures
Laban argued that both the limbs and the trunk, as well as the brain, can enrich the perception of the world. Both posture and movement require a strengthened abdominal wall, strong, tight buttocks, and an upright back—all of which provide the best resistance to gravity pressure and enable one to be sensitive to movement and interaction. Laban noted that from their center of gravity, the lines of the body stretch in four directions, each towards the corner of the tetrahedron.

Basic principles of movement - the beginning of the vocabulary
We looked at the body as an instrument of movement; now let's start the process of analysis in order to better define the elements of the movement as such. Laban suggests paying attention to four points:
where the movement takes place
- how it happens
- what are its limitations
- why is it happening

Thus, we have four motor parameters with which to analyze movement: space, time, dynamics (weight) and flow, and each parameter is determined by a scale with two poles.

Pattern 17: Body in space
Where
The body moves in space. Movement is always visible. Movement is change, and "space," Laban observed, "should be seen as the place where change takes place."
Orientation
The three-dimensional space in the form of a sphere in which the body is able to operate (expanding from the center to the edges of the limbs) Laban called the Kinesphere. This term refers to that part of the total space that is available to a person. Within the Kinesphere, the body can occupy a small space or expand to its perimeter.
Such changes define a range of varying forms, and Laban identified factors that reflect changes in these forms:
— Dimension- height, width and depth allow you to highlight the movement that occurs predominantly:
a) up and down
b) in the direction of "right-left", lateral movements
c) forward and backward
— proximity- where the movement occurs in relation to the body: close or at a distance.
— planes- according to the dimensions, three planes are distinguished:
a) in a plane parallel to the wall: "door plane"
b) in a plane parallel to the floor: "table plane"
c) in a plane extended vertically from front to back: "wheel plane"
— Central/peripheral direction- relation to the center: movement occurs towards the body or away from it. Movement starting from the periphery towards the body is called peripheral, while movement outward is called central.
— Characteristics of the space: Directionality / non-directionality- whether the movement takes place along the shortest path and thus in a straight line (directional), or allows for greater flexibility, an indirect path (non-directional).

Pattern 18: Body and Movement Flow
Movement as a whole, as a sequence, can be defined as discrete, or, on the contrary, fluid. Some people allow their movements to happen freely, while others hold them back. The continuity of motion can be separated for ease of analysis.
Stream Items - Free/Restricted
On the one hand, movement can be smooth and continuous, in which case we can speak of "free flow". On the other hand, the movement can be restrained, stopped, limited, and in this case the flow is "limited" ("connected" - bound). Free movements often take time to complete, while those people who easily break off their movements may have difficulty with a continuous flow of movement. Between the two poles, of course, there can be all gradations from completely free to completely limited.

Pattern 19: Body and Movement Dynamics
One of the most important aspects of Laban's vision of movement is his observation that movement has a quality. We are not just moving through space-time, but we are moving with a certain degree of effort, or relaxation, or intensity.

Weight Elements - Strong/Weak (Light/Heavy)
Movements can be heavier or lighter depending on the level of energy and momentum involved. This expands our understanding of the function and meaning of movement. The energy of any movement is as much internal as it is external, and thus the analysis of dynamics also concerns the internal impulses that give rise to movement.

Pattern 20: The body and its speed
Existing in space, the body also exists in time. The movement can be done with different duration, fast or slow.

Time Elements - Fast/Slow (Speed ​​Up/Slow Down)
Time usage can vary from extremely slow to very fast. From the point of view of time, movement can be free and continuous, or determined by some pattern or rhythm. The rest or pause can be seen as an internal movement between two external movements.

Pattern 21: Tension
Tension "mobilizes all systems of perception, attuning to everything that happens around, creates a connection between the inside and the outside," said Laban. It is like the sharp sound of a string in music.
Tension can be viewed as the result of a struggle with the pressure of gravity, or as a mobilization of internal and external forces. The essence of expression lies in the strength of tension: intellectual, emotional and physical. Tension is needed to access energy and strength in all of these areas.
Tension is necessary, but its degree must be appropriate for the task or event. We need to avoid excessive rigidity on the one hand and weakness on the other, finding a middle ground.

Pattern 22: Human effort
In modern movement studies, active exercises to develop strength or abilities, physical or mental, are called effort. Active energy does not have to be excessive or too tiring… The effort can be quiet… especially when done easily and with pleasure.
Laban identified various internal attitudes that affect different qualities of effort:
1) fight or fight
2) game
3) concession or indulgence to something (which does not necessarily require less force).

These positions are not mutually exclusive. In some efforts we can see struggle and indulgence at the same time. But there is effort in all actions, be they physical and/or mental. "Only a few people are aware that their pleasure in work and their happiness in life ... are due to the development and appropriate use of individual efforts."
Collective action, Laban said, is built from the mental and physical efforts of individuals. He saw any of our mental or physical effort as a combination and relationship of direction (space), pace (time) and dynamics (weight) in their interaction and mutual influence in various forms. (See Pattern 24).

Pattern 23: Economy in Human Effort
For any task, the body must be used in the best possible way. Every action should be done sparingly. Most people need to learn to move without wasting energy—which means finding the best starting position, then applying the right amount of force, making the best use of space, and moving at the right speed. Different people perform the same task in a way that suits them best. Effective effort management depends not only on the effort itself, but also on the individual qualities of a person.

Pattern 24: Human Effort Classification
The study of the interaction of the basic elements in movement led Laban to identify eight basic actions, which were called basic efforts.
Like other movements, efforts can be external and internal. Taking two poles of each motor parameter - space, time, dynamics (weight), Laban singled out six characteristics:
- movement can occur in space in a directed or non-directed manner
- movement can be continuous or sudden
- the dynamics or weight of the movement may, to one degree or another, include lightness or heaviness.

These characteristics are combined with eight different ways, and Laban indicated the appropriate effort for each method, which determines the general nature of the movement. All consciously performed movements can be classified in this way:
- light, non-directional, continued - as in swaying
- light, directed, extended - as in sliding
- non-directional, continued, strong - as in compression
- continuous, strong directional - as if pressed
- light, directional, fast - as if touched
- non-directional, light, fast - as with a wave
- fast, strong, directed - as if struck
- strong, non-directional, fast - as with a whipping blow

Since the flow of human movement is continuous, the basic effort, of course, varies and each element is adjustable. Laban developed force relationship diagrams, grouping efforts by common elements, by opposite elements, and by lack of common elements.
Such an analysis clarifies the understanding of the elements included in the movement and gives an understanding possible development movement.

Pattern 25: Effort and Recovery
"For man, the connection of effort and restoration is one of the most important aspects of the great variety of rhythmic alternations observed in Nature." Relaxation is the ability to reduce stress. In addition to general relaxation, relaxation can be a way to reduce stiffness, or recovery from tension. It can be a release of one effort and a restorative stage before the next effort.
Even recovery requires some effort. Effort and recovery are not mutually exclusive opposites. Restoration can mean restoration of inner balance, or in other words, restoration occurs when the effort is directed toward inner healing rather than toward the outer world. The flow of vital energy can be analyzed as an alternation of efforts.

Pattern 26: Rhythm
Laban defines rhythm as "an alternation of opposites occurring in time" - progressive tension and release of tension - each with its own effort. Recognizing and generating natural rhythms is a fundamental part of movement. He identified three types of rhythm: natural, personal and professional.
There is a fundamental alternation between work and sleep - although it should be noted that work is not only effort and sleep is not only recovery. There is a single natural rhythm - everything follows the natural order of movement on Earth, including the sun and moon. Each person has his own rhythm or rhythmic pattern, and nutrition, reproduction, recreation, education, and other activities are related to it. The variety of rhythms in man varies from the very simple to the complex.
The same alternation is present in all aspects of life: in the biological functioning of the body (eating, childbirth, death), in mental, creative and emotional activity (processing, filtering, sorting and assimilation of impressions and experiences and their reproduction in a dream or expression during wakefulness). ).

Pattern 27: Balance
Balance is both an inner and outer experience. Balance is achieved when the confrontation between the two opposites is completed and equilibrium is achieved. Proportionate alternation of rhythmic components (strength and lightness, struggle and following) restore balance. The same basic pattern is present in all living things, so movement can be seen as a connection between man and the universe.

Pattern 28: Harmony
The concept of harmony appears in pedagogical and written works Laban with different shades of meaning: “perfect coordination”, “balance between forces acting in different directions”, “coordination of internal and external forces”, “combination of tension and relaxation in such a way as to achieve an ideal balance”, “unification or restoration of connection with infinite”, “the combination of the internal with the external and the external with the infinite”.
Laban was interested in the discoveries of Pythagoras in mathematics, especially "the mathematics underlying musical scales", and shared the conviction that the same laws exist both in music and "in heaven." If the number is the key to musical harmony, it can also be the key to harmony in the universe. In other words, perhaps there is a structural similarity between Man, his movement and the cosmos.
General harmony is determined both by the structure of the body, and by the physiological and psychological state.
In Choreutics, Laban wrote that "intensive study of the relationships between the architecture of the human body and its trajectories in space aids the search for harmonious patterns." However, "shades and nuances of harmony elude the verbal description." Movement is not only about the surface, material things, how to “get from point A to point B”, prepare a salad, make a bed, but is also associated with pleasure, expression, communication, balance and coordination - the harmony of all human existence.

Pattern 29: Spatial Harmony
Generalizing musical and mathematical (geometric) concepts, Laban proposed the idea of ​​harmony of movement in space - the body interacts with natural patterns in space. The simplest example of static spatial harmony is the symmetry of the body. If we "freeze" the movement, we will notice its shape and form. Movement is a sequence of forms passing into each other along some trajectories.
Dynamic symmetry is found, for example, if the right and left sides of the body are used equally, as, say, in gait, or any other movement. Spatial harmony in more deep sense is achieved only by alternating the “directed” and “non-directed” spatial qualities of effort… In human behavior, we can observe a whole range of rhythms and harmonies from the simplest… instinctive… to the most complex rhythms and harmonies related to rationally experienced connections between functions.

Pattern 30: Scales
The anatomical structure of the body defines a series of natural sequences of movement that logically connect the various areas of the body and, in particular, the limbs. These specific sequences of movements (which are derived naturally from the study of physical and mental functions, both in daily activities and in dance), Laban, following the musical metaphor, called scales.
“The desire to achieve balance through symmetrical movements is the simplest manifestation of what we call harmony, the purpose of this is not just to keep the body in an upright position, but to achieve unity, wholeness, completeness.” Harmony is created by the choice, order and relation of movements in space: “The integration of the body and consciousness through movement occurs in the free performance of choreographic forms. It is possible to build a dynamically standard scale in which a chain of harmoniously connected emotions corresponds to a kinespheric motor trajectory of the same form.
The balance achieved through asymmetrical movements has many aspects. The influence of a flow that breaks a simple symmetry leads to asymmetric movements, which must necessarily be completed by other asymmetric tensions or movements.
The standard scale consists of two parts. The first sequence of six movements goes along one side of the Kinesphere, the second - on the opposite side. The directions of both series are parallel, but directed oppositely. The standard scale, being the prototype of a chain that provides balance in its flow of forms, is the basis for experiencing spatial harmony. In training, these scales can help in learning and experiencing harmony, as well as help in more general sense revealing the body in space and space in the body.

Pattern 31: Geometric Shapes
Movement, of course, takes on all types of forms, but by relating it to geometric forms, Laban achieved two specific goals:
1) introducing a basic vocabulary that stimulates the imagination, and
2) support for future research - as a point of reference.
Platonic circles, spirals, figures of eight lines going in different directions are useful reference points for any type of movement composition that stimulates reflection and imagination. In Laban's early drawings, people can be seen moving within geometric shapes. Drawings created after World War II are more abstract. Perhaps this reflects the direction of his thinking. The Kinesphere was introduced to describe the orientation of a body in space. To establish more specific points of reference, this sphere has been augmented with geometric shapes within it. The cube is a useful initial shape that develops in a person a greater awareness of the directions of height, depth and width.

Pattern 32: Icosahedron
Laban, in an opening article for LAMG Magazine, said that earlier in his work he noted "that people, regardless of differences in race and standard of living, have something in common in their movement patterns." When they express feelings or are excited, this commonality becomes most evident in their movement patterns, in which certain points in the space around the body are accentuated. “By connecting the dots,” he describes. “I came to the strict form of the crystal.” This shape he later called the icosahedron.

It is almost a sphere defining the space in which each individual can move, and it provides excellent ways of recognizing and ordering the directions used in human movement.

Translation by Valentin Burov.

taotatichaskia basics, etc.

Analysis of movement, according to R. Laban (1.MA, 1.aban Motemeng Apa1uv (v), in this case becomes a tactical (more differentiated, situational) way of describing, depending on the nature of the movement and goals, we can use different parameters, limit ourselves only one or take several.

Let's take a closer look at the provisions on which R. Laban relied, and the historical context of his work. At the same time, we are based on the research of J. Hodgson and have chosen from 1.MA those provisions that are of interest to us in the context of ITDT.

Rudolf von Laban (1879 - 1958) - Czech choreographer, dancer and teacher who worked with the stars of modern European dance. He studied the process of movement not only in dance (folk and modern), but also in military affairs, on a factory assembly line and in everyday life. R. Laban founded dance schools in many parts of Europe, organized large-scale "dance choirs" and did much to develop a systematic study of movement (Football, 2001). Studying the basic principles of the process of movement, R. Laban developed a system of recording elements of movement accepted throughout the world, which performs the same role as the score in music. He tshske created a system for analyzing movements, which bears his name - analysis according to Laban.

R. Laban was an advocate and promoter of dance as a healthy contrast to the mindless physical limitations of industrial society, and although he did not practice dance therapy himself, his advocacy had a great influence on the development of TDT in the world.

In the USA R. Laban's work was presented by I. Bartenieff, a dancer who emigrated from Europe and began working as a physiotherapist in the USA. The Laban-Bartenieff Movement Research Center in New York is a leading center for the study of movement. I. Bartenieff contributed to the integration of R. Laban's movement analysis and dance therapy through collaboration with pioneer dance therapists at the Bronx Psychiatric Center in the 1960s. (see Vshtep!e(uy).echbv, 1980). Of particular interest is the collaboration of I. Bartenieff with the child psychiatrist J. Kestenberg (Kevrenfer, 1975). J. Kestenberg collaborated with M. Mahler in Vienna before they left for the USA in the 1930s. She later met in London with Anna Freud, who continued the work of her father, Sigmund Freud, with children and studying ego development.

Here are some points of motion analysis:

MOTION RESEARCH TOOLS

Observation of the movement. R. Laban had a natural tendency to observe with movement, most likely, as already mentioned, due to the quickness of mind and body and loneliness at an early age. It also affected the fact that he had the opportunity to travel, this gave him the opportunity to make many amazing discoveries and experience a lot.

CHAPTER H. INTEGRATIVE TANDE-MOTION THERAPY (ITMT)

Learning to see and notice movement, from the overall impression down to the smallest detail, is an important beginning of any in-depth study. Keeping records greatly aids the process of observation and initiates awareness of the fundamental nature of movement.

Ayaalnz dvyavseiya. As we baldly train ourselves to observe movement, the question immediately arises: what exactly is moving? We begin to distinguish the limbs involved in movement. Differentiation of aspects of movement helps to more subtle observation and forms a different quality of awareness and perception. R. Laban's further patterns help in this analysis.

Motor memory. Most people are able to recreate situations and events, sounds, voices and intonations, but only a few easily recall movements. Tbnko observation and anachiz are the key to the development of motor memory. It is very important to develop this skill in order to develop the ability to understand the meaning of movement.

Motor imagination. The key to good movement imagination lies in the development of subtle observation during the experience of movement. As soon as movement images start to come naturally, other associations can appear, and all together makes the beginning of the movement more resourceful. One image connects with another, stimulating further ideas in a single creative process.

THINKING IN TERMS OF MOVEMENT

The study of movement leads to a perception that is more responsive to all types of movement occurring around. R. Laban emphasized the importance of considering work and rest, action and dance, in terms of movement. Observing an activity is easy enough, but it is more essential to focus on the movements that create that activity. It's like we see wood when we look at trees. Once we begin to think in terms of movement, we can observe patterns and understand their nature and implications more clearly.

FORCE AND POTENTIAL OF MOVEMENT

One of the first things that impressed R. Laban in his observation of the movement was the strength and significance of the influence of the movement. He witnessed the warlike dances of some tribes, where he noticed how the participants enter into a state of aggression before a direct battle, he watched the dance of the Dervishes, whose frenzied rotation brings them into a state of religious ecstasy. In this hypnotic state, they often become able to resist pain, piercing the body with needles and nails without any consequences. R. Laban learned that movement can have unexpected effects on blood flow and circulation.

One of the creators free dance- forerunners of modern dance.

Born in Austria-Hungary, lived and worked in Germany and England. Laban sought to revive the social role of art as a joint action of people; the main place in this he assigned to the dance. A real innovator and one of the first theoreticians of dance, he came up with a new system for recording dance - "Labanonotation". Laban gained the greatest fame as the creator of "expressive dance" (Ausdruckstanz) and the art of "moving choirs" (the latter art form was especially widespread in Germany and Soviet Russia in the 1920-1930s).

In order for dance to rise to the level of other arts, a revolution must take place in it, similar to what happened in the visual arts at the beginning of the 20th century. Laban helped make this coup. Perhaps the most radical of all the pioneers of free dance, he abandoned not only the traditional dance steps, but also the musical accompaniment, theme and plot. He discovered that it was the space, not the body itself, that gave expression to the dance. Freed from learned movements, the body must seek its own rhythms and "revel in space."

In the 1920s, no less daring dance experimenters - Kurt Joos, Mary Wigman, Susanne Perottet, Dussia Bereska - united around Laban. They worked together at large summer schools in Munich, Vienna and Ascona until the first international troupe Tanzbuehne Laban (1923-1926) was founded - "the theater of authentic gesture" or "expressive dance".

The Laban Dance Theater was not alien to social themes, being inspired by B. Brecht's drama, constructivism, and political caricature. In the 1930s, together with Joos, Laban created political anti-war ballets. In 1938 he left Germany, and after the end of the war he opened a movement study studio in Manchester. In 1975 this studio moved to London and became the world famous Laban Center for Movement and Dance.

WHAT IS LABAN MOTION ANALYSIS

An excerpt from the manual for the course "Introduction to the fundamentals of Laban Motion Analysis and Bartenieff Basics (LMA-BF)" (www.tdt-edu.ru)

INTRODUCTION

Laban's Movement Analysis is a comprehensive system for understanding human movement and relationships. It includes 4 categories that are in constant interaction: Body, Form, Space and Effort (dynamic qualities). It is a philosophy of individual self-expression and self-awareness; a system that helps to realize and develop the motor potential of a person, a couple, a group of people, at the same time revealing full creative expression, personal expression, effective action on stage and in life.
The word "analysis" can be misleading. You can't understand a system just by reading about it. Laban analysis is learned only by moving. First of all, it is the practice and development of one's potential of movement, and only on this basis, learning to see and understand the meaning of the movement of other people. Otherwise, a person always sees only through the prism of his projections, his expectations and ideas. The Laban system allows you to realize them to the maximum and consciously use or put aside, for example, just to hear a completely different point of view. Thus, the ability to be in communication with oneself, with others and with the world at a very deep conscious level is developed. And by developing our movement vocabulary, sense of bodily connection and coordination, we develop simultaneously 2 main aspects of movement: functional (when the body is flexible and strong, when we use the right muscles and only the tone necessary for movement, releasing unnecessary tension) and expressive (when we can be precise and persuasive in what we want to say in communication with others).
In this brief review, we will talk about the main concepts of Laban analysis, its founders, and briefly present the development of this system in various aspects of human activity, especially in teaching dance, choreography and practical psychology.

WHAT IS MOTION ANALYSIS?

The truth is that we are all constantly analyzing and interpreting movements. But up to 80% of such information remains unconscious. We begin to master this skill almost from birth. The baby reads the signals of the mother - tension, relaxation, emotional presence or absence, anxiety, depression, joy, interest. In this interaction, the primary mechanisms of adaptation to external environment. And in adulthood many aspects of survival are associated with the ability to analyze motor information. For example, by internal traffic signals, we are aware of the feeling of hunger and do not skip meals, and on the street, analyzing the speed of approaching traffic allows us to avoid accidents. Our success in society also depends on the ability to read motor, non-verbal information. For example, the waiter understands when the customer is ready for dessert. The savvy businessman recognizes when a negotiation hits a dead end and you need to slow down to give yourself time to find another option, and when it takes a lot of perseverance to succeed. We know (or at least think we know) when the other person is listening or not. In the family, we feel when a mother gets angry and we know why, even if she doesn't say a word. It is the mother's movements (her non-verbal behavior) that give us accurate information about her mood. The question is, do we have the vocabulary and observation skill to formulate specifically by what movements we distinguish her irritation, due to the fact that the car did not start again and plans were violated, from her irritation about our late return home. Of course, her motor (non-verbal) signals for these two events will be different, but how? Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) gives us a vast vocabulary of detailed movement description down to the smallest nuance. The secret of this mastery is that mastering the maximum motor vocabulary simultaneously develops a person's expressive range and the skill of conscious perception (reading) of movement. Here, as with any language, the more words I know, the more I can express, and the more nuances I can perceive and read in interaction with other people. If I never pay attention to how the rhythm of my breathing supports my gestures, I will not notice it in others, and I will not be able to consciously use this rhythm to endear myself to people, to inspire their confidence. As I learn to feel my breathing rhythms, I begin to be more attentive to such rhythms in other people. Breathing is the primary instrument of emotional self-regulation. With practice, I can learn to modulate my breathing and more effectively support my movement on a functional and emotional level. Functionally, it will allow me to jump higher, run further, or stretch more in the spine (or whatever, depending on the movement goals I set.) Emotionally, it will help me calm anxiety, fear, anger and restore inner balance. My new conscious breath support will increase my level of expression in all areas of my life so that I can express myself more effectively on stage, in the boardroom, and in the family.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a student at the Academy of Arts named Rudolf von Laban became interested in studying expressive possibilities movement, both on stage and in ordinary life. The more he worked with dancers and actors, exploring movement as an art form, the more he realized that movement lacked the systems theory found in other art forms: music, painting, and literature. He assembled a group of his most talented followers to work together. And he set a huge task: the classification and description of the basic structures of human movement. This work continues today, as the interchange and mutual influence of cultures on each other on our small planet and movement analysts from different countries and continents continue to hone and refine the LMA vocabulary. When a person discovers for himself the whole variety of human expressiveness and his own expressive potential, he becomes more sensitive and compassionate towards others. Laban saw it as his mission to develop a vocabulary that accurately conveys the sophistication and complexity of the movement. The more clearly we are able to observe and describe movements, the better we are able to understand ourselves, and the wider our possibilities of self-expression, self-realization, communication. Expanding our motor potential makes us more human and more dynamic in all aspects of our lives: on stage and in business, in front of any audience, in social contacts and in the family.

RUDOLF VON LABAN (1879-1958)

Rudolf Laban, a charismatic and courageous explorer of movement, was a visionary humanist, director and choreographer whose revolutionary ideas bridged the gap between the performing arts and science. The founding father of modern dance, dance theater and various areas of modern dance and movement therapy, Rudolf von Laban was born into an aristocratic Hungarian family in Bratislava, where early childhood his life was filled with dance, music and art. He spent his childhood in court circles near Vienna. From childhood, he traveled extensively in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as in North Africa and the Middle East, accompanying his father, field marshal and governor, who received various appointments. Thus, the young Hungarian of French-English origin studied Slavic, Eastern and European culture. He mastered many styles of folk dancing, which he often used in family plays with his sisters. Laban abandoned the military academy for the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied architecture and design from 1900 to 1907 and became interested in exploring the interaction of the body with the stage space. It was during these years that he first began to highlight the elements of movement and experiment with motion recording.
Laban continued his studies of the movement in Munich, where he directed the Winter Arts Festival and in 1913 he was invited to open a summer art school within the intellectual and artistic commune of Ascone in the Swiss Alps (Monte Verita). This community was the center of European cultural life and innovative ideas in many areas of culture at that time. There he was joined by Mary Wigman (Mary Wigman), who later became one of the great dance innovators of the 20th century. She learned a lot from him, and this was the beginning of their long and fruitful collaboration. It was a very busy time. It was then that he created the foundations of his theory of motion. When the First World War began, Laban moved to Zurich, where he opened his own school and made many theatrical and choreographic productions. After the war, Laban schools were opened throughout Europe, including Paris, Stuttgart, Rome, Hamburg, Prague, Zagreb, Budapest, and many more. Laban passed on teaching to his leading students, while he himself continued his research and made theater and dance performances for professionals and amateurs in theaters, on city streets, in nature and in various outdoor venues. In the 1920s he lectured throughout the United States of America and Mexico and published three new books. His first The book Dancer's World - The Dancer's World was published in 1920. In 1926 he moved his Institute of Choreography from Wurtsburg to Berlin. Because he was interested not only in dance as an art form, but also in the people who practiced the form, Laban founded an organization for dancers and helped organize major dance conventions in 1927, 1928, and 1930. In 1928, he published Schrifttanz, where he introduced his recording system. movement. At first he called it Laban's Kinetography, and later it became known as Labanotation. He founded the Dance Recording Society, which published a magazine called Schrifttanz.
A firm believer in the liberating nature of dance for all and advocating freedom of expression as an inalienable human right, Laban worked not only with professional dancers, but also with labor guilds and community organizations. In his publications, he passionately advocates free expression in the movement, both individual and group. He developed a form of joint performance, which he called "Motive Chorus". The most massive performance of the Motor Choir featured 10,000 performers, including 2,500 trained dancers, with teams coming from all over Germany for the Festzug der Gewerbe (arts and crafts festive procession) in 1929 in Vienna.
These mass dance performances by Laban weaved together movements from old traditional and modern workflows and modern and folk dance. In 1920, Laban wrote Die Welt des Tänzers, in which he further elaborates his vision of the movement as the basis for the development of culture, where embodiment in action and form plays a decisive role in shaping the general culture of mankind. "For me, a dancer is - new person who does not create his consciousness out of the cruelty of [mere] thinking, feeling or wishing." Laban's ideal is a community of active people for whom the body, mind and spirit are absolutely equal. His student Martin Gleisner quotes Laban as follows: "The central task of movement choirs is to awaken and enhance the transmission of meaning - the basic meaning for contact with the foundations of humanity." (Gleisner) Laban's teaching methods formed the basis of the Folkwang Schule in Essen when his former student Kurt Jooss (whose Green Table choreography is still performed today) became its director in 1929 (and took over again after World War II ). In 1930, Laban's democratic ideas spread even further when he led the United State Theaters Movement. Unfortunately, when the Nazis came to power, his methods quickly fell out of favor with the government. It became clear to them that he preached the value of individual self-expression and did not support the ideas of the Nazis. Laban's books were banned, and many of his students were banned from teaching in the Laban method. Rudolf Laban was forced to flee to England, to Dartington Hall, where Kurt Joss had already settled with his school and dance company.
In England, Laban focused on practical application of his theory. Together with F.C. Lawrence - the famous industrialist who co-invented the concept of Effort and its application - they conducted a fundamental study of the dynamics of the movement of people in factories and plants. They investigated the efficiency and economy of effort in the performance of actions by workers in order to increase labor productivity. The book Effort: Economy of Human Movement presents their findings. Laban continued to work in England after the war, but now the focus of his interest was dance as a tool in the system of physical education and development of children. His colleague in this field, Lisa Ullman, presented curriculum"Modern Educational Dance", which was widely used in the secondary school system and was an alternative to physical education lessons. It is also an example of inclusive education, as it includes children with and without disabilities in the lessons of the developmental movement. This program had a huge impact on the teaching of the movement in the secondary education system in England. Laban died in England in 1958. His life can be compared to an unfinished symphony, which his students and associates continue to write. This symphony of movement continues to inspire generations of dancers, plastic actors, artists, dance therapists and scientists.

IRMGARD BARTENIEFF. IRMHARD BARTENIEFF (1900-1981)

“Irmgard thought globally and holistically. From her point of view, mind, body and actions are one. She saw the unity of man and culture, function and expression, space and energy, that art is united in a single integrity with work, environment and religion” (M. Siegel). It can be said that Irmgard Bartenieff is the main translator of Laban's legacy. She was a dancer, choreographer and gifted physiotherapist who taught several generations of dancers, dance therapists and movement teachers. Her figure stands behind a galaxy of founders of such new directions as: dance therapy, dance anthropology and Laban's movement analysis. She is also the author of her own system that allows building the body, its integration in movement, called "Bartenieff Fundamentals of Movement" (BF) - Bartenieff Fundamentals.
Irmgard Bartenieff was born in 1900 in Berlin. There she also studied biology, art history and connective tissue therapy, and in 1925 received a diploma from Rudolf Laban in dance and movement notation. She reenacted and performed baroque dances and taught Cinematography, later known as Labanotation. In 1936, Irmgard and her husband, dancer and actor Igor Bartenieff, were forced to leave Nazi Germany and move to New York, where they continued their studies and became physiotherapists. Bartenieff has worked extensively with polio patients, integrating LMA into physical therapy protocols.
After World War II, Bartenieff continued to study with Laban, often visiting the Laban Summer School at Dartington Hall. And in the 1960s, she did research with pioneering psychiatrist Israel Zwerling. At that time he was the director of the School of Medicine. Albert Einstein at Yeshiva University (New York, USA). Bartenieff's contribution to this pioneering work concerned the application of the LMA in the treatment of mental illness. She developed a systematic approach to patient observation and documentation in which she used the entire Laban system. And more recently, Bartenieff has created a unique combination of exercises that integrate areas such as dance, physical therapy, neurophysiology, psychiatry, developmental movement and LMA. Now this somatic system of motor retraining is called Bartenieff's Motor Fundamentals. Bartenieff's first book Body Movement: Coping with the Environment (1980) is a complete presentation of Laban's Movement Analysis (LMA) as the basis for the study of human movement. And her unpublished manuscript, Body, Space, Effort: The Art of Movement as a Key to Perception, fully describes Bartenieff's Fundamentals, her unique approach to motor relearning. But Bartenieff died without publishing this book. Her student and assistant, Peggy Hackney, drew on these materials and was able to convey and add to them in her book Making Connections: Total Body Integration through Bartenieff Fundamentals, 1998.
Bartenieff was a founding member of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) and a senior member of the Bureau of Dance Notation, where in 1965 she created the Laban training program for professionals in the performing arts and behavioral sciences. In 1978 she founded the Laban/Bartenieff Movement Research Institute, where she continues to teach these systems and research human movement. Her students and assistants apply this work to a variety of fields: psychology, physical therapy, somatic movement and creative dance, child development, anthropology, and performing arts.

BODY - EFFORT - SHAPE - SPACE (BESS)

Laban's movement analysis is a comprehensive systematization of movement descriptors, which are subdivided into several main categories - Body, Effort, Form, Space, Relationships. They manifest themselves in a unique way in every human movement, which is defined by the concept of Phrasing. To the movement analyst, these basic categories function as different types of lenses or "perception glasses" that focus and make their observations accurate, as well as providing the most detailed description possible.
Movement analysts often work with worksheets that encode various characteristics of movement. They are organized by category and allow you to record not only the most important distinctive characteristics of movement, but also to note all manifestations of movement. It is this huge potential for endless movement variations that makes each person unique and interesting. Even when two faces try to move in exactly the same way, we can find differences in the categories of body, effort, shape, and space that indicate the uniqueness of each of these individuals. It is important to note that there is no hierarchy between these four categories. They act as a multi-faceted map to guide our observations. Based on this map, we can start at any point (“you are here”). For this reason, the four areas are often represented as a three-dimensional tetrahedron, where each category is connected to the other three, both influencing and being influenced by all others, and we can turn around and move on this map in any direction.
Laban wrote about aspects of all four categories, but defined only Body, Effort, and Space. Later, the Form Category was separated into a separate one and developed by Laban's student and close colleague Warren Lamb, who is also the developer of one of Laban's areas of analysis - Movement Pattern Analysis - Movement Pattern Analysis. On English language we often refer to the four categories by their initials: BESS.

BARTENIEFF FUNDAMENTALS (BF)

“The goal of Bartenieff Fundamentals is to facilitate a lively interplay of Inner Connectivity with Outer Expressivity to enrich life.” (Peggy Hackney) The goal of the Bartenieff Foundations is to stimulate a vibrant interplay of Inner Connectedness and Outer Expressiveness in order to enrich the experience of human life." (Peggy Hackney) Irmgard Bartenieff has formulated the basic principles of effective human movement that promote self-expression and full psycho-physical fulfillment. This holistic a set of concepts, principles and exercises is called Bartenieff Fundamrntals(BF) - Bartenieff's Fundamentals BF integrates Bartenieff's own unique combination of experience in dance, physical therapy, neurophysiology, psychiatry and developmental movement along with Laban's movement theories. ; Breathing Support, Grounding, Patterns of Development; Spatial Intention; Phrasing, Dynamic Sequence (sequence), Individual uniqueness and dynamic rhythms: stability - mobility, tension - recuperation and function - expression.

PATTERNS OF TOTAL BODY CONNECTIVITY (PTBC)

(PTBC) - The Patterns of Universal Body Connectivity (PTBC) is an adult version of the Childhood Motor Development patterns used by Bartenieff, and Peggy Hackney described them in more detail in her book on Bartenieff's basics. These Patterns have become the basis of knowledge at the motor level in the practice of modern dance, physiotherapy, dance-movement therapy and numerous other somatic practices.

Breath (breath)
Core-Distal Connectivity (center-periphery connection)
Head-Tail Connectivity (crown-coccyx connection)
Upper-Lower Connectivity (up-down connection)
Body-Half Connectivity (connection of the right and left half of the body)
Diagonal Connectivity (diagonal connection)

“The fundamental connections of bodily connection are established at 1 year of life in accordance with the phases of psychomotor development. These basic connecting patterns are fully integrated into adult movement and function as Universal Body Connectedness Patterns, which are then made available for use and contextual phrasing at the right time.” We move through Developmental Patterns just as we did when we first learned how to move limbs, different types crawling, walking and interacting with the world. PVTS are the basic building blocks of the virtuoso Adult movement. And our personal preferences for certain patterns over others are hallmarks of individual uniqueness and style.
There are many reasons to keep returning to the practice of these patterns. Modern life big cities constantly sets so many stresses that it is instantly reflected and it doesn’t matter if we work in the field of dance and theater, psychology, business or any other on bodily integration. The practice of PVTS helps to activate connections that have become underutilized or interrupted due to trauma (physical or mental) or due to personal preference for other patterns. The practice of PVTS helps to integrate the injured parts back into the whole body system and promotes rehabilitation, after "dissolving" compensatory patterns that persist long after the injury has been treated, continuing to limit the person's range of motion. The practice of PVTS prevents recurrences of chronic injury by replacing ineffective habits with dynamically balanced ways of moving. At the bodily level, we always like to learn how to move efficiently, because the body craves lightness and fluidity. The practice of PVTS is a resource for creativity in creating new movements, as it helps to keep in mind the whole range of movement methods, and not just those few familiar movement patterns that we use most often. Supporting the regular practice of PVTS revitalizes, rehabilitates and strengthens internal connections, coordination and integration, which allows you to actively, spontaneously and flexibly (dynamically) interact with the world.

APPLICATIONS – CASE STUDIES LMA APPLICATIONS

In practice, Laban Movement Analysis finds its application in a variety of areas: from choreography and training of professional athletes and dancers to conflict resolution, teaching mathematics and psychotherapeutic work with children, families, adults

In Choreography

Innovative choreographer William Forsyth was inspired by Laban's work when he developed a system for exploring the space around the dancer's body; Forsyth's choreographic system uses the principles of Laban's Spatial Harmony as a starting point.
The famous dancer, choreographer and teacher Kurt Jooss danced with Laban in the troupe, and later he made the Laban system the basis of dance pedagogy at the Folkswang Schule in Essen, the leading dance academy in Germany. Pina Bausch studied the Laban system in Essen in the class of Kurt Joss.
LMA provides an extensive toolkit for creating a new movement and allows you to turn it into a powerful expressive statement. Choreographers use the system to expand their vocabulary, to hone the skill of observation, which allows them to convey their ideas to the dancers using accurate and understandable language, which is easily grasped by performers.

In Conflict Mediation & Cultural Sensitivity

Deborah Heifetz is a Certified Movement Analyst, Social Anthropologist, and Research Fellow at the Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Interdisciplinary Center. She uses analysis of the Laban movement in crisis management teams in the Israeli security forces and has written extensively on the inclusion of cross-cultural contexts in conflict management.
Motor empathy is a key element of cultural understanding.
When we learn to move by mirroring the movement and non-verbal behavior of another person, we learn to feel that person, which helps establish a relationship of trust and mutual understanding. The LMA offers a nuanced vocabulary to describe the widest range of human movement and non-verbal behavior that we, as social beings, use in a variety of cultural ways. Expanding each person's individual movement repertoire develops their ability to perceive, accept and understand other people's different movement styles and habits, even when they are so different from ours.

In Ethnography

"Movement is embodied at the bodily level cultural heritage and knowledge passed down from generation to generation. Ethnographers use the LMA to more accurately describe the movement from the position of the culture in question. A notable development in this area was the book Laban Analyst (CMA) and anthropologist Sally Ann Ness (Sally Ann Ness / Body, Movement and Culture: Kinesthetic and Visual Symbolism in a Philippine Community (1992) "Body, Movement, and Culture: Kinesthetic and Visual Symbolism in a Philippine Community" (1992), which presented how ethnographic research can incorporate perceived kinetic experience/knowledge when considering cultural meanings and concepts through the exploration of their embodiment in movement.LMA provides a rich and detailed network of movement descriptors with which to collect ethnographic data.The more refined the skill of observation, the more details we are able to perceive.

In dance - movement therapy

Have any of us thought that we may have trouble getting promoted at work, in relationships with a spouse or children, simply because we are limited in movement. Often behind this are unexperienced or unexpressed emotions, negative attitudes towards the image of one's "I" or psychological trauma. "Stuck" in the memory of the body, they limit the expressive motor spectrum of a person, in some cases, almost to the point of immobilization, which entails not only traditional diseases, but also leads to a loss of vitality, mental strength, limited self-expression and, as a result, ineffective communication .
Most dance movement therapists are trained in the LMA as a tool for observing and describing non-verbal behavior and movement interactions. The LMA vocabulary allows the dance movement therapist to talk about movement in neutral terms, without judgment, opinion or emotional tone. For example, the therapist might say, "I notice that when you talk about your boss, you lean forward with your shoulders up, and the tension in your body increases dramatically. Are you familiar with this movement? What could be causing it?" If we simply label this movement pattern as “anger” or “nervousness,” we run the risk of imposing our own projection on the person, and it is important that the client himself gives a description of his experience, meaning and its causes. After all, this may have nothing to do with the impression that came from outside. The LMA language helps to open up a collaborative exploration through awareness of the nuances of a person's non-verbal manifestation, when he himself opens his own stream of associations. This helps him hear his body language and what it says in a given situation.

In Physical Therapy / Somatic Movement Therapy

Never twist your ankle again. When a physical or somatic movement therapist trained in LMA is working with a client's sprained ankle, he is only nominally interested in healing the current injury. His main attention is directed to the ways of shifting balances and supports in the body, to which the patient is predisposed and which served as the cause of the dislocation. Until we replace ineffective and compensatory habits with effective movement patterns, the injury is almost guaranteed to reoccur. LMA-trained Somatic Movement Therapists work to strengthen and clarify the internal connections in the body that are often interrupted by tension or ineffective use. Certified Laban Analysts, instead of working on simple muscle strengthening, focus their efforts on incorporating an efficient muscle work sequence so that no part is over-engaged and carries too much load, and that no part is left unsupported by the rest of the body. systems, the best way redistributing and balancing the load in ligaments, tendons, joints and muscles, i.e., adjusting the functioning of the musculoskeletal system in the best way for each individual person.
Chronic headaches, lower back pain, or balance problems? An old knee or back injury that never fully heals? In addition to working with the balancing of body structures, with the restoration correct sequence muscle activity and other movement patterns, somatic movement therapists can use the LMA to uncover and facilitate the expression of the emotional and psychological components of bodily symptoms. Our LMA Lead Instructor Peggy Hackney talks about working with a client: there was nothing conventional doctors and physical therapists could do about her constant pelvic pain and lameness. Everything remained the same until Hackney, through a holistic somatic approach, discovered that her negative self-image was the cause and effect of her pain. She lived most of her life repressing her deep desire to dance completely because she considered herself incapable and ugly. Hackney helped her express her "inner dancer" in motion while satisfying the client's desire for self-expression and strengthening the natural kinetic bonds in her body. Ultimately, pain and lameness were a thing of the past, and she was able to walk with full coordination. This unity in the relationship between function and expression is a key idea of ​​the LMA and a tool in the work of somatic movement therapists when they work in a holistic model of health where body, mind and spirit are one and inseparable wholeness.

In Acting

Laban has written extensively on the use of movement in the creation of stage images and characters. The LMA dictionary offers a comprehensive system for learning and articulating the details of an expression. Actors are trained in the LMA system in order to practice at the body level the functional skills necessary to achieve maximum a wide range expressive possibilities.

In Dance Technique

Teaching the basics of dance and movement, Irmgard Bartenieff had a huge impact on the development of dance technique in New York City during the 40 years she taught there. This influence continues today, thanks to several generations of student dance/movement teachers and dance therapists who pass on and develop her legacy, through her book, Coping with the Environment, and through the Laban/Bartenjeff Institute for Movement Studies (the Laban/ Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies). The Bartenieff Basics are the main source of the Release Technique. Many of Bartenieff's basic exercises have entered the modern dance canon, and they continue to be taught 30 years after her death.

In Improvisation

Breath, flow, focus; contact with oneself, with another, with the audience, with the earth. Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) provides us with a holistic system that allows us to observe, accurately articulate, and hone our stage presence skills. It gives us an incredible wealth of opportunities to go beyond our usual movement patterns. As practitioners grasp the breadth of possibilities, it becomes more and more obvious which parts of the system are more familiar to each performer, and which ones are less mastered. Improvisers give themselves structures in which they confine themselves to the qualities of unfamiliar/unmastered movements, thus they challenge themselves to expand their expressive range. With direct access to the largest possible palette of movement options, the improviser gains complete freedom in his performance skills and new opportunities in interaction with others. The performer no longer remains a prisoner of his habits.

In Business In business

Virginia Reid and Fran Parker are internationally recognized experts in the field of interpersonal communication. They apply the LMA to the corporate world, working with private clients seeking to advance their careers in Fortune 500 companies, focusing on presentation style and communication skills. For them, the LMA is a tool they use to help their clients embrace cultural diversity in the workplace, adapt to change, and develop powerful leadership skills.
Warren Lamb studied with Laban in the 1940s and assisted him and Lawrence in their grandiose research into the application of Effort (dynamic qualities) in plants and factories. One of their discoveries is related to the fact that certain aspects of thinking are reflected differently at the level of bodily movements. Lamb developed this approach further and created his own system called Movement Pattern Analysis (MPA, formerly called Action Profiling), which he began to use in executive consulting and in the context of personal development. MPA uses the concepts of LMA to observe non-verbal behavior, which allows you to determine individual style decision making. MPA consultants work with team building, conduct leadership trainings and personal growth trainings. MPA also integrates well into the practice of dance therapists when we are talking about personal growth or life coaching, when it is necessary to master certain communication skills, to understand and expand the communication style not only in professional but also in personal life.

In Computer Animation

In computer animation, Leslie Bishko is an animator and animation teacher who uses the LMA in her work to capture the essence and details of movement. She has created an interesting website, Laban for Animators, and is the author of numerous articles that articulate the methodology for applying the LMA to animation and other digital media.

Motion analysis by Rudolf Laban

Our whole life happens in motion, while we are moving - we exist. Each person during his life strives to know all its foundations and facets. But if life is movement, then human life must be known through movement. Knowledge of the processes to which the work of the body is subject is fundamental for understanding the process of movement, because with the body a person cognizes texture and time. By analyzing the levels, processes and goals of the movement, we thereby learn the world around us in all colors. Thanks to the analysis of movements, a person is able to comprehend the nature of his own being, relationships with other people, reach agreement with himself, with his needs and desires, understand his place in this world.

The motion analysis system was created by Rudolf Laban, a Czechoslovakian dancer, choreographer and teacher who has mentored many of the great stars of modern dance. R. Laban studied the processes of movement both in modern and folk dances as well as in everyday life.

Biography of R. Laban. Rudolf Laban was born on December 15, 1879 in Bratislava, Slovakia. The real name of R. Laban is Varalyash. In his early youth, Laban often traveled with his father to the Middle East and North America, as his father was in the military and often changed jobs. These trips became the basis for the study of Eastern and Slavic culture. The study of various dances and cultures became the foundation for the further work of R. Laban.

In 1900, Rudolf left for Paris, where until 1907 he studied at the School of Fine Arts. While at school, he became interested in the basics of dance, drama and design. Together with his troupe, he performed in the famous cabaret "Moulin Rouge" under the pseudonym "Attila de Varaldzha", and was also a dancer in ballet troupes of famous opera houses.

The period of study in Paris was full of events in the life of a young dancer, because it was there that he began to study the rituals and traditions associated with movement, and also organized experiments with dance recordings. In addition, Rudolf Laban was engaged in scenery and theatrical costumes, worked on architecture.

In 1910, in Munich, Germany, he created a school of "free dance", where Laban was the leader. A few years later he was already the head of dance schools in Hamburg, Zurich and Nuremberg. During the First World War, R. Laban was the head of the Lago Maggiore festival, held in the village of Ascona, located in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Maggiore (hence the name of the festival). It was during the festival that he came up with the idea of ​​natural dance, which would be accessible to everyone, as well as the idea of ​​creating moving choirs. At the same time, he began to conduct his own research in the field of the form of harmony and space. To implement these ideas, Laban decided to build a theater.

Laban managed to build his own theater, but soon the theater was destroyed as a result of hostilities. Frustrated, but with an unquenchable desire to realize his plans, Rudolf Laban leaves Ascona, leaves all his affairs in Munich and moves to Zurich, where he also creates his own dance school.

The conduct of hostilities did not interfere with the study of the natural nature of dance, the harmony of space and rhythm and the harmony of space. Laban could rightly be called the great dance reformer, who brought new colors to classical ballet. In 1920, Laban gathered around him like-minded people who worked with him in many summer schools in Vienna and Munich. A few years later, Laban and his team founded the first international troupe, named after the leader of the troupe - “Tanzbuehne Laban” (“Laban Theatre”, other names are “Authentic Gesture Theatre”, “Expressive Dance Theatre”).

In the period 1919-1923, dance schools were founded by Rudolf Laban in Prague, Rome, Hamburg, Vienna, Basel and other major European cities. All schools were united by one common name - “Laban's School”, which in itself already aroused interest in studying in it. Since the creator of the motion analysis system was physically unable to manage schools located in different cities and countries, each of the schools was managed by the best of his students. Later, Laban realized the idea of ​​creating moving choirs, as well as created the performances of Prometheus and Faust, staged dance performances with musical accompaniment and without it (“Death of Agamemnon” (1924), “Titan” (1927), “Night” (1927), as well as on classical music(“Don Juan”, 1925).

In 1928, Laban discovered and proposed for consideration a unique universal method for recording dance movements (see Fig. 1). With the help of special designation icons, the duration (size of the designation), amplitude (using shading) and direction of movement (shape of designation) were recorded. The designations were read from the bottom up, arranged vertically. Despite the fact that a lot of time has passed since the creation of this method, it has not lost its relevance today and is still used by many choreographers in their work.

Rice. 1. - Method of recording dance movements

The movement analysis system of R. Laban was officially recognized by the Dance Congress in Essen in 1928 after the publication of the best-selling book “Recording of Dance”. In the same year, Laban founded the Dance Recording Society.

However, after Adolf Hitler came to power, the teachings of the choreographer began to be oppressed in every possible way. So, in 1936, R. Laban organized an open-air performance unprecedented for the whole of Germany, which was supposed to take place simultaneously throughout Germany in different cities of the country. But this performance was not destined to happen due to the arrival at one of the rehearsals of the Chancellor of the Third Reich, Joseph Goebbels, who announced the existence of only one movement in Germany, which is Nazi salute, and therefore the representation should be prohibited. This ban was the last straw of Laban's patience, and he decided to complete his work in Germany and moved to Paris, where he began lecturing at the Sorbonne University.

The last country Laban visited was England. It was here that the choreographer found the necessary conditions for research and experimentation, which he so lacked in Nazi Germany. In 1938 Laban created the Center for the Art of Dance and the Studio for the Art of Movement. The main attention in his research was paid to the physiological aspect of the movement process. He also lectured on the history of dance and the art of movement. Rudolf Laban died in 1958 in England.

Main ideas of the method. Throughout his life, the creator of the motion analysis system was convinced that the modern industrial society is under the influence of meaningless physical limitations, and dance as an element of dance movement therapy is able to remove these limitations. Differentiating aspects of movement contributes to deeper observation and the formation of human perception.

Movement can give a person strength and fearlessness. R. Laban was convinced of this by watching the warlike dances of the tribes, when, with the help of dances, the warriors entered into ecstasy and increased their level of aggression. As a result of the war, they fell into a deep hypnotic state and were able to withstand any kind of pain without serious consequences.

Laban concluded that the movement had a direct impact on internal state of a person, and how a person moves reflects his current internal state. For example, if a person moves slowly and carelessly, then he experiences a feeling of fear. However, there is also Feedback- the internal state of a person can be changed by changing the movements. If an insecure person straightens his shoulders, straightens his posture and begins to move with a wide step, he will gain confidence in his own abilities.

The analysis of human movements involves knowledge of the specific purpose of the movement. To do this, you should understand why a person moves in principle. So, the person is moving:

To perform any action (having a specific goal);

For expression (for the purpose of manifestation of forms of feeling);

For understanding (through experience and thoughts);

In dance (to express previously unexpressed emotions).

A person is able to move not only consciously, but also unconsciously. Unconscious movements (called “shadow” by Laban) mean the performance of gestures of which the person is not aware, performed without the use of conscious will, but at the same time expressing the person’s internal attitude to the subject.

Studying human movements, Laban noticed the presence of a stable architecture in the vertical and horizontal parts of the skeleton, as well as the three-dimensionality of the supports when the person correctly performed the movements. He discovered the presence of a symmetrical body structure in relation to the center of the head and body: each specific organ (mouth, nose, etc.) is located in the center, while paired organs are located symmetrically on each side of the human body. A balanced structure keeps the human body in balance.

Laban divided the human body into 3 main parts:

1. Head - the area where the sense organs are located, which is responsible for psychological and mental activity;

2. The trunk is an important part of the body, in which all the processes associated with digestion, purification, and reproductive activity take place.

3. Limbs (legs and arms) - a part of the body, mainly responsible for movement and gestures. However, movement is not the only function of the limbs.

So, the legs turn the body, jump, maintain balance, carry weight. Hands wave, show, hold, etc.

The process of motion analysis begins by clarifying the following key points:

1. Where does the movement take place;

2. Why is there a movement;

3. How does the movement occur;

4. What are the movement restrictions.

Based on this, we can conclude that there are four motor parameters, according to which the movement is analyzed - time, space, dynamics and flow. Each of the parameters is a scale with two poles.

Where. The body is always visible, it moves in space. Since movement is change, space must be seen as the site of change.

Orientation. The body is able to operate within a three-dimensional space, called by Laban the "kinesphere", denoting the part of space that can be accessed by a person. Within the limits of the kinesphere, the body can occupy either an insignificant space, or expand up to the periphery of the kinesphere. These changes determine the range of modified forms, and Laban identified the main factors that characterize the changes in these forms:

1. Dimension - depth, width and height make it possible to determine the movement that occurs up and down, right and left, or back and forth.

2. Proximity - a factor indicating the place in which movement occurs in relation to the body (close or far).

3. Planes. Laban identified three main planes according to dimensions: a plane parallel to the floor (“table plane”), a plane parallel to the wall (“door plane”), and a vertically elongated plane (“wheel plane”).

4. Central / peripheral direction. It is considered in relation to the center - either the movement occurs towards the body, or away from the body.

5. Orientation of space. There are two options - either directional movement (performed along the shortest of the paths), or non-directional (flexibility is allowed and an indirect path is chosen).

R. Laban's motion analysis is an extremely accurate, but very complex system, the correct implementation of which requires a fairly long accumulation of special knowledge and observation skills.

In the developed system, the main role is played by two concepts - the system of form-efforts and the kinesphere. For a correct representation of the kinesphere, Laban suggests imagining a cube covering the entire human body (see Fig. 2). This space will be a personal zone of a person, as if a continuation of his body. Within the framework of this space, a person performs all movements with limbs, head and torso. If someone tries to invade a person’s personal space, this will instantly cause him discomfort. Depending on the size, three main types of kinespheres are distinguished - a small kinesphere (is a circle around the body, with a diameter of an elbow), a medium kinesphere (with a diameter of an outstretched arm of a person) and a large kinesphere (with a diameter of an outstretched leg). It should be noted that the diameters of these kinespheres are not constant and depend on the person and the situation in which he is. The main goal of the movement analysis method in working with kinespheres is to teach a person to use each of the kinesphere diameters depending on the situation.

Rice. 2. - Kinesphere

The system of "efforts - forms". In Laban's movement analysis system, the concept of "effort" does not necessarily mean the presence of tension. Rather, it means the presence of movement and energy expressed in movement. At the same time, the quality of this movement is considered. So, one person can raise his hand easily and confidently, and the other slowly and with tension.

Thus, movement in the Laban system means the dynamic properties of the process of movement and the ratio of the four main physical characteristics of energy: freedom of flow, flow strength, flow time and flow direction. With each choice of a person in favor of this or that action, the characteristics of energy change, whether the person is aware of it or not. If a person is accustomed to detailed self-control, this will slow down the flow time, if a person is too self-confident, this will affect the strength of the flow in the direction of its increase. Even the simplest movements, such as walking, are made up of dynamic combinations of bound and free flow.

One of the goals of movement analysis is to understand the features of these movement characteristics and enrich the vocabulary of the “dancing person”. To do this, in the process of analyzing movements, all four parameters of the applied effort are first worked out, after which these efforts are considered taking into account the feelings and relationships between them.

For the analysis of movements, each of the categories of movement (weight, time, flow, space) is a kind of vital theme of the individual. Space means how significant a person plays in this life, how he feels his space and invades the space of other people. Time - at what rhythm of life a person feels more confident, how he can influence the existing rhythm of life. Weight - how well a person feels their own weight, how it relates to the connection with the earth, etc. Flow - how much a person can maintain a certain style of movement, how he can follow his goal.

For therapeutic purposes, it is very important to pay attention to the following points when doing motion analysis:

1. The ratio of various parameters and the presence of repetitive qualities. For example, the movement of the arms almost always begins with the movement of the hands.

2. Unused areas, ratio and quality. Movement only in rare cases passes between the shoulders.

3. Special movements of the average static context, the ratio of parameters.
Having clarified these points, the therapist can work with them through the development of movement history and associations, while continuing to work on the differentiation of movement analysis.